Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

CHAPTER ONE
OVERVIEW OF COMMUNICATION
INTRODUCTION

As you have studied in the course, Introduction to Management, managers have three basic jobs: to
collect and convey information, to make decision and to promote interpersonal unity. To put it in
short, managers are expected to work together to achieve organizational goals. All of these jobs
happen through communication. Effective managers are able to use a wide variety of media &
strategies to communicate. This chapter gives you general overview of communication from its
definition and meaning to types of communication. The chapter will also introduce you to the
communication process and the major causes of communication error so that you would improve
your communication skill.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

On completion of this chapter you should be able to:

 Define communication
 Explain the significance of communication in business organizations
 Highlight the difference between formal and informal communication channels.
 Discuss the process of communication
 Identify major communication barriers between people and within organizations
 List factors that contribute to effective business communication
CHAPTER OUT LINE
1.1 Definition and meaning of Communication
1.2 Significance of communication
1.3 Elements of the communication process
1.4 The process of communication
1.5 Barriers of communication
1.6 Guidelines to overcome communication barriers
1.7 Types of communication in organizations
1.7.1 Internal and External Communication
1.7.2 Formal and Informal Flow of Communication
1.8 Principles of Communication

1.1 DEFINITION AND MEANING OF COMMUNICATION

1
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Dear reader, try to define communication in your own words you may use the following space for
your answer
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________
Different writers define communication in different ways. Let’s look at various possible ways of
defining communication. When people are asked to define communication, some define
communication as “the process of transferring ideas from one person to another”. When you see this
definition on surface it seems sound. However, it is incorrect way of defining communication. Why
do you think it is so? Because the words transferring and from one person to another inaccurately
imply that communication is like pouring liquid from a pot to another pot.
In other words, the definition implies a simple, one way action where person A takes knowledge from
his or her head and simply pours (transfers) it into the head of person B, the same way the water
poured to a pot. Person B may refuse to accept A’s ideas and may, instead, wish to present his or her
own ideas (give feedback) unlike the pot. The Latin root of communicate is communicare, which
means “to make common to many, share”. According to this definition, when people communicate,
they express their ideas and feelings in a way that is understandable (common) to each of them. They
share information with each other. So, what is the correct way of defining Communication?

Hamilton and Parker (1987), define communication as” the process of people sharing thoughts, ideas,
and feelings with each other in commonly understandable ways.”

Bovee and Thill (2000) defined communication as the process of sending and receiving messages.
They distinguished communication and effective communication.According to Bovee and Thill,,
effective communication occurs when individuals achieve a shared understanding, stimulate others to
take actions, and encourage people to think in new ways.

Dear learner, now look back the definition you gave for communication earlier at the beginning of
this topic and revise it again in line with the definitions forwarded here. Because this module is
concerned primarily with effective business communication, the discussions and illustrations you will
read focus mainly on business messages. However, you can apply them also to other organizations, to
other professions, and to your personal communication.

1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF COMMUNICATION

In order to show the importance of communication to organization it is better to define what

organization is. An organization is a group of people associated for business, political, professional,
religious, athletic, social, or other purposes. Its activities require human beings to interact, react-
communicate. They exchange information, ideas, plans, make decisions, rules, proposals, contracts
2
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

and various agreements which all of them can not happen without communication. Communication
is the life blood of every organization. Whether an organization is large or small, the sharing of
information among the parts of an organization, as well as between the organization and the out side
world, is the glue that binds the organization together. As a member of an organization, be it formal
or informal organization, you are a link in the communication chain. Whether you are a top manager
or an entry level employee, you have information that others need to perform their jobs. At the same
time, others have information that is crucial to you. Communication skills are important because it is
through communication that you gain the information you need to make successful decisions at work.
The success of an organization depends on communication skills of its employees. Researches
indicate that communication skills were rated “extremely important” relative to other kinds of
abilities by the surveyed organization. Researches conducted on business organizations also show
that “inability to communicate” and “poor communication skills” were the most frequently
mentioned reasons for not hiring a job applicant. From this you can see that communication affects
even your personal life.

1.3 ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Dear learner, the various elements of communication are briefly described below to help you
understand the process of communication: The process of communication involves five elements:
 sender-encoder
 message
 medium
 receiver-decoder
 feed back
The following figure illustrates how these factors interact in the communication process, affected by
various internal and external conditions and decisions.

Fig.1: A Communication Model

Sender – Encoder
External
Stimuli Receiver-
environment, internal Decoder
stimuli (Experiences External
Message
Attitudes, skills), Environment
Verbal, Medium
perception idea Feed back
nonverbal
decoding symbol Internal stimuli verbal non
(Experiences, verbal
attitudes,
skills)
Receptor
Mechanisms
perception, 3
decoding
Idea
interpretation
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Stimuli

Let us discuss now each element one by one:

Sender: the person who transmits, spreads, or communicates a massage or operates an electronic
device is the one who conceives and initiates the message with the purpose of informing, persuading,
influencing, and changing the attitude, opinion, or behaviour of the receiver (audience listener). He
/she decide the communication symbols, the channel, and the time for sending the message after
carefully considering the total situation in which communication takes place.

Ideas or Thoughts: the raw form of telling the ideas that the sender wants to share with a receiver
by changing them to messages using symbols.

Encoding: is changing the raw idea from its mental form into symbols, that is, patterns of words,
gestures, pictorial forms or signs (physical or sounds) of a specific visual /oral language. The sender
must choose certain words or non verbal methods to send an intentional message. This activity is
called encoding. The words and channels that a communicator chooses to deliver a message can
make a tremendous difference in how that message is received. Consider the simple act of a
manager’s offering feed back to an employee whether the words are respectful or abrupt and whether
the message is delivered in person or in a memo can make a big difference in how the feed back is
received.

Message: It is the information, written, spoke or nonverbal, which is to be sent from one person to
another. Here, the word “person” stands for the two ends of a system, and may represent an
individual, or a group of individuals, or even electronic machines.

The most important characteristic of a message as an element of communication is that it is organized,

structured, shaped, and selective – a product & pre- writing or pre – speaking stage. It exists in the
mind of the sender (communicator)

Medium: is the carrier of the message such as written words, in the form of written communication,
and spoken words and gestures in the form of face-to-face discursion.

Channel: is the carrier of the medium like a memo or a letter, which carry the written words, and air,
radio, telephone, television etc that carry the spoken words.

Receiver: is the targeted audience of the message. A receiver is any person who notices and attachés
some meaning to a message. In the best of circumstances, a message reaches its intended receiver

4
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

with no problems. In the confusing and imperfect world of business, however, several problems can
occur. The message may never get to the receiver. It might be delivered but lie buried under a
mountain of papers on the recipients desk. Even worse, a message intended for one receiver might be
intercepted by another one.

Decoding: This is the act of translating symbols of communication into their ordinary meanings;
however, the total meaning would consist of meanings of the words ( symbols) together with the tone
and the attitude of the sender as treated by the structure of the message and the choice of words used
by him (the sender).

Feed back: This is the loop that connects the receiver in the communication process with the sender,
who, in turn, acts as a feed back receiver and, thus, gets to know that communication has been
accomplished. In communication, feed back plays an important role. It helps the communicator know
if there are any corrections or changes to be made in the proposed action. It also ensures that the
receiver has received the message and understood it as intended by the sender failure to answer a
letter or to return a phone call can suggest how the non communicative person feels about the sender.

1.4 THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication involves participants (a sender & a receiver), message to be sent a medium to carry
the communication signals & the environments in which the message is sent & received. These
elements act & interact in the five-step process. Whether you are speaking or writing, listening or
reading, communication is more than a single act. Instead, it is a chain of events that can be broken in
to five phases as:
 The sender has an idea.
 The idea becomes a message.
 The message is transmitted.
 The receiver gets the message.
 The receiver reacts & sends feedback to the sender.

A) The Sender Has an Idea

The sender is the individual who initiates the communication. This person is sometimes known as the
‘encoder’, two things must happen before the sender wants to send a message: First, an internal or
external stimulus prompts you to send a message. This prompt may arrive in the form of letters,
memorandum, pencilled note, electronic mail, fax, telex, or even casual conversation in the hallway,
Regardless of the stimulus source; it could be a business transaction, a written question, a meeting, an

5
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

interview, or unexpected request for a favour. Whatever the case might be, you will start thinking of
ideas for the message.

It is important to remember, however, that a stimulus alone may not be enough to trigger
communication. The second requirement to send message is sufficient motivation. Think of times
when a manager asks a question, and some of the people present were fairly sure they knew the
answer (were stimulated), but did not respond. Why didn’t they respond? Probably because they were
not sufficiently motivated; i.e. they saw no personal benefit in answering. Or they saw greater benefit
in not answering.

B) The Idea Becomes a Message

After being stimulated & motivated to communicate, the sender must decide how best to convey a
message to the specific receiver. The message is the information or core idea being transmitted. The
process of putting a message into the form in which it is to be communicated is called ‘encoding.’ It
consists of both verbal (written or spoken) symbols & nonverbal (unspoken) symbols. Verbal
information is the part of the message that is heard. Nonverbal information entails such things as
body language & the surrounding environment. Whenever you compose a message, you need to
consider what content to include, how the receiver will interpret it, & how it may affect your
relationship. A simple ‘thank you’ message will be relatively easy. In contrast, to inform 200
employees of bad news about salaries will require much more complicated, carefully planned
message. To some extent, your choice of words also depends on your cultural background. When you
choose your words, you signal that you are a member of a particular club and that you know the code.
The nature of your code-your language and vocabulary-imposes its own limits on your message. For
example, the language of a lawyer differs from that of an accountant or a doctor, and the difference in
their vocabularies affects their ability to recognize and express ideas.

Several things can go wrong when you’re formulating a message. Typical problems involve
indecision about message content, lock of familiarity with the situation or the receiver, emotional
conflicts, or difficulty in expressing ideas.

Indecision about content

Deciding what to say is the first difficulty in the communication process. Many people make the
mistake of trying to convey everything they know about a subject. When a message contains too
much information, it is difficult to absorb. If you want to get your point across, therefore, you have to
decide what to include and what to leave out, how much detail to provide, and what order to include
and what to leave out, how much detail to provide, and what order adequate background, you will
create confusion. And if you recommend actions without first explaining why they are justified, your
message may provoke an emotional response that inhibits understanding. Include only the
information that is useful to the receiver, & organize it in a way that encourages its acceptance.

Lack of familiarity with the situation or the receiver

6
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Can you deliver your message equally well when you are not very familiar with the subject you are
talking about: or when you do not know the receiver very well? Creating an effective message is
difficult if you don’t know how it will be used. Let’s say you’re writing a report on the market for
sports equipment. If you don’t know the purpose of the report, it’s hard to know what to say. Some of
the things you should be clear about before writing the report are:
 What sort of sports equipment should you cover?
 Should you include team sports as we I as individual sports?
 Should you subdivide the market geographically or according to price ranges?
 How long should the report be?

Unless you know why the report is needed, you really can’t answer these questions intelligently. You
are forced to create a very general document one that covers a little bit of everything.
Lack of familiarity with your audience is an equally serious handicap you need to know something
about the biases, education, age, status, and style of the receiver in order to create an effective
message. If you’re writing for a specialist in your field, for example, you can use technical terms that
might be unfamiliar to a layperson. If you’re addressing a lower-level employee, you might approach
a subject differently than if you were talking to your boss. Decisions about the content, organization,
style, and tone of your message all depend, at least to some extent, on the relationship between you
and the audience. If you don’t know the audience, you will be forced to make these decisions in the
dark. As a result, at least part of your message may miss the point. Hence, ask why you are preparing
the message & for whom you are preparing it.

Emotional conflicts
Another potential problem in developing the message arises when the sender has conflicting emotions
about the subject or the audience. Let’s say you’ve been asked to recommend ways to improve the
organization of your department. You conclude that the best approach is to combine two positions.
But this solution will mean eliminating the job of one of your close associates. As you prepare your
report, you find yourself apologizing for your recommendation. Even though you believe your
position is justified, you cannot make a convincing case. Thus, in business communications try to
maintain your objectivity.

Difficulty of expressing ideas

Most of us might think that to write and to speak are not so difficult. We only learn that they do not
come easy when we have to make public speeches or when we area required to write an influential
letter on a particular matter. Lack of experience in writing or speaking can also prevent a person from
developing effective messages. Some people have limited education or a lack of aptitude when it
comes to expressing ideas. Perhaps they have a limited vocabulary or are uncertain about questions of
grammar, punctuation, and style. Or perhaps they are simply frightened by the idea of writing
something or appearing before they lack expertise in using language.

7
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Problems of this sort can be overcome, but only with some effort. The important thing is to recognize
the problem & take action. An inability to put thoughts into words can be overcome through study &
practice.

C) The Message is Transmitted

The third step in the communication process is physical transmission of the message from sender to
receiver. How will you send your message? Should one write or speak? What is the appropriate
channel for any given message? The channel is the means used to convey the message. The forms of
communication may be verbal, or nonverbal. Beyond that, you can convey a message by phone,
computer, face-to-face exchange, or other medium.

D) The Receiver Gets the Message

The receiver is the individual to whom the message is directed, also knows as ‘decoder’. When the
encoder’s message is picked up, the receiver tries to make sense out of it; i.e. to decode it. Decoding
is the process the receiver goes through in trying to interpret the exact meaning of a message.
Everyone tries to read between the lines in an effort to interpret what the sender means by the
message. If you send a letter, the recipient has to read it before she/he can understand it. If you’re
giving a speech, the people in the audience have to be able to hear you, and they have to be paying
attention.

But physical reception is only the first step. The receiver also has to absorb the message mentally. In
other words, the message has to be understood and stored in the receiver’s mind. If all goes well, the
message is interpreted correctly. The receiver assigns the same basic meaning to the words as the
sender intended and responds in the desired way.

Like transmission problems, problems during the reception phase often have a physical cause.
Competing sights and sounds, an uncomfortable chair, poor lighting or some other irritating condition
may distract the receiver. In some impairment, for example, or even a headache, can interfere with
reception of a message. These annoyances don’t generally block communication entirely, but they
may reduce the receiver’s concentration.

Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is simply lack of attention on the receiver’s part. We
all let our minds wander now and then, regardless of how hard we try to concentrate. People are
especially likely to drift off when they are forced to listen to information that is difficult to
understand or that has little direct bearing on their own lives. If they are tired or concerned about
other matters, they are even more likely to lose interest. Is the communication process complete once
the receiver has the message?

E) The Receiver Reacts & Gives Feedback to the Sender

Feedback is the receiver’s response to a message. It is the final link in the communication chain.
However, the feedback response involves a reversal of the communication process so that the

8
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

receiver now becomes the sender & the sender becomes the receiver. After getting the message, the
receiver responds in some way and signals that response to the sender. The signal may take the form
of a smile, a long pause, a spoken comment, a written message, or an action. Even a lack of response
is, in a sense, a form of response.

Feedback is a key element in the communication process because it enables the sender to evaluate the
effectiveness of the message. It provides guidance for the next message that you send to the receiver.
If your audience doesn’t understand what you mean, you can tell by the response and refine the
message. Feedback plays an important role by indicating significant communication barriers:
differences in background, different interpretations of words, and differing emotional reactions. So
when the receiver of the message has made feedback and the sender is sure that the message has been
communicated in the way intended, we say communication has existed.

Therefore, from the above phases, you can think of communication as a process consisting of
identifiable links, with ultimate objective of influencing behavior, attitudes, & beliefs. Each element
of the communication process is critical: the sender, encoding, channel, the receiver, decoding, &
feedback. The communication process is illustrated in the figure below.

Fig.2 Process of Communication

pp 1
Phase C Phase 6
The sender has an idea H Receiver sends feedback
A
N
N
E Phase 5
Phase 2 Receiver interprets the
Sender transforms L
message (decoding)
idea into a message
A
(encoding)
N
D Phase 4
Receiver gets the
Phase 3 message
Sender transmits the M
message I
D
I
The process is repeated until both parties have finished expressing themselves. To say a given
U
communication is effective each step should be successful.
M

1.5 BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION

9
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

No two persons are exactly alike mentally, physically, or emotionally. Thus the innumerable human
differences plus cultural, Social & environmental differences may cause problems in conveying an
intended message. Although all communication is subject to misunderstandings, business
communication is particularly different. Various characteristics of the sender, receiver, &
communication situation can create barriers to effective communication. The major barriers of
communication include the following:

1. Channel selection: Communication may be oral, written, visual or audio-visual. The different
communication channels can be personal barriers in that some individuals always seem to incline
toward a particular channel even though a more effective one exists. All the media have their relative
merits and limitations. While a properly chosen medium can add to the effectiveness of a
communication, an unsuitable medium may act as a barrier to it.

Consider, for example, a superior who uses a written memo to let you know about the recent denial of
a promotion. The more effective channel in this case might have been face-to-face meeting in which
you can ask questions. If a salesperson is required to submit a report based on the comparative sales
figures of the last five years, he will fail to communicate anything if he writes a lengthy paragraph
about it. He has to present the figures in a tabular form, or preferably make a bar diagram, which
would make communication an instantaneous process. An employee desirous of expressing his
regrets for his earlier misconduct with his supervisor should meet him personally. Whatsoever a
lengthy letter he might write, it can never be as effective as an earnest look on his face. But if he does
not meet him personally, his written explanation will most probably be misinterpreted. In offices, if
memos are frequently issued to employees to ask them to explain minor things late arrivals or early
departure they become a source of irritation. A manager using a memo to complement an employee
for a creditable achievement or to congratulate another employee for a wedding is surely creating
communication barrier through the wrong choice of medium.

2. Physical barriers: these include noise, and time & distance.

a. Noise: Anything that interferes with communication & distorts or blocks the message is
noise. Noise is quite often a barrier to communication. In factories oral communication could
be difficult by the loud noise of machines. Electronic noise like ear-splitting often interferes in
communication by telephone. The word “noise” is also used to refer to all kinds of physical
interference like illegible handwriting, smudged copies of duplicated typescript, poor
telephone connections, use of jargons (terms that have a precise meaning among specialists,
but are unfamiliar to others), distraction that prevents the receiver from paying attention, a
worn printer ribbon that makes a document hard to read, etc.

b. Time & Distance: Time and distance also act as barriers of communication. Modern
communication facilities like fax, telephone and internet are not available everywhere. This is
especially so in most companies of our country. Even when these technologies are available,

10
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

sometimes mechanical breakdowns render these facilities ineffective. In such cases the
distance between the transmitter and the receiver becomes a barrier. There is a kind of
communication gap between persons working in different shifts of a factory. Can you imagine
how difficult it would be to send an urgent message to a business partner living in England if
it had to be done through postal mail?

3. Semantics: refer to the different uses & meanings of words and symbols. Words and symbols may
not have similar uses and meanings for different individuals from different cultural group, language
and living style so it may create some barrier in the communication process. Semantic barriers
include:

a) Interpretations of words: Do you remember a situation where you and your friend
understood a word communicated by somebody else in a different way. The
knowledge each have about a subject or word affects the meaning we attach to it.
Individuals have their own network of words & meanings available for recall that
overlap, but do not correspond exactly, with those of other individuals using their own
networks can attach different meanings to words. Receivers decode words & phrases
in conformity with their own network, while may be very different from those of
senders. Words are capable communicating a variety of meanings. It is quite possible
that the receiver do not assign the same meaning to a word as the sender has
intended, that may lead to miscommunication. For some, a successful career means
having prestigious job title & making lot of money; for others, it may mean having a
job they really enjoy & plenty of personal time to spend with family & friends.
Different word interpretations especially, noticeable in, “bypassed” instructions & in
reactions to denotations, connotations and euphemisms.

b) Bypassed instructions: when the message sender & receiver attribute different
meanings to the same words or use different words though intending the same
meaning, bypassing often occurs. Example: An office manager handed to a new
assistant a letter, with the instruction “Take it to our store room and burn it” In the
office manager’s mind (and in the firm’s jargon) the word “burn” meant to make a
copy on a photocopier. As the letter was extremely important, she wanted an extra
copy. However, the confused employee afraid to ask questions burned the letter and
thus destroyed the original existing copy! To avoid communication errors of bypassing,
when you give instructions or discuss issues, be sure your words & sentences will
convey the intended meaning to the recipient. Also, when you are the recipient of
unclear instruction, before acting on it, ask questions to determine the sender intended
meaning.

c) Denotations, Connotations, & Euphoniums: Many of us have at some time been

surprised that a remark intended as a complement, or joke was interpreted by the
receiver as an insult. A statement intended as a good deed can be distorted in to
something self-serving. Some of these communication problems may occur because

11
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

words have both denotative and connotative meanings, and the sender has not
considered the receiver’s probable interpretation and reactions.

Denotations: the denotative meaning is the meaning on which most people will
probably agree. It often is the dictionary definition. The word informs the receiver & it
names objects, people, or events without indicating positive or negative qualities. Such
words are car, desk, book, house, water conveys denotative meaning, provided, of
course, that the communicators understand the English language & provided that the
receiver has a similar understanding of the context in which the word is used.

Connotations: in addition to more literal denotative meanings, some words have

connotative meanings that arouse qualitative judgments & personal reactions. The
term ‘meeting room’ is denotative. Director’s lounge, executive suite, boardroom,
though they each denote a meeting place, also has connotative meanings. The word
‘student’ is denotative; bookworm, scholar, dropout, are connotative. Some words
have favourable connotations in some contexts but unfavourable meanings in other
instances. Compare, for example, fat check & fat girl; free enterprise & free (rude,
bold) manners; cheap products & cheap price.

The communicators’ different backgrounds & interests also affect the connotative
meanings for words. On hearing that a particular person is ‘cool’ members of one
generation may take it to mean the person is fun to be with, while members of earlier
generation may believe it means that the individual is unemotional & insensitive.

Euphemisms: tactful writer & speakers are euphemisms whenever possible to replace
words that might have blunt, painful, lowly, or distasteful connotations. Euphemisms
are mild, innovative expressions with which most people do not have negative
associations. Expressions like the following have obvious connotative advantage:
maintenance worker or staff member instead of janitor, slender instead of skinny;
restroom instead of toilet. Instead of saying an employee was fired, a communicator
may use such euphemism as laid off, terminated, or a victim of reorganization or staff
cutbacks.

To communicate effectively you need to be aware of the usual connotative meanings of various terms
and also to realize that some people may have their own unique meanings because of their
experiences & background. Thus choose your words carefully, considering both their connotations
and other denotations to convey the idea you want and achieve the desired results.

4. Perception of reality: The reality of an object, an event, or a person is different to different people.
Reality is not a fixed concept; it is complex, infinite and continually changing. Besides, each human
being has limited sensory perceptions-touch. Sight, hearings, smell, and taste and each person’s

12
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

mental filter are unique. People perceive reality in different ways. No two persons perceive reality in
identical manners. We make various abstractions inferences and evaluation of the world around us.

a. Abstracting: the process of focusing on some details & omitting others. In countless
instances, abstracting is necessary and desirable – for both written and oral
communications. Whether you write a memo, letter or report or converse by telephone,
you will be limited somewhat by time, expense, space. And purpose. You will need to
select facts that are pertinent to accomplish your purpose and to omit the rest. We
often use abstracting while preparing business reports & application letters. Precise
writing is nothing but the art of abstracting. So how is abstracting considered a barrier
to communication? Abstracting poses a grave barrier to communication for details,
which look pertinent to one reporter, may look insignificant or trivial to another. You
as a communicator must also anticipate the likelihood that others may not be
abstracting as you are. Their points may be as important as yours though they select
differently from the infinite details in reality. For example, when reporting on an
event-a football game or an accident, no two witnesses give exactly the same
descriptions. The participants will perceive different details than the observers, but all
or several observers may mention some parts of the whole. Juries often determine
which witness’s details are the most credible. Differences in abstracting occurs not
only when persons describe events but also when they describe people, equipment,
project, or animals. We do not give allowances for these differences, and
misunderstandings arise. Very often we yield to the “allness” fallacy.

The allness-fallacy states that we believe that whatever we know or say about an
object or event is all that is worth knowing or saying about it. The more we delve into
some subjects the more we realize there is so much more to learn and to consider. And
unfortunately the less we know the more sure we feel that we know it all. Even experts
on certain subjects admit they don’t know all the answers; they continue to study all
available facts, though they sometimes disagree among themselves. Unfortunately, it
is true of some people that the less they know, the more sure they are that they know it
all. Thus, it is best for us to avoid assuming we know all about any subject or
circumstances simply because we have a few facts. Otherwise we may have an
inadequate, erroneous impression of the whole.

b. Inferring: What we directly see, hear, feel, taste, smell or can immediately verify and
confirm & constitutes a fact. But the statements that go beyond the facts and the
conclusions based on facts are called inferences. They are conclusions made by
reasoning from evidences or premises. A very simple example of inferring is when we
drop a letter in the post box, we assume that it will be picked up by someone and be
delivered to the destiny we desired. “If enough rain fall during the summer, we can
infer that the price of ‘teff’ will go down.” We infer that the gas station attendant
pumps gasoline (not water) into our car’s tank.

13
Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

For business & professional persons inferences are essential & desirable in analyzing
materials, solving problems, & planning. Systems analysts, marketing specialists,
advertisers, architects, engineers, and designers are all required to draw inferences
after they have gathered as much factual data as possible. Also, as consumers in our
daily activities, we may make inferences that are necessary & usually fairly reliable.
When we base our inferences on direct observations or on reasonable evidence, they
are likely to be quite dependable; but even so, there are disappointing exceptions.
Conclusions we make about things we have not observed directly may be true or
untrue.

As intelligent communicator we must avoid faulty inferences. We must realize that

inferences may be incorrect & unreliable & may cause miscommunication. We need to
anticipate risks before acting on the inferences. Consider this simple example.
Suppose that a personnel manager observes a particular new employee has been
leaving the office one hour late everyday for the last two weeks. What can be inferred
from this observation? The manager might infer that the worker is:
 exceptionally conscientious;
 that he is incapable of doing the required work within the regular time;
 that he has been given more responsibility than should be expected of a
new trainee; or
Even that he is searching for some secrets from confidential materials after others
have left the office.

Do you suppose the personnel manager should take an action based on any of the
above – mentioned inferences or any other possible inference that the manager could
make? Before acting on any of these inferences, the manager should get more facts. A
wrong inference can surely be a barrier to communication.

c. Making frozen evaluation: another drawback of effective perception is the frozen

evaluation- the stereotyped, static impression that ignores significant differences or
changes. Stereotyping is the tendency to attribute characteristics of an individual on
the basis of an assessment of the group to which the individual belongs. The manager
uses those perceived common characteristics to draw conclusions about the
characteristics of the individual, rather than acquiring information about those
characteristics more directly. It is often based on faulty inferences. To help you assure
that your comprehension of reality will be correct, you need to recognize that any
person, product, or event may be quite different from others in a group, or may have
significant differences today when compared with characteristics yesterday or some
time ago. You should recognize individual differences within groups & differences
within time periods. In all, we should remember to avoid frozen evaluation made on
the basis of what was true for one (for a group) at one time. Changes occur in
everything.

14
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

5. Attitudes & Opinions: communication effectiveness is influenced also by the attitudes & opinions
the communicators have in their mental filters. People tend to react favourably when the message
they receive agrees with their views towards the information, the set of facts, & the sender. In
addition, sometimes unrelated circumstances affect their attitudes, & responses like:
a. Emotional state: a person’s ability to encode a message can become impaired when a
person is feeling strong emotions. For example, when you are angry, it is harder to
consider the other person’s viewpoint & to choose words carefully. Likewise, the
receiver will have difficulty-decoding message when her/his emotions are strong. For
instance, a person who is elated at receiving good news might not pay close attention
to some one else’s words or body language. Some one who is angry might pay
attention but misinterpret a message in light of her/his anger.

b. Favourable or Unfavourable information: rejecting, distorting, & avoiding are three

common undesirable, negative ways receivers react to information they consider
unfavourable. For example, if a change in the policy of an organization proves
advantageous to employees, they welcome it as good; if it is contrary to their beliefs or
benefits, they may reject, or resent the company and their boss, perhaps falsely
accusing them of being unfair. Or they may instead, distort, the meaning and
misinterpret the true purpose of the policy change. Or they may avoid the message,
situation or people by putting of acceptance hoping that the delay will some how
prevent the change & protect them.
c. Closed mind: some people have a closed mind toward receiving new information. The
closed-minded person is one of the most difficult to communicate with. Typically this
person has only inadequate and mainly incorrect knowledge of the subject. Yet she/he
refuses to consider any new facts. Even from an expert who has made a long, careful
study of the problem and the proposed change. The closed minded person says in
essence: “my mind is made up” “Don’t bother me with facts” “I want what I want”.
Closed – minded people stubbornly reject distort or avoid a viewpoint before they
know the facts.

d. Status consciousness: people in the upper areas of organization’s hierarchy, those

who have more status & power, may be hesitant to listen to those individuals lower in
the hierarchy, feeling for example, that people of lower status & power do not possess
any useful information. By the same token, people of lower status & power may be
reluctant to share information because they believe that people with higher status &
power will not listen. Subordinates are afraid of communicating any unpleasant
information to their managers. They may be afraid that they might displease their
superiors by telling them unpleasant facts. Or they may fear that unfavourable
communication may adversely reflect upon their own competence. The subordinates
also find it difficult to offer proposals for the improvement of the organization, for
such proposals are not usually encouraged.

15
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

e. Credibility: people react more favourably when a communicator has credibility –

when they respect, trust, & believe in the communicator. A sender’s credibility plays
an important role in how a message is received & understood. If the receiver does not
consider the sender trustworthy or knowledgeable about the subject being
communicated, she/he will most likely be reluctant even to listen to the message. For
example, if you may feel that she/he has little knowledge concerning the area of
management &, thus, places little weight on anything she tells you concerning the
subject. Likewise, a sender may limit what she/he communicates to a receiver who is
not considered trustworthy. For instance, if an employee offers idea for a more
efficient way to perform a job & his supervisor takes credit for it, then the employee is
more likely to withhold future information from the supervisor, as he will probably not
trust the supervisor with such information.

6. Information overload: refers to the condition of having too much information to process. The
implication is that individuals can effectively process only certain amount of information. An
example would be if your professor gave you too much information, too quickly, concerning a term
paper’s requirements or if a manager gave an employee too much information at one time about a
report’s requirements. In either situation, the receiver probably does not receive the entire message.
Managers need to be aware of potential for information overload & to make appropriate adjustments.

1.6 GUIDELINES TO OVERCOME COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Now having the knowledge of the barriers to effective communication, can you think of alternative
ways of avoiding them? The following are ways which are suggested so as to make your
communication in the work place as smooth and effective as possible.

There are six factors or themes that contribute to effective communication.

1. Fostering an open communication climate.
2. Committing to ethical communication
3. Understanding the difficulties involved in intercultural communication.
4. Adopting an audience-centered approach to communication.
5. Using technology wisely and responsibly to obtain and share information.
6. Creating and processing messages effectively and efficiently.
Now let us discuss them one by one.

1. Fostering an open communication climate.

An organization’s communication climate is a reflection of its corporate culture: the mixture of
values, traditions and habits. It affects the quantity and quality of the information that passes through
the pipeline. The following are the measures that can be taken to create an open communication
climate:
a) Modify the number of organizational levels.
One way to foster an open communication climate is to reduce the number of levels in
the organizations structure. The fewer the links in the communication chain, the less
likely the misunderstandings will occur. In other words, a flat structure (having fewer

16
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

levels) and a wide span of control are likely to introduce distortion than a tall structure
and a narrow span of control.

b) Facilitate feedback
Giving the audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial to maintaining an open
communication climate.

2. Committing to ethical communication

Ethics are the principles of conduct that govern a person or a group. Ethical people are generally
trustworthy, fair and impartial, respecting the rights of others, and concerned about the impact of
their actions on society. Ethics plays a crucial role in communication. Ethical communication
includes all relevant information, is true in every sense and is not deceptive in any way. In order to
maintain ethical communication follow the guidelines below:

a) Recognize ethical choices.

Every company has responsibilities to various groups- customers, shareholders,
suppliers, neighbours, the community and the nation. What’s right for one group may
be wrong for another. Moreover as we attempt to satisfy the needs of one group, we
may be presented with an option that seems right on the surface but some how feels
wrong.

b) Make ethical choices.

Laws provide ethical guidelines for certain types of messages. Look at the
consequences of the decision and opt for the solution that provides the greatest good to
the greatest number of people, and one that we can live with.

c) Motivate ethical choices.

Organizations can foster ethical behaviour:
 by helping top managers become more sensitive communicators
 by using ethics audits
 by rewarding ethical actions

3. Understanding the difficulties involved in intercultural communication

More and more businesses are crossing national boundaries to compete on a global scale and the
make up of the global and domestic work force is changing rapidly. Global companies must
understand the laws, customs and business practices of many countries, and they must deal with
business associates and employees.

4. Adopting an audience-centered approach to communication

Using an audience-centered approach means keeping the audience in mind all times when
communicating. Since audience is taken care of, every possible step is taken to get the message
across in a way that is meaningful to the audience. Empathizing with and being sensitive to the

17
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

audience’s feelings is the best way to overcome such communication barriers as differences in
perception and emotional interference.

5. Using technology wisely and responsibly to obtain and share information

In today’s world, information moves through an array of media at the speed of a neural impulse.
Technology has such an impact on business communication. When used wisely and responsibly,
technology helps to improve the effectiveness of business communication.
6. Creating and processing messages effectively and efficiently.
The sixth guideline is to plan messages, generate ideas, organize the thoughts, and turn the words into
effective business messages. In order to create messages effectively and efficiently, consider the
following issues:

a) Learn about the audience

Creating an effective message is difficult if the audience is unfamiliar, or if we don’t
know how the message will be used. We need to know something about the biases,
education, age, status and style of the receiver in order to create an effective message.

b) Adapt the message to the audience

Decisions about the content, organization, style, and tone of the message depend on
the relationship between the sender and the audience.

c) Develop and connect ideas

Include only the information that is useful to the audience, and organize it in such a
way that encourages its acceptance. To make message memorable;
 Use telling statistics.
 Use words that evoke a physical, sensory impression.
 Tie the message to the audience’s frame of reference.
 Keep messages as brief and as clean as possible.
 Highlighting and summarizing key points.

d) Reduce the number of messages

Organizations save time and money by sending only necessary messages. If a written
message merely adds to the information overload, it is probably better left unsent or
handled some other way – by a quick telephone call or a face to face chat. By holding
down the number of messages, organizations will maximize the benefits of their
communication activities.

e) Choose the correct channel and medium

The careful choice of channel and medium helps focus the audience’s attention on
message. The choice of a communication channel and medium depends on the:
 Message
 Audience
 Need for speed
 Situation.

18
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

f) Strengthen the communication skills

Recognizing the importance of efficient communication, many companies today train
employees in communication skills. Companies offer seminars and workshops on
handling common oral communication situations (such as dealing with customers,
managing subordinates, and getting along with co-workers), as well as training in
computers and other electronic means of communication.

1.7 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS

1.7.1 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Each organization has its own approach to transmitting information, both within the organization and
to the outside world. Depending on where the business communication occurred we can categorize
communication into Internal and External.

Internal Communication
Internal communication involves transmission of information within the organization. Among various
ways of communicating with companies are memos, Reports, Meetings, face-to-face discussions,
teleconference, videoconference, notices, etc. Internal communication is a vital means of attending to
matters of company concern.
External Communication
External communication is communication with people outside an organization. It is the
organization’s means of establishing contact with the outside word. External communication could
include business letters, press releases, advertisements, leaflets, invitations, telegrams, telemessages,
proposals, etc. Messages to persons out side the organization can have a far-reaching effect on its
reputation & ultimate success. The right letter, proposal, or personal conversation can win back a
disgruntled customer, crate a desire for a firm’s product or service, help negotiate a profitable sale,
encourage collections, motivate performance, in general create good will.

1.7.2 FORMAL AND INFORMAL FLOW OF COMMUNICATION

To maintain a healthy flow of information, effective managers use both formal and informal
communication channels.

FORMAL FLOW OF COMMUNICATION

The formal communication is communication that flows along the organization’s lines of authority.
Formal channels of communication are intentionally defined & designed by the organization. They

19
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

represent the flow of communication within the formal organizational structure. Typically,
communication flows in four separate directions: downward, upward, horizontal, & diagonal.

A. Downward Communication
Communication that involves a message exchange between two or more levels of the organizational
hierarchy is called vertical communication. It can involve a manager & a subordinate or can involve
several layers of the hierarchy. It can flow in a downward or an upward direction.

Formal messages that flow from managers & supervisors to subordinates are called downward
communication. Usually, this type of communication involves job directions, assignment of tasks &
responsibilities, performance feedback, certain information concerning the organization’s strategies
& goals. Speeches, policy & procedure manuals, employee handbooks, company leaflets, briefings on
the organization’s mission & strategies, staff meetings, & job descriptions are all examples of
downward communication.

Higher level management communicates with lower level employees through such means as
memorandums, conferences, telephone conversations, company news letters, policy manuals, bulletin,
board announcements and video tapes. One of the problems with written downward communication
is that management may assume that what is sent downward is received and understood.
Unfortunately that is not always the case.

Most downward communication involves information in one of five categories:

 Job instructions – directions about what to do or how to do it. “When you stock the
shelves, put the new merchandise behind the old stock.”
 Job rational-explanations of how one task relates to other tasks. Explaining the
relationship between a task & other organizational tasks. “We rotate the stock like that so
the customer won’t wind up with state merchandise.”
 Policy & procedures: practice of the organization or rules, regulations and benefits of the
organization. “Don’t try to argue with unhappy customers. If you can’t handle them
yourself, call the manager”
 Feedback-Information about how efficiently a person is performing. “You are really
catching on fast. If you keep up the good work, you’ll be an assistant manager by the end
of the year”.
 Indoctrination- Information aimed at motivating employees by impressing the
organizations mission upon them and specifying how they should related to it. Efforts to
encourage a sense of mission & dedication to the goals of the organization. “If everyone
will put in a little extra effort, we can become the number one producer of X
components.”

20
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Downward communication across several levels is prone to considerable distortion. As much as 80%
of top management’s message may be lost by the time the message reaches five levels below. There
are usually three main reasons for the distortion. One reason is that faulty message transmission may
occur because of sender carelessness, poor communication skills, & the difficulty of encoding a
message that will be clearly understood by individuals at multiple levels. Another is that managers
tend to overuse one-way communication methods, such as, memos, manuals, & newsletters, leaving
little possibility for immediate feed back regarding receiver understanding. Finally, some managers
may intentionally or unintentionally filter communications by withholding, screening, or
manipulating information. A major problem with managers & downward communication is their
assumption that employees don’t need or want to know much about what is going on. Intentional
filtering typically occurs when a manager seeks to enhance personal power over subordinates by
tightly controlling organizational information.

B. Upward Communication
Formal messages also flow upward from subordinates to supervisors and managers. Without upward
communication, management would never know how their downward messages were received &
interpreted by the employees & would miss out on valuable ideas; workers would not get the chance
to be part of the company. To solve problems & make intelligent decisions, management must learn
what’s going on in the organization. Because they can’t be everywhere at once, executive depend on
lower-level employees to furnish them with accurate, timely reports on problems, emerging trends,
opportunities or improvements, etc. It is very important because it provides higher management with
the information needed for decision making. It also cultivates employee loyalty by giving employees
an opportunity to be heard, to air their grievances, and to offer suggestions. Finally up ward
communication provides the feedback necessary to let supervisors know whether subordinates
received and understood messages that were sent downward.

The following types of messages are valuable when communicated upward:

 What subordinates are doing: highlights of their work, achievements, progress, & future
job plan. “We’ll have that job done by closing time today”.
 Outlines of unsolved work problems on which subordinates now need aid or may require
help in the future. “We are still having trouble with the air conditioner in the accounting
office”.
 Suggestions of ideas for improvements with in departments in the organization as a whole.
“I think I have figured a way to give people the vacation schedules they want and still
keep our staffing up”
 How subordinates think & feel about each other and their jobs, their associates & their
organization. “I am having a hard time working with Getachew. He seems to think I am
mad at him. Or “I am getting frustrated. I have been in the same job for over a year now,
and I am seeking for more responsibility”.

21
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Forms of upward communication include one – to – one meeting with one’s immediate supervisor,
staff meetings with supervisors, suggestion systems, grievance procedures, employee attitude survey,
progress reports, inquiries, etc.

The distortion that characterizes downward communication also plagues upward communication.
First, individuals are likely to be extremely selective about the information that they transmit upward.
Information favourable to the sender is very likely to be sent upward. In contrast, information that is
unfavourable to the sender will probably be blocked, even when it is important to the organization.
Subordinates are more likely to filter information when they do not trust their superiors, perceive that
their superiors have considerable influence over their careers, & have a strong desire to move up.
Second, managers do not expend sufficient effort in encouraging upward communication. Managers
often behave in manners that exacerbate the situation, usually through punishing the bearer of bad
news or allowing themselves to be isolated from subordinates at lower levels.

C. Horizontal Communication
Horizontal communication involves exchange of information among individuals on the same
organizational level, such as across or within departments. Thus, it generally involves colleagues &
peers. Horizontal information informs, supports, & coordinates activities both interdepartmentally &
interdepartmentally. Considerable horizontal communication in organizations stems from staff
specialists, in areas such as engineering, accounting, & human resources management, who provide
advice to managers in various departments. Horizontal communication is important to help
coordinate work assignments, share information on plans and activities, negotiate differences and
develop inter personal support, there by crating a more cohesive work unit. The more that,
individuals or departments within an organization must interact, with each other to accomplish their
objectives the more frequent and intense will be the horizontal communication. Horizontal
communication is especially important in an organization for the following purposes:
 To coordinate task when several employees or departments are each working on part of an
important project.
 To solve problems such as how to reduce waste or how to increase the number of items
assembled each hour.
 To share information such as an easier way to perform a task or the results of a new
survey.
 To solve conflicts such as jealousy or disagreements between co-workers.
 To build rapport: peer support.

Three major factors tend to impede necessary, work-related horizontal communication. First, rivalry
among individuals or work units can influence individuals to hide information that is potentially
damaging to them selves or that may aid others. Second, specialization may cause individuals to be
concerned mainly about the work of their own unit & to have little appreciation for the work &
communication needs of others. For example, scientists in research and development unit that is
focused on long-term projects may find it difficult to interrupt their work to help with current

22
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

customer problems identified by the sales department. Third, motivation may be lacking when
subordinate horizontal communication is not encouraged or rewarded.

D. Diagonal Communication (cross channel communication)

Cross channel communication is the exchange of information among employees in different work
units who are neither subordinate nor superior to each other. Staff specialists use cross channel
communications frequently because their responsibilities typically involve many departments within
the organization. Because they lack line authority to direct those to whom they communicate, they
must often rely on their persuasive skills, as for instance when the human resource department
encourages employees to complete a job satisfaction questionnaire. Some organizational structures
employ teams comprised of members from different functional areas, even different levels of the
hierarchy. With more & more firms reducing the number of management layers & increasing the use
of self managed work teams, many workers are being required to communicate with others in
different departments & on different levels to solve problems & coordinate work. For instance, a
team might be formed from all functional areas (accounting, marketing, operations, & human
resources) to work on a specific product project to ensure that all points of view are considered.

Table 1: Types of formal communication in organization

Downward communication Upward communication Horizontal (lateral)
commn.
Definition Superior to subordinates Subordinate to superior Between co workers with
different areas of
responsibility
Types Job instructions rations for What subordinates are doing Coordinated tasks solve
job organizational policy and unsolved work problems problems share information
procedures feedback to suggestions for improvement manage conflicts build
subordinates indoctrination subordinates feelings about job rapport
to organizational culture and co-workers

23
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Downward Upward
communication communication
Potential Insufficient or unclear messages, Superiors may discourage, Rivalry may
problems message over load, message distorted as disregard , or down play employees
it passes through one or more importance of subordinates areas of
intermediaries messages supervisors may makes
unfairly blame subordinates for difficult
unpleasant news overload
contacts ph
discourage c
motivation

Potential benefits Prevention/correction of employee errors Prevention of new problems and Increased
grater job satisfaction improved moral solutions of old ones increased among em
acceptance of management different d
decisions understandin
organizations

24
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

INFORMAL COMMUNICATION (GRAPEVINE)

Formal organization charts illustrate how information is supposed to flow. In actual practice, however,
lines and boxes on a piece of paper cannot prevent people from talking with one another. Every
organization has an informal communication network –a grapevine-that supplements official
channels.

As the following examples, show not all informal messages are idle rumours. Informal
communication can serve several useful functions:
Confirming- some informal communication confirms formal messages. You have
probably heard this sort of confirmation yourself. The boss is really serious about
cutting down on long-distance calls this time. I heard him yelling about it when I
walked past his office.”
Expanding- Information communication can fill in the gaps left by incomplete formal
messages. You might say to an experienced co worker “the invitation to the office
party says ‘casual dress ‘what mean –jeans and T- shirt or sport coat and tie?”
Expediting- Informal networks can often deliver messages more quickly than official
channels can. Canny job hunters, for example, often use personal contacts to learn
about openings within an organization before the vacancies are published.
Contradicting- sometimes informal networks contradict official massages. You might
learn from a friend in accounting that the deadline for purchases on this year budget is
not as firm as it sounded in the comptroller’s recent memo.
Circumventing- Informal contacts can sometimes help you bypass official channels
that are unnecessary cumbersome and time consuming. Your tennis partner who works
in duplicating might sneak in an occasional rush job for you instead of putting it at the
end of the line.
Supplementing-sometimes even management realizes that informal communication
can get the job done better than the more formal variety can. Paradoxical a sit seems,
many companies elevate informal communication to an official policy by encouraging
open, unstructured contacts between people from various parts of the organization.

25
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

One classical study investigated four possible configurations for grapevine chains.
Single stand chain communication moves serially from person A to B to C and so on
(each tells one another). With the gossip chain person A seeks out and tells others
(one tells all).when following the probability chain, person A spreads the message
randomly; as do individuals F and D (each randomly tells others). In the cluster chain,
person A tells selected individuals and one of these tells selected other (some selected
others). The study found that the cluster chain was the most predominant form, which
suggests that individuals who are part of grapevines are likely to be selective about the
persons to whom the relay information and that only some of these persons will in turn
pass the information further.

Despite the fact that grapevines sometimes create difficulties when they carry gossip and false rumors,
they are a fact of life in organizations and it is unrealistic for managers to think that they can
eliminate grapevine. The type of information the grapevine carries depend on the “health” of the
organization. If an organizations managers are fairly open with employees and send all necessary
information through formal channels, the grapevine usually caries only personal interest items.

1.8 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

To compose effective messages you need to apply certain specific communication principles. These
principles tie in closely with the basic concepts of the communication process and are important for
both written and oral communications. They provide guidelines for choice of content and style of
presentation-adapted to the purpose and receiver of your message. Called the “seven C’s,” they are
completeness, conciseness, consideration, concreteness, clarity, courtesy and correctness.

1. COMPLETENESS

Your business message is “complete” when it contains all facts the reader or listener needs for the
reaction you desire. Remember that communicators differ in their mental filters; they are influenced
by their backgrounds, viewpoints, needs, experiences, attitudes, status, and emotions.

Completeness is necessary for several reasons: First, complete messages are more likely to bring the
desired results without the expense of additional messages. Second, they can do a better job of
building goodwill. Third, they can help avert costly lawsuits that may result if important information
is missing. Last, papers that seem inconsequential can be surprisingly important if the information
they contain is complete and effective. In high-level conferences, in courtrooms, and in governmental
hearings, the battle often centres on an ordinary-looking message that becomes important because of
the complete information it contains.

As you strive for completeness, keep the following guidelines-in mind:

26
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 Answer all questions asked. The first important guideline to make your message
complete is to answer all questions that are asked. When ever you reply to an
inquiry, try to answer all questions-stated and implied.
 Give something extra, when desirable.
 Check for the five W’s (who, what, where, when and why) and any other essentials.

Answer All Questions Asked

The first important guideline to make your message complete is to answer all questions that are
asked. Whenever you reply to an inquiry, try to answer all questions-stated and implied. A
prospective customer’s reaction to an incomplete reply is likely to be unfavorable. The customer may
think the respondent is careless or is purposely trying to conceal a weak spot. In general, “omissions
cast suspicions, whether you are answering an inquiry about your product or recommending a former
employee for a new job. If you have no information on a particular question, say so clearly. If you
have unfavorable information in answering to questions, handle your reply with both tact and honesty.

Give something extra, when desirable

This is the second commonly recommended guideline that makes your message complete. The words
“when desirable,” in the above heading, are essential. At times it might not be at all important for you
to give extra message for a question that is asked. Doing so might even complicate the situation and
the message may not be addressed in an effective way. But in some instances you must do more than
answer the question. For instance you might be required to give additional information to a
customer’s specific questions. The customer may not know what she/he needs, or their questions may
be inadequate.

Check for the five W’s and any other Essentials

The third way to help make your message complete is to answer, whenever desirable, the “five W”
questions who, what, where, when why-and any other essentials, such as how. The five-question
method is especially useful when you write requests announcements, or other informative messages.
For instance, to order (request) merchandise from a supplier, make clear what you want, when you
need it, to whom and where it is to be sent, and how payment will be made. To reserve a hotel hall,
specify the accommodations needed (what), location (where), sponsoring organization (who), date
and time (when), event (why), and other necessary details (how).

2. CONCISENESS
Conciseness is saying what you have to say in the fewest possible words without sacrificing the other
C qualities. A concise message saves time and expense for both sender and receiver. Conciseness
contributes to emphasis. By eliminating unnecessary words, you help make important ideas stand out.
To achieve conciseness it is recommended to observe the following suggestions:

27
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 Eliminate wordy expressions

 Include only relevant statements
 Avoid unnecessary repetition.

Eliminate Wordy Expressions

The elimination of unnecessary words from your statements is the first thing that helps your message
to be concise. This important guideline can be explained by emphasizing on five points.

1. Use single – word substitutes instead of phrases whenever possible without changing
meanings. Have you ever realized that some messages communicated could have been
shorter and yet more meaningful? here below are some examples

Wordy Concise
 Consensus of opinion Consensus
 Date of the policy Policy date
 During the year of During
 In accordance with your request As you requested
 In due course Soon
 In spite of the fact that Although
Have you noted how concise we can be by using the words in the second column as
replacements to the phrases in the first column?

2. Omit trite, unnecessary expressions, such as “allow me to say,” in reply I wish to

state,” please be advised,” Also, instead of “please find attached” (or “enclosed”), use
concise statements like “attached are,” “enclosed is,” or “the enclosed list includes.”

3. Omit “which” and “that” clauses whenever possible. As much as possible you should
avoid these two clauses in your statements as they making it more understandable to
the receiver of the message. Look at the simple example below.
Wordy: She bought desks that are of the executive type.
Concise: She bought executive – type desks.

4. Avoid overusing “It is,” “It was,” “There is,” “There was,” “There are,” There
were” at sentence beginnings. The example below shows how a wordy (long)
sentence can be made concise.
Wordy: It was known by Ato Abebe that we must reduce the price by 12 birr per unit.
Concise: Ato Abebe knew we must reduce the price by 12 birr per unit.

28
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Wordy: There are four rules that should be observed.

Concise: Four rules should be observed.

5. Whenever possible, use a verb in the present tense and active voice using present
tenses and active voices will make your messages to be over simple and
understandable. Remember! The objective of communication is to make the receiver
of the message understand what is said perfectly, not to make your message long and
complicated.
Business people are not impressed by speakers who use difficult words and
expressions but are rather interested in the content of the message. They want short
and precise messages. Example:
Wordy: The total balance due will be found on page 2 of this report.
Concise: The balance due is on page 2 of this report.

6. Include only Relevant Statements

The effective, concise message should omit not only unnecessarily wordy expressions
but also irrelevant material. To be sure you include only relevant facts. Observe the
following suggestions:
 Stick to the purpose of the message.
 Prune irrelevant words and rambling sentences
 Omit information obvious to the receiver; do not repeat at length what that
person has already told you.
 Avoid long introductions, unnecessary explanation, excessive adjectives and
prepositions, pompous words, gushy politeness.
 Get to the important point tactfully and concisely.
Wordy: At this time I am writing to you to enclose the post paid appointment card for
the purpose of arranging a convenient time when we might get together for a personal
interview. (30 words; 5 prepositions)
Concise: Will you please return the enclosed card and name a convenient time for an
interview? (15 words; 1 preposition)

Avoid Unnecessary Repetition

Do you easily get fade up with somebody’s talk if she/he repeats the message over and over again?
Sometimes repetition is necessary for emphasis. But when the same thing is said two or three times
without reason, the message becomes wordy and boring. Here are three ways to eliminate
unnecessary repetition:

29
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 Use a shorter name after you have mentioned the long one once: Instead of the “Arba
Minch Textile Factory”, “Arba Minch factory”,
 Use pronouns or initials rather than repeat long names: instead of “Ethiopian Electric
Power Corporation” “EEPCO”, Instead of “The Federal Inland Revenue Authority”
“FIRA”
 Cut out all needless repetition of phrases and sentences

3. CONSIDERATION

As discussed in chapter two, the interrelationship of the message sender and receiver profoundly
affects communication effectiveness. Consideration means that you prepare every message with the
recipient in mind and try to put your self in his/her place. Try to visualize your readers (or listeners)-
with their desires, problems, circumstances, emotions, and probable reactions to your request. Then
handle the matter from their point of view. This thoughtful consideration is also called “you-attitude,”
empathy, the human touch, and understanding of human nature. It does not mean, however, that you
should overlook the needs of your organization.

In a broad but true sense, consideration underlies the other six C’s of good business communication.
You adapt your language and message content to your receiver’s needs when you make your message
complete, concise, concrete, clear, courteous, and correct. However, in all four specific ways you can
indicate you are considerate:
 Focus on “you” instead of “I” and “we.”
 Show reader benefit or interest in reader.
 Emphasize on positive, pleasant facts.
 Apply integrity & ethics.

Focus on ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ & ‘we’

Your receivers are usually more concerned about themselves than about you or the company you
represent. They are more likely to read your message when they see their name and the pronoun
“you” rather than “I,” “we,” or “us.”

Usually it is very desirable to get the attention of your reader into the first paragraph or the attention
of the person hearing you in the first few minutes or even seconds. If psychologically desirable, begin

30
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

with “you” or “your,” and keep your reader in the message (tactfully) until you finish. The opposite
of you-attitude is we-attitude, in which the writer views every matter from his or her own (or the
organization’s) standpoint rather than from the reader’s. Examples below contrasts the “we” attitude”
and the “you – attitude”.

Show Reader Benefit or Interest in Reader

Whenever possible and true, show how your readers will benefit from whatever the message asks or
announces. They will be more likely to react favorably and do what you suggest if you show that
benefits are worth the effort and cost. In situations where actual direct reader benefit is impossible or
irrelevant to the subject matter, the message should at least show interest in and concern for the
reader’s needs or viewpoint.

Even a simple request gets better response when a reader-benefit plug accompanies it. For example,
an insurance company that wanted to update its address files sent to half of its policyholders a double
postcard with this message.

Emphasize the positive, pleasant Facts

A third way to show consideration for your reader (or listener) is to emphasize the positive. This
means:

 Stressing what can be done instead of what cannot be done. And

 Focusing on words your recipient can consider favorably.
The reader (or listener) wants to know what you can do for him/her. For most people negative words
like no, wont, cannot, never, impossible trigger unpleasant emotional reactions. By making clear
what you can or will do, you (by implication) often make clear what you cannot do, without using a
single negative word. Furthermore, whenever possible and helpful, tell why or how.

Negative-Unpleasant Positive-Pleasant
It is impossible to open an As soon as your signature card
y. account for you. reaches us, we will gladly open
an account for you.

Sometimes you will have to be very careful in your word choice. Some people may find some words
to be impolite when your intention was not to create such a perception. Be very careful not to offend
your customers (or any individual for that matter) by the words you have chosen. Among the positive
words to which people react favorably are: cordial, happy, help, generous, loyal, pleasure, thanks,
thoughtful. Words with negative connotations that often arouse unfavorable reactions include blame,
complaint, failed, fault, negligence, regret, reject, trouble, unfair, and many others. For example, in

31
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

the following opening of a letter the negative words (underlined) focus on ideas you’d rather not have
the reader think about. We regret that, since you closed your account, your name will be missing
from our long list of satisfied customers. We sincerely hope that. Despite the best efforts of our fine
staff, there were no occasions on which you felt we failed to serve you properly.

A better opening expresses appreciation for the customer’s patronage in the first paragraph, as shown
below. Then the second paragraph welcomes him/her to other services. Having you as a member of
XYZ Savings Bank was a pleasure. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you. We noticed
recently that you closed your account with us. Perhaps you reached that particular goal for which you
were saving, or it may be that an emergency arose which called for a large outlay of cash. Whatever
the reason, we were happy to have some small part in your financial program. You are cordially
invited to use our other profitable, timesaving services that can provide benefits for you in various
ways.

Apply Integrity & Ethics

To be truly considerate, you need also to apply integrity – high moral standards, personal honour,
truthfulness, & sincerity – to your written & oral messages. Integrity is indispensable in our jobs, in
business transactions, in social & political activities, in everything we-do. Without it business
communications would prove worthless, & our confidence in people would be shattered.

Ethics is concerned with what is right human conduct. Codes of ethics provide standards enabling us
to determine the fundamental distinction between right & wrong human behavior.

Because you are an agent of your company, you help build your company’s image. To make this
image one of integrity & ethical conduct required consistently fair standards & honesty in
communications with persons outside & inside your organization.

When you show consideration for your customers, you try to let them know you are aware of & are
doing something about their interest & needs. This does not mean that, however, you yield to the
temptation of showing favoritism, allowing deviation for one customer that you would not allow for
all other customers in similar circumstances, or arranging money kickbacks & bribes to obtain
government or commercial business. Studies have shown that the behavior of superiors & pressures
from top management to meet competition & increase profits were the chief factors influencing
executives to make unethical decisions. Typical examples include misrepresenting contents of
products, substituting materials without customer knowledge after the job contract has been awarded,
scheduling inaccurate delivery dates to get a contract, so on. Therefore, an ethical boss can be an
important influence for ethical employee communications.

32
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

4. CONCRETNESS

Communicating concretely means being specific, definite and vivid rather than vague and general.
The following guidelines should help you compose concrete, convincing messages

a) Use specific facts and figures

If possible, try to substitute an exact fact or figure for a general word to make your message more
concrete and convincing using specific facts and figures whenever possible adds up to the content
of your message. The receiver of your message would be very comfortable with your speech
when you can support some of your ideas with facts. For instance you will lend your ears more to
a person who tells you that currently around 10 million people in Ethiopia are in need of food
assistance than a person who tells you a lot of people in Ethiopia are facing drought.

b) Put Action in your verbs

Strong verbs can activate other words and help make your sentences definite. Generally use active
rather than passive verbs, because active verbs help make your sentences more specific, personal,
concise and emphatic. Look at the following comparison between active and passive verb.

Table 2: Comparison of Active and Passive verbs

33
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Passive (subject receives the Active (subject performs the action)

Action)

Tests were made by us We made tests

A full report will be sent to you by the The supervisor will send you a full report (
supervisor or you will receive a full report from the
supervisor)

These figures are checked by the The research department checks these
research department figures

C) Choose Vivid, Image- Building words

Among the devices you can use to make your messages forceful, vivid, and specific are
comparisons, figurative language, and concrete instead of abstract nouns. Sometimes adding a
comparison helps your recipient build a meaningful picture.

E.g. Vague: - There are a great many solder joints in the space craft, and each must have
just the right amount of solder.
Clear: - The spacecraft has 2.5 million solder joints. If an extra drop of solder had
been left on these joints, the excess weight would have been equivalent to the payload of
the vehicle.

Still another way that makes your message concrete is to use concrete nouns instead of abstract
nouns, especially as subjects of your sentences concrete nouns represent subjects your recipient
can touch, see, smell, feel, hear, or taste.
Abstract nouns as subjects designate intangible concepts. They bring only vague “pictures,” if any,
to a persons mind.
Abstract – Consideration was given to the fact that…..
Concrete – The committee considered……..

5. CLARITY

Clarity means getting your messages across so that the receiver will understand what you are
trying to convey you want that person to interpret your words with the same meaning you have in
mind.

34
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Accomplishing that goal is difficult because, as you know, individual experiences are never
identical and words may have different meanings to different persons. Some ways that help you
make your message clear include:

a) Choose short, familiar, conversational words

When you have a choice between a long word and a short one, use the short, familiar word that
your reader or listener will quickly understand. Also, use synonyms in stead of Latin terms if they,
though short, may be unfamiliar to your message receivers.

b) Construct effective sentences and paragraphs

Arranging your words in well constructed sentences and paragraphs is also an essential task that
requires adaptation to your reader. Important characteristics to consider are length, unity, and
coherence.

Short sentences are preferred. The suggested average sentence length should be about 17 to 20
words. Because of pleasing variety of length is desirable, you can have a range of from 3 to 30 or
more words. But when a sentence exceeds 40 words, try to rewrite it in to more than one sentence.
Please also note that it is important that your sentences are not too short either.
In a sentence – Whether simple, compound, or complex unity means that you have one main idea
and any other ideas in the sentence must be closely related to it.

In a coherence sentence the words are correctly arranged so that the ideas clearly express the
intended meaning. Place the correct modifier as close as possible to the world it is supposed to
modify.

c) Include Examples, Illustrations, and other visual Aids, when desirable

When you have a complicated or lengthy explanation in a letter, speech, or report, you will often
find you can improve the clarity by giving your recipients an example, analogy, or illustration.
Furthermore, visual aids, such as headings, tabulations, itemizations, pictures, charts-are definite
aids to clarity and easy understanding. Also, typographical aids can be useful some important
statements may be underlined, numbered, colored, or typed in all CAPITALS or italics or on short
lines with wider margins.

6. COURTESY

Courtesy messages help to strengthen present business friendships, as well as make new friends.
Courtesy stems from sincere you-attitude. It is not merely politeness with mechanical insertion of
“pleases” and “thank- yous.” To be courteous, considerate communicators should follow a
number of guidelines these guide lines are:

a) Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and appreciative

35
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Tact instead of Bluntness

Though few people are intentionally abrupt or blunt, these traits are a common cause of
discourtesy. Some times they stem from mistaken idea of conciseness, some times from negative
personal attitudes. Avoid expressions like

Tactless /Blunt Tactful

Your letter is not clear at all: I can’t understand it. If I understood your
letter correctly it seems that it
needs some clarification.

Thoughtfulness and appreciation

Writers who send cordial, courteous messages of deserved congratulations and appreciations (to
person both inside and outside the firm) help build goodwill. The value of goodwill or public
esteem for the firm may be worth thousands or millions of birr.

Sometimes, silence can also be considered significantly discourteous. A thoughtful, courteous

businessperson –no matter how busy-should not ignore answering customers or colloquies inquire.
Even a short, courteous note written at the bottom of the request and returned promptly, a tactful
phone call by the secretary is usually better than no reply.

b) Omit expressions that irritate, hurt or belittle

The thoughtful business communicator should avoid expressions that might offend the reader or
listener. Such expressions are discussed here in two groups: irritating, and questionably humorous.

Irritating expressions questionably humorous

We don’t believe you should know
We are amazed you can’t you are delinquent
Why have you ignored you failed that

c) Grant and apologize good-naturedly

Whenever you grant a customer’s request, begin your letter with the best news first and inject a
courteous, ungrudging tone.

7. CORRECTNESS

The correctness principle comprises more than proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. A
message may be perfect grammatically and mechanically but still insult or lose a customer and

36
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

fail to achieve its purpose. The term correctness, as applied to a business message, means the
writer should:

Use the right level of language

As you may probably know, the English language is becoming a world language. It is very
important for you to have the right level of the language to communicate (oral or written)
correctly. The three levels of language- formal, informal and substandard overlap because of our
ever changing language. English with almost a million words has the richest largest vocabulary on
earth. Some words once considered substandard have moved into the informal level, and some
once-informal words are now acceptable on a formal level.

Maintain acceptable writing mechanics

Acceptable writing mechanics include correct punctuation, capitalization, syllabication, and
spelling-plus correct sentence and paragraph structure. The two common weaknesses in writing
mechanics that deserve special though brief, attention are incorrect spelling and careless
omissions.

Business executives and customers expect you to spell correctly and may begin to question your
overall ability if you misspell-especially the customers name and everyday words like
convenience, questionnaire, stationery, personnel and accommodation. Another way to maintain
correct writing mechanics is to double-check for any careless omissions of punctuation marks or
words needed for grammatical accuracy.

Choose non-discriminatory expressions

Another important requirement for correctness is “equal treatment of the sexes” and nonbiased
toward people of different races, ethnic origins, and physical features. Conscientious business
communicators (as well as authors) should be continually alert to use non-discriminatory
expressions whenever possible. Try to choose non-discriminatory language when you refer to
occupational roles and achievements, personal characteristics, physical and mental attributes
humanity at large, names and various title designations.

Check accuracy of figures, facts and words

Absolute accuracy is essential for effective writing and oral messages. When figures, facts and
some words are incorrectly used, they can cause serious problems. To be sure of the accuracy of
facts, communicators should verify all statements before writing and again before signing or
approving, messages. One erroneous digit-creating for instance, Birr 100,000 instead of 10,000
makes a difference of birr 90,000 and may result in lawsuit. In addition a wrong figure in account
number muddles up records and leads to untold problems.

Apply all other pertinent C qualities

We need two use the other C’s in the communication process to keep the correctness of our
message to have the right response from the receiver.

37
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

CHAPTER SUMMARY

o Communication is the process of people sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings with
each other in commonly understandable ways

o Communication is the life blood of every organization

o The process of communication involves five elements: sender-encoder, message,

medium, receiver-decoder, feed back.

o The communication process has five phases: The sender has an idea, the idea
becomes a message, the message is transmitted, the receiver gets the message, and
the receiver reacts & sends feedback to the sender.
o The major barriers of communication include the following: Improperly chosen
Channel selection, Physical barriers, semantics, perception of reality, attitudes &
Opinions, Information overload. The ways of avoiding or overcoming the barriers
include: Fostering an open communication climate, Committing to ethical
communication, Understanding the difficulties involved in intercultural
communication, adopting an audience-centered approach, using technology wisely
and responsibly to obtain and share information, and creating and processing
messages effectively and efficiently.

o Communication can be divided into two based on when it is made: Internal and
external. Internal communication involves transmission of information within the
organization. External communication is communication with people outside an
organization. Communication also can be divided into formal and informal
communication. The formal communication is communication that flows along
the organization’s lines of authority. However, lines of communication or
organizational structures cannot prevent people from talking with one another. We
call that communication an informal communication network –a grapevine-that
supplements official channels.

38
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

o To compose effective messages you need to apply certain specific communication

principles, called the “seven C’s,” They are completeness, conciseness,
consideration, concreteness, clarity, courtesy and correctness.

SELF CHECK EXERCISE 1

Choose the best among the given choices

1. An individual who initiates the communication
A. Receiver C. Encoder
B. Decoder D. Encoding E. All
2. The means used to convey the message
A. Channel C. Encoding
B. Decoding D. Message E. All
3. The dictionary meaning of the word or the meaning of the word on which most people probably
agree is called
A. Denotative meaning
B. Connotative meaning
C. Sarcastic meaning
D. Idiomatic meaning
E. All
4. Top managers hesitate to listen to those individuals lower in the hierarchy is called
A. Credibility
B. Status consciousness
C. Closed mind
D. Unfavourable information
E. None

5. The conditions of having too much information to process is called

A. Information overload C. Over using one channel
B. Perceptions of reality D. Barriers of channel selection
E. None
6. People tend to react favourably when the message they receive agree with their view towards
the information, the set of facts and the sender.
A. Channel selection
B. Interpretation of words
C. Bypassed instruction
D. Attitude and opinions
E. None

39
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

7. The following statements are true about perceptions of reality except

A. Reality is not a fixed concept
B. Human being has limited sensory perception
C. Each person mental filter is unique
D. Two persons perceive reality in the same way
8. Which one of the following is wrong about non verbal communication?
A. Information conveyed by action
B. Receiver gives more weight to verbal communication
C. Non verbal communication can stand alone
D. Non verbal communication conveys the emotional state of the sender
E. None
9. ______refers to a message being cut out and probably be distorted before it is passed on to
the intended receiver
A. Information overloads B. Poor listening
C. Incorrect filtering D. Message competition e) none

10. For which one of the following horizontal communication is used

A) Coordinating tasks B) Sharing information
C) Solving problems D) Resolving conflict
E) All F) None
11. When individuals from different units and different organizational level communicate each
other
A) Downward communication
B) Upward communication
C) Horizontal communication
D) Diagonal communication
E) All
12. Among the following one is not true abut grapevine?
A) Not flow along the official path
B) Communication takes place with out task requirement
C) It is not deliberately designed
D) It is intentionally defined and designed by the organization
E) None
13. The following messages are valuable when communicated upward. Expect
A) What subordinates are doing
B) Feedback on employee’s performance appraisal
C) Suggestions for improvements with in departments

40
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

D) How subordinates think about their job

E) None

14. Most downward communication involves in the following information’s. Except

A) Job instructions related to specific tasks
B) Rules and regulations of the organizations
C) Outlines of unsolved problems on which subordinates need aid
D) Explaining the relationship between a task and other organizational tasks
E) None
15. They are important guidelines to eliminate unnecessary words from your statement except
A) Omit unnecessary expressions
B) When ever possible use passive voice
C) Omit that close when ever possible
D) Avoid over using “it is” & “there are” at a sentence beginnings
E) None
16. Among the following one is not true about consideration
A) Prepare a message with a recipient in mind
B) Focus on I & We
C) Whenever possible show reader benefits
D) Stress what can be done instead of what cannot be done
E) None
17. ______ means being specific, definite & vivid.
A) Consideration
B) Completeness
C) Concreteness
D) Conciseness
E) None

CHAPTER TWO

MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION

41
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

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.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you should be able to

 Know basic forms of communication and select the best form of communication
for your message
 Differentiate between verbal and non-verbal communication
 Have understanding of situations under which we will use each of the media types
 Recognize the importance of media in business communication
 Adapt your message to your audiences using various communication media

CHAPTER OUTLINE
2.1 The Basic Forms (Media) of Communication
2.2 Nonverbal Communication
2.3 Types of nonverbal Communication
2.4 Oral communication Media

42
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

2.5 Written communication Media

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.

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 an other 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 behaviour. 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 that are most applicable to business communication:

43
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 Facial expressions and eye contact

 Other body movements and gestures
 Clothing and personal appearance
 Distance and personal space
 Physical environment
 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 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).

44
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

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.

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.

45
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

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.

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.

46
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

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 3: 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 A Written Channel is Best
When When
 You want immediate feedback  You don’t need immediate feed
from the audience back
 Your message is relatively  You do need a permanent
simple and easy to accept verifiable record
 You don’t need a permanent  Your message is detailed, is
record complex and requires careful
 You can assemble the audience planning
conveniently & economically  You are trying to reach an
 You want to encourage audience that is large &
interaction to solve a problem geographically dispersed
or reach a decision  You want to minimize the
chances for distortion that occur
when a message is passed orally
from person to person

Written Media include

Oral Media include  Letters, memos, reports,
 Face – to – face conversation,

47
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

speeches, meetings proposals

 Telephone and voicemail  Electronic mail
 Audiotape and video tape  Regular and special mail
 Teleconference and video  Faxes
conference

CHAPTER SUMMARY

o Medium is the method you use to send your message. There are various media
through which you can send your message. They are generally divided into three:
Oral media (communicating a message orally either over the phone or in person),
written media (putting a message in writing as a letter, memo or any report) or
using electronic devices such as electronic mail or fax), and non-verbal media
(sending message through media which does not use words- facial expression,
gesture, other body movements).

o Verbal communication uses words arranged in meaningful patterns. The two major
types of verbal communication are oral and written communication.

o Oral communication consists of face-to-face conversation, telephone calls,

speeches, presentations and meeting. Their choice depends on audience location
and message importance.

o Written messages might take formal or informal forms. The most common types of
written communication media are letters, memos and reports.

o Non-verbal communication is all intentional or unintentional messages that are

neither written nor spoken. Non-verbal communication media include gestures,
facial expressions, spatial relationships and attitudes toward time.

SELF-CHECK EXERCISE 2

Choose the best among the given alternatives

1. Which of the following is not a medium through which a message is sent
A. Speech

48
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

B. Teleconference
C. Fax
D. Letter
E. None of the above
2. Which of the following is the most basic form of communication
A. Telephoning
B. Using body movements
C. Electronic mail
D. Memo
E. None of the above
3. An oral channel is the best under the following situations except
A. You do not need a permanent record
B. You want immediate feedback
C. You do need a permanent and verifiable record
D. Your message is relatively simple
E. None of the above

4. Which of the following statements does not characterize non-verbal communication?

A. Nonverbal communication is spontaneous and is difficult to plan
B. Nonverbal communication sometimes is made unconsciously out of your mind
control
C. Nonverbal communication is structured
D. Nonverbal communication is difficult to learn and study
E. Nonverbal communications vary fro m culture to culture
5. Brief documents usually used for internal communication within an organization and also
Coined as “work horses” are said to be
A. Letters
B. Memos
C. Proposals
D. Reports

49
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

CHAPTER THREE

SPEECH

INTRODUCTION

Dear student, this is the third chapter of the course. The chapter is designed to discuss the
important basic points that would enable you to have fundamental knowledge on speech. In this
chapter, you will learn about the meaning, type, importance, parts of speech, the characteristics of
a good speaker and the guidelines for an effective delivery of speech.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

After studying the material in this unit, you will be able:

 Define speech
 Identify the different types of speech
 Describe the importance of speech
 Understand the characteristics of a good speaker
 Identify the different parts of speech
 Understand the general guidelines for an effective delivery of speech

50
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

CHAPTER OUTLINE
3.1 Types of speech
3.2 Parts of speech
3.3 Characteristics of good speaker
3.4 Guidelines for an effective delivery of speech

Speech is the process of establishing a common understanding among people within a business
environment by means of spoken language. The widely applied means of oral communication in
face- to- face business situations are listening short talks and presentations, conducting interview
and meetings. Speech is one of the media of communication that we use to deliver message or
information for many peoples at once.

3.1. TYPES OF SPEECH

Although there are many different types of oral presentations, they can be divided into three
general categories: Presentation to inform, persuade and to entertain. Since entertainment is rarely
the purpose of speeches by entry level employees and supervisors, we will discuss only
informative and persuasive presentations.

INFORMATIVE PRESENTATIONS

Informative presentations occur continually in business and professional organizations. Although

there is some overlap between informative and persuasive presentations, informative presentations
are intended to increase understanding, not to change an attitude. The majority of informative
presentations are informal in nature, most employees are expected to organize and present
informal briefings and reports to colleagues and supervisors as a normal part of their jobs.

TYPES OF INFORMATIVE PRESENTATIONS

The basic purpose of an informative presentation is to promote understanding of ideas.

Many types of informative presentation are used in business situation. Although, the names given
of various informative presentations differ greatly from company to company here we will discuss
some of them. Examples of informative presentations are:
 Oral briefing
 Oral report
 Instruction

51
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 Community good will

Oral Briefing
Oral briefing is designed to present a summary of fact’s in a short period of time (usually fifteen
minutes or less). A briefing may be given to an individual (such as an employee, supervisor, of
client). Many briefings are informal; when an employee or supervisor informally presents
information to colleagues at a weekly meeting other briefings are more formal, such as a briefing
on the status of a particular project given to an entire department. Since briefings last only a short
time, few visuals are required.

It is impossible to supervisors to observe all events or situations themselves. Consequently,

informative briefings and reports presented by their employees are the only way supervisors can
stay up to date on the tremendous amount of information they need to make sound decisions.

Oral Report
Oral report is designed to present complete details and requires a longer period of time (usually
more than fifteen minutes). A report may be a research report on the feasibility of producing a
new item, an analytical report examining various ingredients such as those used to strengthen a
type of plastic, a demonstrative report explaining how to use a new machine or company product,
or an investigative report examining a problem area. Often decision making groups are required to
prepare both written and oral reports on a problem and their recommendations for solving it. Like
the briefings reports may be informal or formal but tend to be more formal than the most
briefings.

If the report includes recommendations, the recommendations should be presented in an

informative (not persuasive) manner and include both advantages and disadvantages. The detailed
information presented in a report can be simplified by the use of visual aids.

Supervisors use briefings and reports to communicate company policies and operational
procedures down ward to employees. Employees use briefings and reports to:
1. Communicate ideas and proposals upward to supervisors and horizontally to fellow
workers and
2. To present information or demonstrate product use to clients.

Instructions
This is aimed at making clear a process or policy or even the philosophy of a company mostly to
younger (newly coming) employees. It requires listeners to follow the explanation, learn from the
instructions and then apply it within the organization.

Community good will

These are made by organizations that realize the value of remaining in contact with the
community. Sensitive organizations spend considerable time and money to support their public
relation offices that are meant to after and leave a positive company image in the minds of the
community.

52
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

PERSUASIVE PRESENTATIONS

The basic purpose of a persuasive presentation is to influence choices. Persuasion (specifically,

selling ideas) was listed earlier as one of the most often used communication skills by people in
entry level jobs, it may very well be one of the least effectively used.

Business people view persuasion as coercion. They feel that the only way to get people to do what
they want is by force or trickery. Neither of these methods is effective and neither is really
persuasion.

“Persuasion is communication intended to influence choice” but it is not the same as coercion. To
coerce is to eliminate or exclude options. To inform is to increase the number of person’s options
or choices (the more you know, the more choices you have). To persuade is to limit the options
that are perceived as acceptable”

There is no force or trickery in persuasion. The receivers of the persuasive message must weigh
the logic and evidence and make their own decision. Once that decision has been made, they
alone are responsible for it, although the sender helped influence the decision.

In business your ability to achieve the company’s goals depends on your ability to persuade others.
If you cannot use force or trickery or cannot expect listeners to be persuaded by information alone,
how do you persuade them?

3.2. PARTS OF SPEECH

Speech has three main parts:

1. Introduction
2. Body and
3. Conclusion

INTRODUCTION
Introduction is to take place at the first few minutes of our speech. The introduction of an oral
presentation should:
(1) capture the attention of your listeners
(2) Motivate them to listen by showing the importance or benefit your presentation
will have for them
(3) Convince them that you are qualified to speak on the subject, and

53
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

(4) Explain the purpose of your presentation.

Capture the attention of your listeners

As you begin your presentation, listeners’ attention may be focused on many personal things. So
in this introductory part you are expected to direct the attention from individual concerns and
thoughts to your presentation. Same common techniques for gaining attention are:
 Reveal one or more starling facts
 Tell joke or humorous story relating directly to the topic
 Briefly cite two or three specific incidents or examples that relate to the topic.
 Quote or paraphrase a well-known publication or expert.
 Briefly demonstrate the item or skill you will be discussing in your presentation.

Convince the audience of the benefit to them

Capturing the initial attention of your listeners does not guarantee that they will listen to the
remainder of your presentation. To keep their attention you must convince them that the
presentation will benefit them in same way- that is, will help them satisfy personal or job-related
needs.

Assure the audience that you are qualified to speak on the subject
The speaker is expected to demonstrate his qualification to speak on the topic by referring to his
personal experience, the detailed research he has done on the topic, the interview he has
conducted with knowledgeable peoples or the articles and books he has read that were written by
experts. By doing so the speaker should have to convince the audiences as he has the knowledge
on the topic.

Explain the purpose of your presentation

Here the speaker is expected to state the purpose and a summary of the main points to be covered.
The average listener finds it much easier to follow and remember the ideas contained in the
presentation when the introduction lists the key points that will be covered.

BODY

In the main body of the speech the main points that are summarized in the introduction part needs
to be discussed in detail. Most speakers cover, two, three or four main points in their presentation.

Researchers have found that people are “capable of accurately receiving and remembering only
seven facts, ideas or “bits” of information at a time”. There fore, organize the information into
seven or fewer key ideas or main point.

The number of main points that should be included depends on (1) how many points are needed to
adequately develop the topic (2) the time limit and (3) the knowledge and interest of the audience.
The main points can be organized in a variety of methods. The arrangements that seem to be most
relevant to business and professional situations are:

54
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Topical arrangement
This arrangement is used to break a topic into clusters, divisions, or parts. No spatial,
chronological, or casual relationship exists between the main points in a topical arrangement; each
is merely one of several topics pertaining to the same subject. It is probably the easiest, and
therefore, the most popular method of arrangement. It is most effective when arranged in one of
the following ways:

a) From the most to the least popular

b) From the most to the least impressive
c) From the known to the unknown
d) From the familiar to the unfamiliar

Spatial or geographical arrangement

This arrangement organizes main points according to their spatial location, such as front to rear,
north to south, bottom to top, left to right. The lay out of a manufacturing plant could be described
by its left, center and right wings.

Chronological or time arrangement

This arrangement is used to present events in the order (or by the date) of their occurrence and to
present steps in the order in which they occur or in the order in which they should be followed.

Problem- Solution arrangement

This arrangement divides the speech in to two basic categories: The analysis of the problem and
the explanation of one of several solutions.

THE CONCLUSION

The conclusion normally contains two parts: a summary and a closing thought or statement. The
summary can be general (referring to the overall topic of the presentation) or specific (listing the
main points covered). The intent of the summary is to clarify for the listeners any contusions
about the purpose and main points of your presentation.

The closing thought or statement serves as a final attention getter. Its purpose is to give the
audience a thought or challenge that will keep them thinking about your presentation long after it
is completed.

3.3. CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SPEAKER

Every good speech requires careful preparation. The speaker must be ready to cover the subject
thoroughly and must carefully organize the presentation. Here below are the guidelines of being a
good speaker:

55
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

1. Know the subject

2. Know the audience
3. Be well organized

The oral presentation must be well organized logically starting from the planning process. If you
have the following points, it will be easier:
i. Decide on the order that will be followed
ii. Set down the basic ideas you want to express (and consider
different ways of arranging them). Thus organize the information in
a form of introduction, body and conclusion.
iii. State what you want to discuss clearly (problem? process? project?)
4. Involve your listener
i. Tell a real story
ii. Tell a hypothetical story
iii. Present statistics
iv. Use of quotation
v. Tell a joke
5. Plan your conclusion

3.4. GUIDELINES FOR AN EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF SPEECH

As we have seen speech is series of thoughts in the mind. There are about seven guidelines for
speech:

a) Look at your audience

b) Speak clearly
c) Use appropriate gestures
d) Check your postures and appearance
e) Make clear transition
f) Vary your volume and speed
g) Watch and listen for feedback

A. LOOK AT YOUR AUDIENCE

Do not get frightened to look at the audience. The easiest way to do this is to look at the audience.
This does not mean a periodical quick look at the group. Rather it means talking with them and
looking at them. Do not look podium platform or over the heads. Be alert for the audience’s feedback
and make the necessary adjustment. Make good eye contact (it helps to build a link between you and
the audience). All these will permit you to relate your information to them not at them. Look at these
in the middle section, then those to the right, and then those to the left. Let your eyes rest on different
sections of the audience and a mass of faces. For the effectiveness of your delivery of speech you
need to have a clear eye contact with your audience and you need to make sure that whether your
audiences are following you or not.

B. SPEAK CLEARLY

56
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

The speech is related to accent. Accent is pronounced noticeably. Pronunciation means saying words
correctly, while enunciation means saying words distinctly. Both are necessary if you are to be
understood and wish to make a good impression on others. Your accent of words phrases and
sentences needs to be in line with the accent of your audiences and it should be easily understandable.

C. USE APPROPRIATE GUESTURE

Gesture adds to the message you communicate. Although, gestures have vague meanings, gestures
are strong. They are natural aid to speaking. It should be clear that you could use bodily movements
to help your speaking. Which movement you should use, however, is hard to say. They are related to
personality, physical make up, and the size and the nature of the audience. A speaker appearing
before a formal group generally should use relatively few body actions. A speaker appearing before
an informal audience should use more what you should use on a given occasion is a matter for your
best judgment. Your body movement while you are on presentation has a significant impact on the
effective delivery of your speech so need to consider these things in your presentation.

D. CHECK YOUR POSTURE AND APPERANCE

Obviously, speaker will dress and stand in a manner appropriate for the presentation .Do not let your
appearance, posture, or destructing gestures over ride your message. It is important for you to dress
properly, stand correctly and bring the focus of the audience for your message and not to destructions,
have others tell you whether your posture needs improvement. Another is to practice speaking before
a mirror or with video type equipment. In your efforts to improve your posture, keep in mind what
must go on with your body in order for good posture.

E. MAKE CLEAR TRANSITION

It is possible to cover topics faster so that the audience may not follow them properly. There fore, it
is vital that you watch your transitions .At the end of a major point, slow down or pause for a
moment. Then, instead of abruptly starting the next idea, tell the audience that you are now moving
from your expiations of ‘communication goals’ to communication skills. Statements like these are
called transitions and they tell the audience to switch gears and prepare for the next item in the
speech. Transitions provide a rest for listeners and also give a clear signal about where you were and
where you are going now .Some common transitions that might be used are:

 ‘Now let’s turn to another point…’

 How ever, there is another aspect that we should look at today…..’
 ‘now with our understanding of…we can discuss …’

Thus, when the transition is stated slowly, you look at the audience and incorporate gesture with the
transition. The audience will understand what is being said and will know what will be said.

F. VARY YOUR VOLUME AND SPEED

A boring speech may put your audience to sleep .Some ideas need to be started forcefully; others
need to be noted softly, respectfully. Look a good piece of look that is fast ,slow ,high, low, loud or
soft ,so should a speech reflect changes that match with the content of the idea .A speech could be as
boring and monotonous as a piece of music that proceeds at one volume level and speed only .As a
general rule ,you should present the easy parts of the message at a fairly quick rate and hard to
understand information at a lower ( slower pace ). The reason for varying the speed of the
presentation should be apparent .Easy information presented slowly is irritating, hard information
presented rapidly may be difficult to understand. By observing your audiences condition in the
presentation you should vary your volume and speed of voice to hold their attention.
57
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

G. WATCH AND LISTEN FEEDBACK

You can and should train your self to watch the audience as you speak and to be sensitive to its
changing moods .The alert speak will be on the look out for a feed back. If the audience looks
confused on a particular point you can assist by interjecting a statement like ‘let me repeat that…or
perhaps I can state this concept in another way …’ Besides helping the audience to understand the
message , such statements indicate that the alter speaker is paying attention to the audience .Also if
the audience laugh’s longer than expected at a humorous comment ,the speaker pauses and permits
the audience and to catch up .By looking at the people in the audience and interpreting their feed
back ,you can keep the message on target .Successful interaction with the audience is ,to a large
extent the element that makes your audiences glad for coming to hear you .

Thus, to deliver the speech, check your volume, keep your head up, use conversational tone, and hide
your nervousness. Stand as ease, avoid mannerisms, use the time allotted. Observe audience reaction
carefully select the closing words .Conversational tone refers to the usage of simple language to the
audience, where as mannerism is articulation of word not clearly and over usage of ah, uh etc.

CHAPER SUMMARY

o Speech is the process of establishing a common understanding among people within a

business environment by means of spoken language

o There are three types of oral presentation: Presentation to inform, persuade and to entertain.

o Informative presentations are intended to increase understanding, not to change an attitude

while the basic purpose of a persuasive presentation is to influence choices.

o Speech has three main parts: Introduction, Body and Conclusion. The Introduction part
intends to capture the attention of your listeners, convince the audience of the benefit to
them, assure the audience that you are qualified to speak on the subject, and explain the
purpose of your presentation. In the main body of the speech the main points that are
summarized in the introduction part need to be discussed in detail. The conclusion
normally contains a summary and a closing thought or statement.

58
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

o A good speaker knows the subject and the audience, and is well organized. The guidelines
for effective delivery of speech are: Look at your audience, Speak clearly, Use appropriate
gestures, Check your postures and appearance, Make clear transition, Vary your volume
and speed, and Watch and listen for feedback

SELF CHECK EXERCISE 3

Choose the best among the given alternatives

1. If a person writes down a speech in such a way that the material to be presented is put in the
order in which it took place this can be considered as
A) General organization B) Cause to effect
C) Chronological organization D) None
2. From which part of speech the detailed idea of the speech can be best obtained
A) Conclusion B) Body
C) Introduction D) All E) None
3. Which one is different from others?
A) Look at your audience C) Vary your volume and speed
B) Speak clearly D) Make clear transition
E) None
4. The arrangement used to present events in the order of their occurrence is
A) Problem solution arrangement C) Spatial or geographical arrangement
B) Chronological arrangement D) Topical arrangement
E) None

Fill the blank space with appropriate terms or words

5. _____________ contains two parts, a summary and a closing thought or statement
6. _____________is aimed at making clear a process or policy or even philosophy of a company
mostly to younger employees.
7. The main idea of a speech is found in ____________________ part.
8. ____________ is designed to present complete details and requires a short period of time.
9. The basic purpose of ____________________ is to influence choices.

59
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

CHAPTER FOUR

TELEPHONING VERSUS FACE-TO-FACE

COMMUNICATION

INTRODUCTION

Dear student, this is the fourth chapter of the course. The chapter is designed to discus the
importance of and/or basic points that would enable you to have the fundamental knowledge on
telephoning vs. face-to-face communication.

In this chapter, you will be learning about the meaning of face-to-face conversation and
telephoning, checklists for effective face-to-face communication, the procedures to be followed
by the caller and the receiver, merits and demerits of telephoning and face-to-face communication.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this Chapter, you will be able:

 Identify characteristics of face-to-face conversation and telephoning
 Understand the checklists for effective face-to-face communication
 Identify and understand the procedures to be followed by the caller and the receiver
before and during telephoning
 Describe the merits and demerits of face-to-face conversation and telephoning
 Understand the importance of face-to-face and telephone conversation for business
organizations

CHAPTER OUTLINE
4.1. Characteristics of face to face and telephone conversation
4.2. Checklists for effective face-to-face communication
4.3 Telephone conversation
4.4 Procedure to be followed by the caller and the receiver
4.5 Merits and demerits of telephoning Vs face to face communication

If you aim at a success of your secretarial career, and whatever career may follow that, your
success will depend on much more than your practical skills no matter how good your short hand

60
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

or typing skills, or your ability to present documents effectively you will not get for if you can not
get along with people.

Oral communication is the life – blood of our personal and business lives. Our ability to
communicate is a process which begins in childhood; the roles we play become gradually more
complex as we become adults and assume more responsibility.

The essential ingredient is you, and it is important in this respect to recognize that you play two
roles in oral communication: listening as well as speaking.

4.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF FACE TO FACE AND TELEPHONE

CONVERSATION

CHARACTERISTICS OF FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION

In your business life you will probably spend much more of your time talking and listening to
colleagues and clients than writing and listening to colleagues and clients than writing and reading.
Problems will need to be discussed, information requested, instructions given. We spend much of
our lives speaking to other people, but something strange happens to many of us when we are
asked to speak in front of a group or in a formalized situation. To achieve co-operation and
effective teamwork, good human relations skills must be developed.

Face – to – face communication can take a variety of forms:

 Private discussion
 A conversation over lunch
 A gossip in the lift
 A chance meeting in the corridor
 An informal gathering of staff
 Instructing subordinates
 Dealing with clients
 Formal meetings
 Interviews/ seminars

In face – to – face communication, you have various means of conveying information- intonation
of the voice, facial expressions, gesture, posture and movement. These factors add impact to a
meaning, and they combine to provide an instant impression in a way that written communication
or telephone calls cannot.

The Following are characteristics of face-to-face communication:

 It takes different forms like private discussion , formal meetings, dealing with clients etc
 It requires two groups, speaker and listener
 It is natural for the parties involved in it

61
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 It is supported by non verbal cues to convey information like intonation of voice, facial
expression, gesture, posture and body movement
 It is supplemented by verbal language
 It provides immediate feedback
 It needs no charge for conversation
 More reliable and effective

CHARACTERISTICS OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

 It requires electronic device-telephone

 It requires two people to involve –the caller and the receiver
 It is persuasive
 It gives immediate feedback
 It needs charge for conversation
 Overcomes the limitation of distance
 Sharing of information with in a very short period of time
 Facilitates information exchange

4.2 CHECKLISTS FOR EFFECTIVE FACE – TO – FACE COMMUNICATION

1. Plan what you will say-prepare supporting notes and gather any relevant
documents.
2. Consider the person to whom you will be speaking, take account of their position,
background, knowledge and experience
3. Speak appropriately to the situation – Be chatty, friendly, informal or formal, etc,
in accordance with the situation and the topic.
4. Be open – minded – consider the matter from the other person’s point of view and
be as open minded as possible, but have counter – arguments ready just in case
they are required.
5. Consider the location – you will feel more comfortable in a familiar environment.
Try to avoid distractions like telephone calls or other interruptions.

4.3 TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

The telephone is a channel that a modern manager can not do without. Ever since Graham Bell
made it possible for people at for away places to get connected, the telephone has been an
essential tool for business and social communication.

It is a form of instant communication which achieves quick responses, but it takes imagination to
use a telephone effectively. As you cannot see the other person or know that he/she is thinking,
your communication will be only as effective as your words and the way they are used, for
example intonation, style of delivery. It is ear –to – ear communication which means that it
doesn’t allow the use of body language unlike that of face -to – face communication.

62
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

In any organization, the person on the telephone represents the company. That person gives an
impression of the company to the outside world; whether making or receiving the call. There can
be nothing more damaging for public relations, or better for losing business than a telephone call
which leaves the caller frustrated and no better informed than before he or she started. The
impression any organization wishes to convey to the out side world is of an efficient, friendly,
progressive company eager to give product and service and ensure good public relations.

It is a very useful channel for quick local, national, and international communication. But it has a
severe limitation – communicators and communicates have to depend exclusively on voice. The
total absence of visual and near – total absence of other non-verbal support (except notably for
tone of voice) makes it imperative that we follow certain guidelines when we use the telephone
channel for one – to – one calls or conference calls.

4.4 PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE CALLER AND THE

RECIEVER

As well other successful written and oral communication, telephoning requires preplanning by the
caller and desirable behaviour during the conversation by both persons who are conversing. As
some commercial advice “Reach out and touch some one”. Though you are not meeting face –to –
face, your conversation will be voice – to – voice and you want it to be as favourable as possible.

Before telephoning
1. Know the specific purpose of your call
2. Know the name and occupation (if pertinent) of the person you are calling
3. Consider the best time to call, from the stand point of that person and your
company. Usually, avoid calling just before lunch or at closing time. If you are
calling long distance, be sure to consider time zones, consult your phone director
map choose discount times whenever possible and desirable.
4. Plan your opening statement
5. Jot down the questions you want to ask Try to limit your call to one main point. If
you are calling to sell something, know your sales psychology and have factual
suggestions for listener benefits
6. Have paper and pen handy for note – taking, taking telephone messages require
both oral and written communication skills. A pencil and telephone message pad
should be kept by the telephone. The message pad provides headings which act as
a reminder to obtain the necessary information from the caller.

During telephoning
 Introduce your self
 Announce your name the organization and great the caller
 Be polite avoid a barking tone

63
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 When you answer a phone call with clear pleasant voice answer promptly, usually
with your name/department/ organization and greet the caller.
 If the person you are calling is not there you can leave a message with your
number and time to have your call returned.
 If the call is to be directed, make sure the caller is not made to wait on the line for
long
 If the person called is not available, make a note of the caller’s name, telephone
number and message and communicate to the person concerned.
 Keep personal talk on the official line to the minimum
 Calls cost money; especially long distance ones make your talk cost – effective.
 Make sure that the calls are returned promptly
 End the conversation with a “thank you” or a good day”

4.5 MERITS AND DEMERITS OF TELEPHONING VS FACE – TO –

FACE CONVERSATION

Table 4: Merits and demerits of face – to – face conversation

Merit Demerit
Supplemented by verbal language In accuracy due to non-permanent record
Natural for communicators Less concise
It needs no charge for the conversation It depends on the location of communicators
More reliable and effective Immediate response may lead communicators
to unconscious action
It enables more people to participate at once Unwise use of both verbal and non-verbal
language may be the cause for quarrel
It avoids misunderstanding when two In face-to-face communication the
communicators talk Uses non verbal communicator may be influenced by external
language like facial expression etc ace-to- environment i.e. status, physical appearance
face etc

64
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Table 5: Merits and demerits of telephone conversation

Merits Demerits

Sharing of ideas easily in a short period It cannot be supplemented by verbal

of time language

Over come the limitation of distance It is not very effective when the receiver
is not present at the time of dialling

It takes no time to get feedback It is less interactive

It is persuasive Not applicable to longer and complex

messages

Possible to access information without It requires being a good listener

consuming too much power ,time and
cost

Facilitate effective person-to-person or Since it is faster it is difficult to reply

organization to organization information one by one to all information etc
exchange etc

CHAPTER SUMMARY

o In business environments we spend much of our time talking and listening to colleagues
and clients than writing and reading. Problems will need to be discussed, information

65
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

requested, instructions given etc. To achieve co-operation and effective teamwork, good
human relations skills must be developed.

o The Following are characteristics of face-to-face communication: It takes different forms

like private discussion, formal meetings, dealing with clients etc, requires two groups,
speaker and listener, it is natural for the parties involved in it, it is supported by non verbal
cues to convey information like intonation of voice, facial expression, gesture, posture and
body movement, and it is supplemented by verbal language.

o The other most important point that the chapter incorporate is the guidelines the caller and
receiver should follow before and during telephoning. The guidelines you should use
before telephoning are: Know the specific purpose of your call, Know the name and
occupation (if pertinent) of the person you are calling, Consider the best time to call and
others. During telephoning: Introduce your self, Announce your name the organization
and great the caller, Be polite avoid a barking tone, When you answer a phone call with
clear pleasant voice answer promptly, usually with your name/department/ organization
and greet the caller and others.

o Finally, we looked at in detail the merits and demerits of face to face and telephone
conversation. Understanding and evaluating the respective advantage and disadvantage of
face to face and telephone conversation enables us to choose the best way to have
communication with others. It also enables the user to get prepared to any inconveniences
that may result during the conversation

SELF CHECK EXERCISE 4

Instruction I: Choose the best among the following alternatives

1. Face to face communication can take all forms except,
A. Private discussion
B. Formal meetings
C. A gossip in the lift
D. Interview
E. None
2. One is not the merit of face to face communication
A. Immediate feed back
B. Supplemented by verbal language
C. More reliable and effective
D. Overcome the limitation of distance
E. None

3. Which one is different from others

A. It is less interactive
B. It requires being a good listener
66
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

C. Each cannot be supplemented by verbal language.

D. Less concise.
E. None
4. All are the procedures to be followed by the caller before telephoning except,
A. Know the specific purpose of your call.
B. Know the name and occupation of a person you are calling.
C. Consider the best time to call.
D. Introduce yourself.
E. None.

Instruction II: Fill the blank space with appropriate terms

5. ______ is the life blood of our personal and business lives.

6. ________ is form of instant communication which achieves quick response but it takes
imagination to use.

Instruction III: Write True or False for the following statements

7. In telephone conversation, you have various means of conveying information like intonation
of voice, facial expressions, gestures, and posture and body movement.
8. In face to face communication the communicator does not influenced by external
environment.
9. The main two roles that you can play in oral communication are listening and speaking.
10. Telephone conversation is an ear-to-ear communication

CHAPTER FIVE

67
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

ACTIVE LISTENING

INTRODUCTION

Dear student, this is the fifth chapter of the course. The chapter is designed to discuss the
important and/or basic points that would enable you to have the fundamental knowledge on active
listening.

In this chapter, you will be learning about the meaning, type, importance of active listening,
significance of active listening in organizations and the different causes of poor listening.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

After studying the material in this unit, you will be able:

 Define active listening
 Understand the importance of active listening for personal and organizational success
 Identify the different types of active listening
 Understand the different causes of poor listening

CHAPTER OUT LINE

5.1 Types of listening
5.2 Importance of active listening in organizations
5.3. Causes of poor listening
5.4. Guidelines for Effective listening

Listening is defined as making an effort to hear some body/ something. Listening is a combination
of what we hear, understand and remember. You may physically pick up sound waves with your
ears, evaluate the information and finally you may act based on your hearing and evaluation
listening starts from hearing and it goes beyond hearing, since we evaluate and react based on it.

Effective listening is not a passive communication activity. It takes a great deal of effort and
motivation to become and remain an effective listener. However, good listening is a prerequisite

68
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

for success in business and the professions. Effective listening is certainly not the answer to all
business problems, but it is one of the first steps leading to solutions. The case cannot be made
strongly enough that organizational effectiveness is hampered by employees and managers who
do not listen well. Individual career advancement also can be impeded by poor listening.
Unfortunately, poor listening is often more apparent to others than it is to the poor listener.

5.1 TYPES OF LISTENING

The three forms of listening are:

1. Content listening
2. Critical listening
3. Active listening

5.1.1. Content listening

The purpose of this type of listening is to understand and retain the speaker’s message you may
ask questions, but basically information flows from the speaker to you. Your job is to identify the
key points of the message. It doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree, approve or disapprove
only that you understand. Content listening enables you to understand and retain the message.

5.1.2. Critical listening

This is meant to both understand and evaluate the meaning of the speaker’s message at several
levels. Logic of the argument, strength of the evidence, and validity of the conclusions the
implication of the message for you or your organization, the speaker’s intentions and motives the
omission of any important or relevant points. Critical listening generally involves interaction as
you try to uncover the speaker’s point of view. You are bound to evaluate the speaker’s credibility
as well. It enables you to evaluate the information.

5.1.3. Active/empathic listening

The aim of this type of listening is to understand the speaker’s feelings, needs, and wants so that
you can appreciate his or her point of view, regardless of whether you share that perspective by
listening in an active or empathic way; you help the individual vent the emotions that prevent a
dispassionate approach to the subject. Avoid the temptation to give advice. Try not to judge the
individuals feelings. Just let the other person talk. Active listening is used to drown out the other
person.

Regardless of whether the situation calls for content, critical, or active listening, all three types of
listening can be useful in work – related situations, so it pays to learn how to apply them.

5.2. IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING IN ORGANIZATION

69
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

In business environment, three different sources of information demand effective listening:

customers, employees, and supervisors.

By listening to customers, the organization can learn objective information about its products or
services. For example, customers can suggest desired product improvements that the research and
development department may have overlooked. Listening to customers can tell us a great deal
about the competition. Most companies like to compare and contrast themselves with other
companies’ people, information, goods and services. Customers will communicate their opinion
of you, your company, and its competition if they are encouraged. It also increases sales and the
level of customer satisfaction.

Listening to employees is a way of showing support and acceptance, which make for a more open
climate, and an open climate makes employee satisfaction and productivity more likely. To show
that they are listening managers’ responses must communicate acceptance. “There is a genuine
working together a whole new cooperative spirit--- but the most dramatic change is in the
atmosphere. It was hard to cooperate when you were in a war. The change is almost too good to
be true” Joseph Leonard

Perhaps it is obvious that employees of an organization should listen to their bosses since their
position depends on pleasing higher authority. However many employees do not recognize how
important it is to appear to be listening of course, giving the appearance of listening without
actually listening is unwise, but effective listening to a supervisor involves not only good listening
skills but also giving a good indication that listening is taking place.

Actually, effective listening can give you some power over your superior. People listen to and
agree with powerful people. Therefore, if you want your boss to listen to you, you need to
establish a power image.

Your goal in increasing your power over your superior is essentially to create in his or her mind
this image of you. You may say “This is a person who is like me in very important ways, who is
loyal to me and the organization, who will help me achieve my goal, who will help me feel good
in the process, this also is a person who has some expertise I value and need.” Listening and
responding play a key role in getting that image established.

Generally effective listening plays crucial role for the success of the organization by increasing
interpersonal communication and by creating common understanding between employees and
supervisors.

5.3. CAUSES OF POOR LISTENING

70
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

People are not born with the ability to listen effectively, listening skills are learned. Unfortunately,
many of us have developed poor listening habits. Poor listening can be attributed to several causes,
many of them involving bad habits that can be broken.

a) Physical Barriers
Some barriers to effective listening are not directly under our control. A noisy type writer, a
duplicating machine, someone’s loud voice, or a nearly vacuum cleaner could prevent us from
hearing an important message. Visual distractions also pose barriers to effective listening
concentration is the key to deal with physical barriers to listening.

b) Personal Barriers
1) Day dreaming
It is the most common listening problem because it affects every one frequently a speaker may
mention some person or thing that triggers an association in our minds, and off we go. When we
return to reality and start listening again, we may find that the third point is being discussed and
we have no recollection of points one and two.

2) False attention
Is a protection technique that everyone uses from time to time to take out the speaker when we are
not really interested in what some one is saying, we pretend to listen we nod our heads and make
occasional meaningless comments and eye contact to give the impression that we are listening but
our mind is a million miles away from the speaker.

3) Prejudgment
Is one of the most common and difficult barriers to listening because it is an automatic process
people could not operate in life without holding some assumptions. However, in new situations,
these assumptions are often incorrect. In addition, some people listen defensively, viewing every
comment as a personal attack. To protect their self-esteem, they may distort a message by tuning
out anything that doesn’t confirm their view of themselves.

4) Listen selectively out listening

You stay tuned out until you hear a word or phrase that gets your attention once more. The
problem with out-listening is that it leaves you not with a memory of what the speaker actually
said but with a memory of what you think the speaker probably said.

5) Closed mindedness
If a fault that happen, more outside the class room especially when we are arguing we often
refuses to listen to other side of argument, especially when we have already made up our mind we
think there is no use in listening since we know all.

6) Personality listening
This is natural for listeners to evaluate the speaker but our impressions should not interfere with
our listening some time you may be tempted to tune out. We can find different types of personal

71
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

barriers that cause poor listening during the communication process and this personal barriers are
controllable than physical barriers.

c) Semantic barriers
Refers to the different uses and meanings of words and symbols therefore, they do not necessarily
have the same meaning for everyone. For your clarity of the word semantic barriers you can refer
from barriers of communication in the previous discussions.

5.4. GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING

You can improve your listening ability by becoming more aware of the practices that distinguish
good listeners from bad listeners:

 Fight distractions by closing doors, turning off radios or televisions, and moving
closer to the speaker.
 Depersonalize your listening so that you decrease the emotional impact of what is
being said and are better able to hold your rebuttal until you have heard the total
message.
 Listen for concepts and key ideas as well as for facts, and know the difference
between fact and principle, idea and example, and evidence and argument
 Stay a head of the speaker by anticipating what will be said next and by thinking
about what is already been said.
 Look for unspoken messages often the speaker’s tone of voice or expressions will
reveal more than the words themselves
 Keep an open mind by asking questions that clarify understanding, reserve
judgment until the speaker has finished.
 Evaluate and criticize the content, not the speaker
 Provide feedback, let the speaker know you are with him or her, maintain eye
contact, provide appropriate facial expressions.
 Take meaningful notes that are brief and to the point.

One way to assess your listening skills is to pay attention to how you listen when some one else is
talking, are you really hearing what is said, or are you mentally rehearsing how you will respond?
Above all try to be open to the information that will lead to higher quality decisions, and try to
accept the feelings that will build understanding and mutual respect. Becoming a good listener
will help you in many business situations especially those that are emotion laden and difficult.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

72
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

o Effective listening is not a passive communication activity. It takes a great deal of effort and
motivation to be come and remain an effective listener. Organizational effectiveness is highly
affected by the listening ability of managers and employees. Individual career advancement
also can be impeded by poor listening

o The there are types of listening: content, critical and active listening. Critical listening is both
understanding and evaluating the meaning of the speaker’s message at several levels.

o You can improve your listening ability by becoming more aware of the practices that
distinguish good listeners from bad. Pay attention to how you listen when some one else is
talking, are you really hearing what is said, or are you mentally rehearsing how you will
respond? Try to be open to the information that will lead to higher quality decisions, and
try to accept the feelings that will build understanding and mutual respect.

SELF-CHECK EXERCISE 5

Choose the best among the given alternatives

1. Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of Active Listener
A. He tries to both understand and evaluate the meaning of the speaker’s message
B. He will draw the implications of the message to him while the speaker is giving
a speech
C. He will evaluate the logic and the validity of the conclusions of the speech
D. He tries to understand the feelings of the speaker, regardless of whether he
shares that perspective
E. He evaluates the speaker’s credibility while listening to his speech.
2. Effective listening is made, not born

73
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

A. True B. False
3. A noisy machine distracting attention while a supervisor tries to communicate with his
subordinate is _________________ barrier.
A. Physical C. Personal
B. Semantic D. Language
4. The word “burn it” may mean “put it on fire”, the same word may stand for “get a
copy of it.” This could be ________________ type of barrier
A. Personal C. Semantic
B. Physical D. Psychological
5. One of the following communication barriers can be overcome by concentration
A. Physiological barrier C. Semantic barriers
B. Cultural barriers D. Environmental interference
E. None of the above

CHAPTER SIX

INTERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

With in business, professional and governmental organizations, you have many opportunities for
one-to-one communication. Much of that will be casual but a considerable amount of time will
focus on purposeful two-person (dyadic) communication. Your work might include interviewing
which is one of the dyadic (two-person) communications. The interview completes a spectrum of
type of dyadic communication from intimate interactions through social communication to serious
instrumental communication. All are settings of dyadic communication but each is different from
the other in terms of purpose and salient variables. So, the interview can be viewed as a form of
dyadic where persons meet with a preconceived purpose and both of whom speak and listen to
each other from time to time.

Dear learner, do not forger that interviewing is a form of communication and therefore an
understanding of the communication skills and barriers which are covered in the preceding
sections of this material are equally important for interviewing success.

74
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Dear learner, after completing this chapter, you will be able to:
 Explain what is meant by an ‘interview’
 Discuss the major types of interview and their purposes
 Explain the essentials of successful interviews
 Determine the responsibilities of the interviewer and the interviewee during an
employment interview
 Explain the basic organization of all types of interviews

CHAPTER OUTLINE
6.1 Definition of interview
6.2 Major types of interview
6.3 Guidelines for effective employment interview (for the interviewer)
6.4 Guidelines for effective employment interview (for the interviewee)

6.1 DEFINITION OF INTERVIEW

The word ‘interview’ refers to all types of planned, face-to-face encounters in which at least one
of the participants has a specific objective in mind – Cheryl Hamilton and Cordell Parker.

Interviewing, according to this definition, includes gathering information, appraising employee

performance, settling grievances and many other interactions which are or at least going to be a
part of your work life.

75
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Interview is a two party communication in which at least one person has a specific, serious
purpose.—Ronald B. Adler & Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst

This definition makes it clear that interviewing is a special kind of conversation, differing from
other types in several ways. Most importantly, interview is always purposeful. Unlike other
spontaneous conversations, an interview includes at least one participant who has a serious,
predetermined reason for being there. Interviews are also more structured than most conversations.
As you will soon learn, every good interview has several distinct phases and always involves
some sort of question- and –answer format.

6.2 MAJOR TYPES OF INTERVIEW

There are far too many types of interview situations for us to list them all. However, the basic
approach to each type is similar and they possess the same basic features as:
 Most interviews are face-to-face interactions involving a face-to-face
encounter between the interviewer and the interviewee.
 All effective interviews are organized into three basic steps or phases: the
opening phase, the question-response phase (body of the interview) and the closing
phase. ( these will be discussed under ‘ the guidelines to effective interviews for
the interviewer’)
Dear learner, as you were able to see, there could be various types of interview. For our purpose,
an understanding of the following basic types of interview can be easily transferred to other types
of interview situations.

In this chapter therefore, we will deal with the three major types of interview namely:
Employment interview, Employee appraisal interview, and Grievance interview.

6.2.1. EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW

The employment interview is a face-to-face encounter between prospective employee and

prospective employer. When you finish all your courses and graduate, you will be having this type
of interview. This type of interview is one of the most important because in it some of the most
critical organizational and personal decisions are made.

The critical organizational decisions are those to be made by the organization regarding the
selection of the best candidate for the job and the critical personal decisions are those made by
you (the candidate) regarding the type of job and organization for a career decision.

The ultimate productivity of the organization depends on the ability of its management to recruit
and select the best personnel for the job. In addition, your career often depends on your ability to
select the right job with the right organization.

76
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

An employment interview is basically designed to explore how well a candidate might fit a job.
This exploration works both ways: the employer explores who the right person for the job is and
the candidate (you) explores the organizations’ and job’s fitness with his/ her qualifications, skills
and career choices.

Different types of employment interview can be used by organizations to discover as much as

possible about applicants.

Structured interview: - is generally used in the screening stage. The employer

controls the interview by asking a series of prepared questions in a set order.
Working from the checklist, the interviewer asks the candidates each question,
staying with in an allotted time period, for which all answers will be recorded
(noted). Although useful in gathering facts, the structured interview is generally
regarded as a poor measure of an applicant’s personal qualities.

Open ended interview: - in contrast, the open ended interview is a less formal and
unstructured interview with a relaxed format. The interviewer poses broad, open-
ended questions and encourages the applicant to talk freely. This type of interview
is good for bringing out an applicant’s personality and is used to test professional
judgment. Some candidates reveal too much about personal or family problems
that have nothing to do with their qualification for employment. So, you should be
careful to strike a balance between being friendly and remembering that you are in
a business situation.

Group interview: - this is an interview set up where several candidates are

interviewed simultaneously to see how they interact. This type of interview is
useful for judging interpersonal skills.

Stress interview: - the stress interview is used by interviewers to see how well a
candidate handles stressful situations. During a stress interview, you may be asked
questions which are specifically designed to make you uncomfortable and to
unsettle you. You may also be subjected to long periods of silence, criticism of
your appearance, deliberate interruptions or even a hostile reaction by the
interviewer. This is a type of interview which is regarded by many managers as
inappropriate or unethical.

Dear learner, now you know the specific possible types of interview you might encounter during
an employment interview. So keep in mind these interview types so that you can get the best out
of you employment (job) interviews that you are going to have in the future. In the next sections
we will examine other types of interview like performance appraisal interview and grievance
interview. Let us discuss these one by one.

6.2.2. EMPLOYEE APPRAISAL INTERVIEW

77
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Performance appraisal interviews are scheduled regularly between superior and subordinate to
discuss the quality of subordinates’ performance. More specifically, these interviews have several
functions, including the following:

 Letting the employee know where he/ she stands- this is achieved through the
feedback that employees get which includes praising good work, communicating areas
that need improvement and conveying to the employee his/ her chance for
development.
 Developing employee skill- such interview can be a chance for the employee to learn
new skills. If you were a supervisor, among other roles, you should be a teacher to
your subordinates. You can use such interviews to show an employee how to do a
better job.
 Improving employment relationship- through these interviews as a supervisor, you
will be able to improve your relationship with your subordinates and give the
subordinate a sense of participation in the job.
 Helping management learn the employees’ point of view- the performance appraisal
interview should incorporate a two way communication, that is, both upward (from
subordinate to superior) and downward (from superior to subordinate). This can help
the subordinates to express their perspectives to their supervisors.
 Setting goals for the future- one of the results of every performance appraisal
interview should be a clear idea of how both the subordinate and supervisor will
behave in the future.

Dear learner, every performance appraisal interview will have the above functions and could
follow different styles which will be discussed in the following sections.

Styles of appraisal interviewing

There are three styles of appraisal interviewing which can be used in the appraisal interview
situations.
Tell and sell
Tell and listen (listen and tell)
Problem solving

Tell and sell: a tell and sell appraisal interview style can range from a friendly persuasive style to
an authoritarian approach. In any case, the manager who tells and sells believes that his/her
evaluation is correct and aims at passing along this evaluation to the subordinate. The
disadvantage of this style could be the fact that it can be unfair and unproductive if the managers’
evaluation is incorrect. For instance, you as a supervisor might believe that your subordinate is
unproductive. But this could be due to some external factors whereas you believe that it is because
of the persons laziness. In this case your evaluations are incorrect and hence you can be unfairly
judging your subordinate.

78
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Despite these disadvantages, this style can work well in the following situations:
i. with inexperienced employees who are unable to evaluate themselves
ii. with employees who are very loyal to the organization
iii. with employees who are not willing to evaluate themselves and who appreciate
direction

Tell and listen (listen and tell): this approach adds a new element to the performance appraisal
interview, namely, the manager’s willingness to hear the employees’ point of view. With this style,
the manager offers his/her assessment and lets the subordinate react to it. During the final parts of
the interview, the manager again takes control in identifying future goals for the employee.

Here, even though there is a two way communication, a pure tell and listen approach could be
basically persuasive. The managers’ motive to listening is to let the employee have a say but there
is no guarantee that the subordinates comment will change the managers’ ideas.

The listen and tell is a more employee oriented variation where the manager lets the subordinate
to begin the session by describing his/ her beliefs after which the manager will have a turn. This
approach has three advantages
i. it makes the subordinate’s contribution more than just a defensive reaction to the
manager’s evaluation.
ii. Lets the manager adjust the evaluation and
iii. It gives the manager an idea of how well the employee knows his/her own
strengths and weaknesses.

Problem solving: A problem solving performance appraisal interview style involves the employee
to a greater degree than the previous two approaches. In this interview style, the manager and the
employee work together to define areas of concern and to develop appropriate solutions. Thus, the
problem solving style makes the manager less of a judge and more of a helper. Both the boss and
employee realize that their best interests are served by having the employee succeed and they
have the attitude that it is possible to leave both parties satisfied. While the interviewer still retains
the power that comes with a managerial position, boss and employee cooperate so that neither
orders nor threats are necessary.

6.2.3. GRIEVANCE INTERVIEW

The grievance interview is any type of one-to-one encounter involving conflict and its resolution.
Examples of situations leading to grievance interviews include employee-employer disputes over
working hours or wages, customer-salesperson conflicts and even teacher-student conflicts. The
grievance interview is unique in that emotions often run at a much higher level than in the other
type of interviews. However, the basic structure of a grievance interview includes most of the
same factors that operate in other interview situations. The grievance interview highly requires the
interviewer to be a good listener and a problem solver.

79
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Dear learner, from our discussion in the previous chapters of this material, can you recall some
points about an active listener and the barriers to active listening? Well, if you can, it greatly helps
you to understand what is meant by the requirement of a grievance interview i.e. the interviewer
should be a good listener (refer to your discussions on active listening). The various
communication skills and barriers and the discussion we have made on them so far will be
applicable to the remaining discussions of this material.

When we first began this section, we stated with a discussion on the interviews that you are likely
to have. So, with the knowledge of it, you will be succeeding in those interviews that you will
have in the future. The most important and probably the first interview that you will have is an
employment or job interview. We have seen some points concerning such types of interviews and
in the following section; we will deal with the general guidelines to an effective employment
interview.

6.3. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE EMPLOYMENT

INTERVIEW

The effectiveness of an employment interview shall be examined from two sides: from the side of
the interviewer and from the side of interviewee. If we assume that a certain employment
interview was successful, it would mean that the employer was able to select the best candidate
who fits the job and as well the candidate (may be you) was able to get the right job with the right
organization. To these ends, the following are some general guidelines which should be followed
by both the interviewer and the interviewee to make the interview situation most successful.

It is better to see these guidelines from two sides:

 Guidelines for the interviewer
 Guidelines for the interviewee

6.3.1. GUIDELINES FOR THE INTERVIEWER

The basic organization of interviews is the same for all types. All types will have an opening
phase, the question-response phase (body of interview) and the closing phase. At this various
phases, the interviewer should follow the guidelines here under to make the interview as much
effective as possible. The interviewer will have more responsibility for the manner in which the
interview is conducted.

i. Prior to the interview, communicate with the interviewee regarding the

time and place of interview

80
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

ii. Determine the environment - the nature of interview usually determines

the kind of environment that the interviewer should establish. Example: -
select an area that is free from phone calls and other interruptions.

iii. Organize the interview carefully- an interviewer who conducts a poorly

planned interview learns very little information about the candidate during
the interview. Consequently, their decision will be made based on “gut”
reactions which often results in hiring ineffective people. Therefore,
interviewer must plan and organize each phase of the interview carefully
like in the following manner.

Plan the opening phase

Give the interviewee a brief orientation to the interview. Conclude the opening phase by
motivating the applicant to give an honest and carefully thought out answers.

Plan the question-response phase (body)

Asking whatever question comes to mind is an extremely ineffective way to learn and remember
information about the applicant. Areas that should be covered include the following:
 Past work experience
 Leadership ability
 Personality characteristics and the like.
Based on these, specific questions for each area can be framed as follows:
 At what age did you commence work?
 How many jobs have you held since you left school?

Plan the closing phase

The closing of an employment interview is as equally important as the opening. This is to make
sure that the interviewee leaves with a positive feeling and an accurate understanding of what will
happen next. Give the Interviewee a chance to ask questions and thank the interviewee for
his/her time and cooperation.

iv. Ask only lawful questions: there are certain questions that interviewers
cannot ask of applicants during a pre-employment interview. This is based on the
belief that all persons regardless of their race, sex, national origin, religion, age or
etc should be able to equally compete for a job and advance in the job market
based on their educational qualifications, experience, and specific skills.
To assure this, the interview questions should be framed like in the following
manner:
 All questions should be job related
 The interviewer must be able to prove that the questions asked
are related to the specific job.

81
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 The same basic questions must be asked of all applicants for

the same job position.

v. Listen carefully to the interviewee: some times, an employment

interviewer become so preoccupied with the tasks of the interview to the extent
that he/she forgets to listen. But listening to the interviewee is very essential as we
use the information we get through listening and this information is the basis upon
which the selection decisions will be made.

Dear learner, can you give your answer to the following two questions by referring to the
discussions you have come across on active listening in this material? Test yourself on how well
you can remember the previous discussions by relating them with current ones.

 What could be the possible barriers to effective

listening that an interviewer might face during an
Lkhihihihkldfpjdgkdodfknfdupodjglmlmvmmm
employment interview?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
___________________________________

 Can you list some of the advantages of active listening?

__________________________________________
vi. Clarify and verify the interviewee responses: even though interviewers
__________________________________________
listen carefully, they can make mistakes if they assume that they understand
exactly what the interviewee mean. Since the interviewer and interviewee have
__________________________________________
different frames of reference or personal differences, it is easy for each to
__________________________________________
misinterpret the other’s meanings. So, when a statement is unclear, the interviewer
should clarify the interviewee response by asking further questions. The
interviewer should ask questions if he/she does not understand what the
interviewee is talking about.

6.3.2. GUIDELINES FOR THE INTERVIEWEE

If you are the interviewee in a certain employment interview, you should not take a passive role in
it. You must become actively involved if you hope to find a job that specifically fits with your
abilities and interests.

82
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

The following are ways to make you an active participant in your employment interviews and be
successful in getting the job you want to hold:

i. Plan the initial communication with your interviewer carefully: the initial
contact may take a form of a letter, resume, or a phone conversation. However,
before contacting this potential interviewer by way of these methods, find out as
much as you can about the organization to which you are applying. Try to talk with
some one who has been working with the organization, ask for literature such as
annual reports that explain the firm (organization) and its policies.

ii. Be prepared for any type of question and interviewer: as an interviewee,

you cannot always predict what type of interviewer you will face. Normally, you
can expect one or combination of some types of interviewers like the unstructured
interviewer, and the structured interviewer.
The unstructured interviewer: expects you to take the initiative during the
interview by looking for detailed responses. He/she might ask you an open ended
question like “Tell me about yourself”
The structured interviewer: usually expects you to do the opposite of the above
situation. He/she plans everything in advance and gives you little chance to be
creative in your responses. This type of interviewer usually asks direct and closed
ended questions and wants specific to the point answers.

iii. Exercise your responsibility during the interview: appearance is only a

part of the first impression the interviewer forms of you. It is your responsibility to
add to those impressions with your smile, a firm but gentle handshake and a good
and direct eye contact.

iv. Be prepared with the questions you want to ask the interviewer: most
interviewers will invite you to ask questions. Therefore you should be able to ask a
few questions like: ‘Would the company support me if I pursue
my education?’, ‘What is the typical career path of an individual entering you
organization at this level?’, ‘Would this position require travels?’

v. Be prepared to follow up the interview if necessary: most interviews end

with a plan for the future action on the part of one or both of the participants.
When the decision will be reached and how it will be communicated is usually
specified by the interviewer.

83
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

CHAPTER SUMMARY

o Interviewing is a face-to-face conversation in which at least one party has a

specific, serious purpose. As such it is perhaps the most common form of planned
communication. Interviewing differs from other types of conversations in its
purposeful nature and its degree of structure.
o Although there are many types of interviews, the same basic approach can be used
in all interviews. Therefore, you should find that the information covered in this
chapter can be applied to almost any other interview situations. All effective
interviews are organized into basically the same three phases: opening phase,
question response phase and the closing phase which all require prior preparations.
o Interviewers are responsible for carefully planning and organizing the interview
ahead of time; asking necessary but lawful questions; and listening carefully and
respectfully to the interviewees’ responses. The interviewer perhaps has the
greatest responsibility for the success of the interview. Interviews that are poorly
planned, poorly organized and poorly executed result in neither participants
learning anything valuable about the other.
o Interviewees are also responsible for contacting their interviewer prior to the
interview sessions, planning answers for possible questions, communicating
effectively during the interview, and following up the interview when necessary.
o Dear learner the advice offered in this chapter should help you in making your
employment interviews the most productive.

SELF CHECK EXERCISE 6

84
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Give your answers for the following questions by filling the blank spaces.
1. The person who asks questions in an interview session is_____________
2. In the ____________________ type of interview, the interviewer expects the
interviewee to take the initiative and give detailed explanations for questions raised.
3. All effective interviews are basically organized into three steps:______________,
_____________ and ______________.
4. The type of interview which highly requires the interviewer to be a good listener
and problem solver is __________________.
5. _______________ style of appraisal interview involves the employee’s in a
greater degree than the other types of interviews.

CHAPTER SEVEN

MEETING

INTRODUCTION

Well planned and productive group communications are essential for conducting modern business,
to achieve objectives and results that cannot be accomplished effectively in another way.
Meetings have always taken a large part of the average manager’s time. In addition the increased

85
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

use of teams also means that meetings are even more frequent. Just because meetings are common
doesn’t mean that they are always productive. A survey by one marketing research company
showed that meetings executives consider one third of the gatherings they attend to be
unnecessary. So, to be productive, any type of meeting will require a good preparation from all
participants in general and the chairperson in particular. The chairperson is the one who takes the
responsibility for planning and conducting or leading the meeting.

In this chapter, the meanings and objectives of meetings will be dealt. We will also look at the
ways of preparing, conducting and keeping record (minute) of a meeting. From this chapter you
will learn the importance of communication in a productive meeting and how to be an effective
meeting leader and participant.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

 Learn about meetings and their purposes
 Discuss how to plan meetings
 Explain how to conduct (lead) a meeting
 Discuss how to keep records of a meeting (minute writing)

CHAPTER OUTLINE
7.1 Meeting defined
7.2 Objectives of meetings
7.3 Types of Meeting
7.4 Preparation for a meeting
7.5 Conducting a meeting (the role of the chairperson)
7.6 Minutes of a meeting

7.1. MEETING DEFINED

Numerous writers have given their definition for a meeting. Perhaps you have heard this negative
comment from some meeting attendants-“a meeting is an event at which minutes are kept and
hours are lost”. In contrast let us use this positive definition:-

86
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

“A business meeting is a gathering where purposive discourse occurs among three or more people
who exchange information on a common topic or problem, for better understanding or for solving
a problem”( Murphy and Hildebrandt, 1991)

The key words in the above definition are: ‘purposive’, ‘understanding’, and ‘solving’.

‘Purposive’: a meeting is useful when the leader and participants know the reason-“specific
purpose” for a meeting.

Dear learner, what is your evaluation of the following memorandum announcing a meeting?
‘To: academic staff
From: Mr John, the vice dean
Subject: meeting on the 5th
Please join the vice dean for a discussion on invigilation duties.
Hope to see you on August 5, at 8:00 in the afternoon’

You may say ‘I don’t know where the meeting will be held, who the other participants will be’
and a number of questions might run through your head as you read the above call for a meeting.
Sadly, too many meetings are called in such an imprecise manner.

‘Understanding’: the word understanding in our definition suggests that learning from the
information presented at a meeting is a first purpose. You will gain something if there is an effort
to understand through asking questions and listening actively.

‘Solving’: solving a problem is the second and major reason for a business meeting.

7.2. OBJECTIVES OF MEETINGS

Meetings are an important setting for oral communication and used for a variety of purpose:
 To provide information to a group of people
 To report on some activity or experience
 To coordinate and arrange activities
 To obtain assistance
 To put forward ideas or grievances for decision
 To create involvement and interest.

As implied above, meetings can be held for two basic purposes:

87
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 To present information
 To help solve problems
What often happens is that both these purposes may occur in one meet; a part of the meeting
devoted to giving information and the other devoted to problem solving.

Dear learner, in the following discussions we will see three basic types of meeting that usually
help organizations achieve these activities or purposes.

7.3 TYPES OF MEETING

i. Informational Meeting
Informational meetings are held to disseminate information and check on the understanding of
those who attend. For example, the following notice appeared in an employee bulletin:
All department purchasing personnel should attend a meeting on Thursday, December 4, at
3 pm in the personnel conference room. The topic will be a discussion of the new staff
categories approved by the personnel office.

At this meeting, the staff will learn, ask questions and understand the new categories. No
problems will be solved, no recommendations for change in policy will occur; rather, each person
will gain improved understanding of the issue. A usual format is to have an opening informative
speech by a person highly knowledgeable on the topic followed by a discussion.

Other internal informational meetings may be held to brief employees on changes in procedure,
on policy amendments regarding a specific topic (policy) on profit and loss data (present and past
facts) and on various other topics.

Dear learner, you can see that these kinds of informational meetings involve purpose and the use
of data similar to those of informative speeches (refer to the previous discussions on speech).

Through the discussions however, there is the opportunity to clarity understanding through give
and take not so easily achieved when simply listening to an informative speech.

ii. Suggested solution meetings

Here two kinds of decisions are concerned with problems and solutions. The simplest is when a
manager wishes to hear about options for solving a company problem. The scenario proceeds like
this:
1. There is a feeling that a problem exists
2. A question is phrased that seeks to get to the heart of the issue such as “what
should be done to control training costs?”
3. A person or committee is assigned to investigate

88
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

4. A meeting is called to discuss possible answers, solutions or recommendation to

the question.

Dear learner, one thing that you should notice here is that in this type of meetings, no decisions
are reached. The manager and review committee listen to all points of view of attendants,
comments on option and perhaps potential final solutions are discussed. But no decision is made.
The meeting is informative and explanatory. A final decision may be made at a second, problem
solving meeting.

iii. Problem solving meetings

Meetings that result in decisions for action predominate in the business world. When the
executive or even a committee has no adequate solution for a problem, he/she or the committee
seeks suggested solutions in a problem solving meeting. The problem is presented at the
beginning by either the executive or some one previously appointed to prepare a written report on
it. The meeting participants suggest solutions, discuss and evaluate them and arrive at a decision
on which action is to be taken. The problem solving meeting requires the most careful planning
and presiding over by the leader, as well as challenging participation by those attending.

7.4 PREPARATION FOR A MEETING

Successful meetings are just like interviews, presentations, or letters: they must be well planned.

Planning before calling for a meeting

It is incorrect to assume that one person will always call a group together. Some times a
committee is authorized by another group which could be as high as the board of directors. Initial
planning involves five factors:
Deciding on the purpose of the meeting
Decide who the participants should be
Planning the date, time and place
Planning on the announcement of agenda
Plan the physical arrangements
Now let us briefly discuss these five factors that you should plan before calling a meeting.

Consider the problem and determine the purpose

First, you should decide whether the meeting should even be called at all. In one sentence you
should write the problem and specific purposes. If the purpose can be better attained by telephone,
letter, memo, etc, the participants should not be called together for a meeting. A good meeting
topic must be timely, genuine, really important and meaningful. It must present a difficulty that is
within the experience of the attendants. Also the problem should be limited adequately so that the
attendants are able to solve it-at least partially- within the given time. It should be about a matter

89
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

that can immediately be decided by the group or about which recommendations can be made to a
higher administrative body.

Decide who should participate

Many business committees have a consistent group of attendants. For instance, executive
committees may comprise vice president, other committees may be made up of persons working
on a given account or a finance committee may consist of members from purchasing to
disbursements. Additional members are also invited to supplement the regular members’
contributions or to appear to make a specific report.

Regardless of whether or not the meeting is to solve a difficult, top-level problem, the attendants
should be those who can make special contribution. Usually the more difficult the problem, the
smaller the group-some times five or even fewer. But in some informational meetings, hundreds
may be interested and gain useful explanations.

Arrange for the meeting date, time and place

The choice of date, time and place greatly depend on the audience size and make up and the
purpose of the meeting.

Announce the agenda

First, what is an agenda? An agenda is nothing but a list of topics that are to be discussed in a
meeting. Most often it is the meeting leader (may be you) whom we call the chairperson, who
prepares the agenda so the participants know in advance the direction of the meeting.
The announcement should be made or sent early enough to give the participants adequate time to
prepare their thoughts on the matter.

Decide on the physical arrangements

As the last step before any meeting, you as the leader of a meeting should consider such physical
arrangements as: seating, material, equipment and atmosphere.
Seating: most likely you as the chairperson of a meeting will arrange seating,
perhaps in a circle or around a conference table or in a diamond or U-shape so that
all attendants will easily be able to see each other and the chairperson.
Material, equipment and atmosphere: items to consider here can be chalkboards,
flip sheets; microphones, projector, visual aids, drinking water, glasses and
ashtrays (if smoking is allowed) should be accessible and handy.

7.5 CONDUCTING A MEETING

For the success of meetings especially a problem solving meeting, the chairperson’s attitude and
efficiency-from the beginning statement through the entire discussion-are critically important. The
chairperson should be well prepared, able to think and act quickly, get along with others, respect

90
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

their opinion, know objectives of discussion and the reasoning process, be patient and have a
sincere interest in the values of cooperative group action.

Dear learner, this part of our discussion will deal with the procedures that you must follow in
conducting a meeting where you are a chairperson. What you will read from this point onwards is
equally important to the success of the meeting in which you are the chairperson as the readings
from the previous part (i.e. preparation for a meeting).

Begin with appropriate opening statement

Obviously, the chairperson should prepare his/her introducing statement before the meeting. Then,
present it to the attendants beginning by stating the problem, indicating the importance of the
problem, suggest issues and may be use a quotation.

Stimulate discussion for solution discovery

In general, the chairperson is expected to encourage participation from all attendants and keep the
discussion moving forward. To help spark discussion on each topic, write on the board or on the
overhead projector the criterions a solution should meet. List on another board the possible
solutions of the problem as the participants suggest them. Ask questions and keep the participants
from wandering into irrelevant paths.

Maintain an atmosphere of goodwill and cooperation throughout the meeting. If a situation

becomes tense or if some members are reluctant to speak or become antagonistic, apply your
communication skills to bring about a common understanding and smooth discussions among the
participants.

Understand the roles of participants

Attendants or participants could have various roles such as initiator, contributor, opinion seeker,
information giver, contributor, recorder, energizer and the like. These can be termed as group task
roles.

There are also group maintaining and building roles like encourager, harmonizer, group observer,
compromiser, and follower.

Knowing these various roles being played by attendants of a meeting assists the chairperson in
knowing how to react, how to handle role statements made during the meeting.

Sort, select, and interpret data for solution evaluation

After the chair person lists suggested solutions on the board he/she should encourage participants
and the advantage and disadvantages of each suggested course of action. Here they should be
listed separately and care should be taken not to impose the chairperson’s own opinions on the
group if he/she wishes to participate. Encourage each group member to feel a sense of
responsibility for the success of the analysis. Good listening by everyone to what others offer is
extremely important. Dear learner, can you remember the importance of active listening?

91
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

State the conclusion and plan of action

Before dismissing the meeting, you as a chairperson should review what the group has
accomplished by summarizing what parts of the problem members have solved or partially solved.
State the decision (conclusion) clearly and definitely. If the group arrived at various conclusions,
they should be listed, preferably in order of importance. Statements should also be made on how
the solution the group decided will be carried out. Appointments may be made then announced
later in a memo regarding the action.

Follow up on the meeting

It is a mistake to assume that even a satisfying meeting is a success until you follow up to make
sure that the desired results have really been obtained. A thorough follow-up involves the
following three steps:-

1. Build an agenda for the next meeting

Most groups meet frequently and they rarely conclude their business in one sitting. A smart chair
person plans the next meeting by noting which items need to be carried over from the preceding
one, what unfinished business must be addressed?, what progress reports must be shared?, what
new information should members hear?

2. Follow up on other members

As a chairperson, you can be sure that the promised outcomes of a meeting usually occur if you
check up on other members. If the meeting provided instructions, see whether the people who
attended the meeting are actually following the steps that were outlined, check on whether they
are being performed. A friendly phone call and personal remark can be used for such follow up
purposes.
3. Take care of your own assignments
Most home works that arise out of meetings need continued attention. Don’t wait until the last
minute because the results will be sloppy and embarrassing.

7.6 MINUTES OF A MEETING

After the meeting, the secretary of the meeting, who attended prepares a set of minutes for
distribution to all attendants and any other interested party.
Definition: minutes are official records of the proceedings of a meeting which summarize what
was discussed and what decisions were made.

Generally speaking, minutes should emphasize what was done at the meeting rather than what
was said by the participants. Minutes should include the following major items:
i. Name of the organization, department or group
ii. Date, time, place of the meeting
iii. Names of the members present

92
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

iv. Name of any other person present as invited guest

v. Name of chairperson and (at the end) recording secretary
vi. Brief summary of reports
vii. Highlights of solutions presented and decisions made
viii. Time of adjournment and, if announced, the date for the next
meeting

The minutes should objectively summarize discussions and decisions or conclusions reached. The
emotions and feelings of any member expressed during the course of discussion is not recorded.
However, the names of those who contributed major points and ideas should be recorded. The
minute becomes final only when it is read at the end of the meeting or in the next meeting,
approved and signed by the members and chairperson. Often it is circulated before hand and then
it is conformed at the second meeting including amendments and suggestion of members, if any.

There are three main ways of producing minutes of a meeting:

Verbative minutes
Minutes of resolution
Minutes of narration

Verbative minutes: these minutes are used primarily in court reporting where every
thing is recorded word for word. Dear learner, have you ever been to a court room?
If so, then you must have noticed someone (the secretary) who types every thing
said in the court by the judge, the jury, the attorneys of both parties and witnesses.
The recording is made without omitting a singe word and this is what we call as a
verbative minute.

Minutes of resolution: in this type of minutes recording what we find is the main
conclusions. Here, one does not find the discussions which took place in each topic,
rather the main decisions or conclusions made base on the discussions. The exact
wording of every resolution passed should be recorded.

Minutes of narration: these types of minutes will be a concise summary of all

discussions which took place and the conclusions that were reached.

Dear learner, by now you already know what minutes are, the points that they should include and
the different ways of recording them. Now is time to see the wording of minutes.

Wording of Minutes

93
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Minutes should be written in a past tense form using a third person reported speech. (Examples-
the chairman asked…., the reports were presented and ….) Go through the following examples of
minutes and study the wordings and the format carefully.

Name of the company or

Department, group or committee conducting the meeting
Place of the meeting
Date and time the meeting

A list of members present should be recorded in the following manner

Present: _________________ (first should be name of the chairperson)

_________________ List of the names of other
_________________ members in their alphabetical
_________________ order.
_________________

Body of the minute:

Following the headings and noting the time the meeting started and ended, the
body presents all major decisions reached at the meeting. All assignments of tasks
to meeting members should also be included in the body part. Any additional
documentation such as tables and charts submitted by the participants should not
be overlooked.

The end of the minute:

Here there should be a couple of blank lines for the signature of the chairperson
and the secretary who prepares the minute. Before it is being distributed the minute
should be read and approved by the chairperson.

The minutes prepared by you and your friend may not be identical. But if you
follow the above format, your minutes of a meeting might look similar.
In order to give you a full picture the following is a sample minute, where you can
have a closer look at the format, the wordings including the tenses used.

94
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Minutes of ET (executive team) meeting

September 16, 2007
Executive conference room

Present: Ato Alemayehu G. (chairperson), Ato Genetu M., W/rt Hamelmal Z.,
Ato Israel M., W/ro Kelemua G. Also present: Ato Lemlemu A. and
Ato Mehari T.

Review of actions taken at September 4 meeting

1. Ato Lemlemu to prepare a job flow chart of a work order from clients and report to the ET
group. Due: September 29

2. Ato Mehari to present a report on salary compensation currently offered by the company.
Due: September 29

Minutes of September 16 meeting

1. The minutes of September 4 meeting were approved as presented.

2. Job costing and time reporting

Ato Lemlemu presented a brief report on how the new Adware system for agency-
client profitability will work. An internal methods team by Ato
Lemlemu has been established with the intent of standardizing communication with
clients.

3. Training progress—tuition reimbursements

Ato Israel outlined a prolapsed tuition-reimbursements program to be offered to all
full-time employees after six months of employment. He proposed that a limit of Br
2000 be instituted.

Action to be taken: the ET group suggested that the proposal wait until the question of
agency compensation was solved. The chairperson suggested that a detailed report of
all salary compensation be presented before a final decision was made, that the report
CHAPTER SUMMARY
should be completed by October 20.

The chairperson adjourned the meeting 9 pm and reminded the group that the next
o Meetingsmeeting would bewhere
are a gathering held onpurposive
Septemberdiscourse
29. occurs among three or more people who
exchange information on a common topic or problem, for better understanding or for solving
a problem.
Respectfully submitted
Mekdes Girma
Recording
o Two basic purposessecretary
of business meetings are: to present information and to solve problems

o Effective leadership of a meeting requires careful planning before the meeting on the date,
time, place, agenda, physical arrangements and participants, and a good way of proceeding
through the meeting.

95
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

o During the meeting the leader has responsibilities of beginning with an appropriate opening
statement and stimulating discussion for solution discovery, evaluation and choice of action.
The chairperson should also encourage opinions, clarify vague statement and maintain an
atmosphere of goodwill and cooperation. The leader should also be aware of the various roles
of participants and respond quickly and wisely to role statements.

o After the meeting, the chairperson’s responsibilities include distributing the minutes and
seeing that responsible appointments are made and that a date is set to carry out the necessary
action.

o Minutes are official records of the proceedings of a meeting which summarize what was
discussed and what decisions were made.

o There are three main ways of producing minutes of a meeting: Verbative minutes, Minutes of
resolution, and Minutes of narration.

SELF CHECK EXERCISE 7

Chose the best answer for the following questions

1. Which one of the following type of meeting is used to disseminate information to a number
of people
a) Informational meeting
b) Problem solving meeting
c) Suggested solution meeting
d) Casual meeting
2. The decision on the physical arrangement while preparing for a meeting involves
a) Seating arrangements
b) Materials and equipments
c) Atmosphere
d) All
3. Following up the meeting does not involve one of the following
a) Building an agenda for the next meeting
b) Recognizing the role of participants
c) Following up on other members
d) Completing assignments
4. _________ is an official record of the proceeding of a meeting
a) Minute b) agenda
c) Adjournment d) none

96
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

5. One of the following ways of recording minutes lists down every word from every
participant
a) Minutes of resolution
b) Minutes of narration
c) Verbative minutes d) All

CHAPTER EIGHT

BUSINESS LETTERS
INTRODUCTION

Making choice of symbols and channels helps to ensure effective communication. This is
achieved when the intended meaning of the sender and the meaning perceived by the receiver are
one and the same. The concern of this chapter is on the verbal symbols in written communication
media that we call as business letters.

Despite the recent growth in electronic communications and the convenience of telephone, letters
are still a very widely used medium of communication in businesses. They are cheap to produce
and postal delivery is quick and generally reliable. They also provide both the receiver and the
sender with a permanent record of what has been discussed and agreed for later reference. Letters
may lack the personal touch of meetings or the immediacy of a telephone call, but when matters
are relatively straight forward and there is no urgency for a decision- as is the case in most routine
business-they are an effective and valuable form of communication.

Business letters are written from one business firm to another or from a business firm to an
individual customer. They are the most common form of written messages used by the business to
communicate with people and organizations outside the firm. Therefore, business letters are often
the main means of establishing business relations with the outside world.

Hence, in this chapter, you will be provided with detailed discussions and explanations on the
characteristics of good business letters, the conventional parts of business letters, and the different
types of business letters.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Dear student, after you complete reading this chapter, you will be able to:
 Define business letters and explain their purpose
 List and explain the characteristics of good business letters
 Discuss the conventional parts of business letters

97
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 List and discuss the various types of business letters

CHAPTER OUTLINE
8.1 Business letters defined
8.2 Characteristics of good business letters
8.3 Conventional parts of business letters
8.4 Types of business letters

8.1 DEFINITION

Dear student, can you give your own definition of business letters? You can use the space below
to write you definition.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________

 Business letter is a communication from one person to a company or vice versa and from one
company to another.

 Business letter is the medium used for written messages often to the persons outside the firm.

 Business letters are purposeful internal and external medium of communication designed to
communicate business messages or information between the letter producer and the reader
who could be a supplier, a potential customer or another business firm.

Now take a look at the above ways we used to define business letters and then compare them with
your definitions that you gave earlier. If you have missed some points in your definition, do not
worry because the coming discussions are geared towards acquainting you with what business
letters are and so much more than just defining them.

An effective business letter is a package containing essential facts such as knowledge of business
procedure, mastery of the structure of language and logical thinking. You may write a business
letter for various purposes. It could be to inform readers of specific information. You might also
write such letters to persuade others to take action, to propose you idea, etc. What ever the
purpose you have in mind when you write business letters, there some essential characteristics
that your letter should posses to enable you communicate in the most effective way. This brings
us to the issue of the characteristics of good business letters which will be discussed in the
following section.

98
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

8.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD BUSINESS

LETTER

To compose an effective business message, you need to apply certain communication principles.
They tie closely with the basic concepts of communication process and are important both for
written and oral communication. You may recall these from the discussions you have covered in
the first chapter under the principles of effective communication.

They will provide you with guidelines for the choice of content and style of presenting your
message specifically adapted to the purpose of your message and the receiver of your message.
We will discuss these characteristics that your letter should possess in addition to the 7 C’s of
effective communication:
1. Accuracy: you should strive for accuracy not only in the mechanical and
technical details but also in references and statements, dates, spellings,(especially
the names of persons or of firms), the use of language and punctuation, and
argument. Be accurate in all things and it is much better to rewrite a letter
than to send it out containing incorrect material.

2. Thoroughness: when you read your letter over before releasing it, you should
make sure that it contains the essential points that you want covered. If you are
writing a reply letter to a correspondent, be sure that your answer is comprehensive
and covers questions that he/she expressed or implied. Do not make it necessary
for him/her to write again for information you ought to have given him.

3. Conciseness: a concise message saves time and expense for both the sender and
the receiver. Conciseness, as you may recall from our discussion in the first chapter
of this material, is saying what you have to say in the fewest possible words with
out sacrificing the other qualities of your message. It will contribute to emphasis
and avoids/eliminates unnecessary words so that you can make your important
ideas stand out.

4. Clarity: to write a letter that will be clear to the receiver, you must first have a
definite idea of what you mean to say. If you are vague in your thoughts, how can
you expect the reader to grasp it immediately? To be clear, however, does not
mean that you should use many words to express an idea. It just means that you
should chose and use the rights words.

Tip: read your letter over and over again before sending it and do not be satisfied
unless and until it possesses clarity.

5. Promptness: if you cannot answer a letter promptly, acknowledge its recipients

and state that you will give it your early attention. Include a courteous expression
of thanks in the letter.

99
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Dear learner, so far you have been able to see the specific characteristics your letter should posses
in a detailed manner. Having these characteristics in mind, how can you be able to frame your
letter? Here you will be offered an answer to this question. The answer is simply to plan it very
carefully following five steps. In our previous discussion on meetings, interviews, speeches, etc ,
you have gained an insight on the importance of planning. So, here also, you need a thorough
planning process to be able to write an effective business letter that possesses the above listed
good characteristics. The following discussions are devoted toward s enabling you plan your letter.

To communicate effectively, first you should go through the following five basic steps before
writing your message.
 Know the purpose of the message
 Analyse your audience( reader)
 Choose the ideas to include
 Collect all the facts to back up (support) you idea
 Outline and organize your message

Know your purpose: the first step when you plan for communicating your
message is to determine your specific purpose. For example, is it to get an
immediate replacement for defective articles? Or is your main purpose to announce
your firm’s new location? Or to apologize for a serious error? In addition to the
specific purpose of each message, all communications have, of course, an
underlying general purpose- to build goodwill. For example, in a refusal or a
collection letter, the purpose should be two fold- not only to refuse a request or to
ask for money, but also to maintain the customers’ goodwill.

Analyse your audience: after reading about the communication process and
principles at the first chapter of this material, you can realize how much important
it is to adapt your messages as much as possible to the recipient’s views, mental
filter and needs. In your letter, consider the areas on which your recipient is likely
to be well informed or uninformed, pleased or displeased, negative, positive or
neutral.

Choose the ideas: with your purpose and recipient in mind, the next step you will
take is to choose the ideas for your message. If you are answering a letter, you can
underline the main points to discuss and jot your ideas briefly in the margin or on a
memo pad. If you are writing a complex message, you can begin by listing your
ideas as they come to you. Then consider what facts will be most useful for that
person.

Collect all the facts: having determined what ideas to include, ask yourself if you
need any specific facts, updated figures and the like. Be sure you know your
company policies, procedures, product details if the message requires them.
Perhaps you should check with your boss, colleagues, subordinate or the files for

100
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

an exact percentage, name of an individual, a date, an address or a statement.

Sometimes you may also need to enclose a useful brochure, table, and picture or
product sample.

Outline and organize your message: before you write the message, outline it ( in
your mind or on a piece of paper). The order in which you present your ideas is
often as important as the ideas themselves. Disorganized writing reflects
disorganized, illogical thought processes or careless presentation. Having done so,
you need to decide on the organization of your letter where you could have two
major alternatives. You can either use a deductive or direct approach where you
begin with the main ideas and present discussions next or you can use the inductive
or indirect approach in which you start with the relevant statements and later
present the main idea.
8.3 CONVENTIONAL PARTS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

A letter is a written message in a particular format. Properly planned, well designed and neatly
typed letters contribute towards the reputation and goodwill of a business organization. The
business letter mostly has seven standard parts. They are arranged and discussed here in their top
to bottom order:
 The heading
 The date
 Inside address
 Attention line (optional)
 Salutation
 Body
 Complementary close
 Signature block

1. The heading: the heading shows where the letter comes from. It includes the
organization’s name, full address and almost always a telephone number.

2. The date: the date establishes correspondence as a matter of record and provides a
reference point for future correspondence. It is typed two spaces below the last line
of the letter head. It is indicated in either in the upper right-hand corner or upper
left-hand corner.
Example: 2 may 2008 or May 2, 2008-07-30
Both methods are acceptable, however, the first method proceeds in the logical
order of day, month and year and hence it is conventional.
Reference is a code given to the letter.

101
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

3. Inside address: it is the name and address of the person or organization to which
you are sending the letter. The full address should be written two spaces below the
date and two spaces above the salutation. The name of the addressee should be
correctly spelled. If the addressee has no professional title such as doctor, or
professor, the traditional courtesy titles are used-Mr, Ms, Mrs.

Order of arrangement of the inside address:

1st. Person and business
2nd. Committee, group or section or other small group
3rd. Company
4th. Building
5th. P.O.Box, street address
6th. City state
7th. Country

The attention line (optional): to ensure prompt action, sometimes a letter which is
addressed to a company is marked to a particular office with in the organization.
The attention line is written two spaces below the inside address and two spaces
above the salutation. The attention line is usually underlined.
Example: Attention: Mr Jonathan
Attention: General manager

4. Salutation: salutation is similar to greeting. It is placed two spaces below the

attention line (if there is any). In most cases, it should match the first line of the
inside address. When addressing an individual, use the word dear, followed by a
polite title and the name of the person and a colon. When a letter is addressed to an
officer by name “Dear sir” is used. If a person has a specific title, it is written
before his/her name instead of the usual sir.
 Subject: the subject of a letter gives a brief title of the message. Thus, the purpose of
the subject line is to let the reader know immediately what the message is about.

5. Body: this is the main part of the letter that contains the main message of the letter
and the idea of the writer. In the first paragraph, reference to any correspondence
which has already taken place, should be given. In the second, the main message
should be stated. The paragraphs that follow should contain further details if
necessary.
In the closing paragraph, the writer must clearly state what action he/she expects
the reader to take or he/she may end the letter indicating his/her expectations,
wishes or intentions. The paragraphs are not given any heading unless the letter is
very long and deals with several important points.

102
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

6. Complementary close: this is the polite way of ending a letter. It is typed two
spaces below the last line of the letter (body).
Example: sincerely, cordially, faithfully, best regards….

7. Signature area: signature is the signed name of the writer. It is placed below the
complementary close. The name of the writer is usually typed four spaces below
the close line providing enough space for signature.
 In the left margin the following should be included
Identification mark: identification mark is put in the left margin to identify the
typist of the letter two spaces below the signature
Enclosure: if any thing is attached to the letter, it must be indicated against the
enclosure line typed two spaces below the identification mark. The enclosure
notation reminds the reader that material is enclosed with the letter.
Example: Enc_____________
Enclosure (s) _________
Copy to: copy is used when there are other organizations or individuals are
required to receive and know the message.

Dear learner, the following two pages will show you two letter structures having two different
formats which are both aimed at increasing your understanding of the discussion you have read on
the conventional parts of business letters.

There are two basic and most widely used letter formats which are worth a discussion.
a. The full block format: is becoming very popular format. It can be typed rapidly
because none of the parts of the letter are indented as is the case in the modified block
format.
b. Modified block format: in the modified block format, the date, the complementary
close and the signature block begins at the horizontal centre of the page.

TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTERS

The following are some of the common types of business letters.

Enquiry letter
Business people periodically made routine requests for information. Those routine enquiries are
neutral messages that require no persuasion, and therefore, should be written using a direct plan.
The enquiries may be about a product, service, or a person. A letter of enquiry must be written so
that the writer will obtain all the information necessary to make a decision about the product,

103
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

service or person. If you receive such letters in the work place, consider what you or your
company would want to know and ask specific questions.

An enquiry about products or services should make receiver of your message glad to respond and
should end by requesting. The enquiry may include only one sentence such as requesting a
catalogue or it may also have several paragraphs in which questions are asked on the following
areas:
 Specifications on the size, shape, quality, quantity of product required.
 Terms of payment and the price
 Sample of the product (if necessary)
 Time required for shipment of goods
 Guarantee on the products
 Availability of supply and accessories
 Cost of installation, repair and maintenance

A SAMPLE ENQUIRY LETTER

Department of Hydraulics
Arbaminch University,
Arbaminch, Ethiopia
P.O.box 21

March26, 2007

Mr Yohannes Tigabu
Professor
Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa

Dear Mr Yohannes,

I am a professor in Hydraulics department at Arbamich University organizing a

seminar on management of water resources in the coming June.

Based on your experience in this area, I was wondering if you would be interested in
attending. The deadline for admission is May 23. It would be a great honour to have
you in attendance.

Enclosed you may please find an admission form and more information about the
104
seminar.

With regards,
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Claim letter
A claim letter is written by the buyer to the seller seeking some type of action to correct a problem
with the seller’s product or service. A claim letter requests some type of adjustment. Many
compliant letters would probably be more successful if they carried an implied claim that the
writer wanted some adjustments to be made as a result of a poor product, service or unfair
treatment, practices and so on.

Claims should be written as soon as a problem is identified because delaying unnecessarily might
not only push you past the warranty date but might also raise suspicions about the validity of your
claims.

While writing claim letters, you should be courteous and avoid emotional language. Your reader
who becomes angry with the strong language you used in your letter will be less likely to do as
you ask. Instead of using an emotional language, begin you claim letter directly telling what the
problem is. Once you have identified the problem, give explanations including all possible back
ground information such as the date, the model number, the amount etc.

1. I delivered this letter to you sometime in the early afternoon on December 3. Although you
promised to deliver it by 3 pm in the next day, you failed to do so.
2. As shown in the enclosed copy of my receipt, I delivered this letter to united express at 3:30
PM. According to the signed documentary displayed in the office, any package received by 4 PM
is guaranteed to arrive at 3 PM the following business day. I have not received any yet.

Tell exactly what went wrong and how you are inconvenienced. If it is true and relevant mention
some thing positive about the company or its products to make your letter appear reasonable.
Finally tell what type of adjustment you expect. Do you want the company to replace the product,
repair it, issue a refund, and simply apologize or what? End the letter on a confident note. In some
situations you may not exactly know what type of adjustment is reasonable, and then you would
leave it to the reader to suggest an appropriate course of action. This might be the situation where
you suffered no monetary loss but simply wish to avoid such an unpleasant situation in the future.
It could be regarding a discourteous service, long waiting lines, ordering the wrong model
because of having received incomplete information. For instance, you can say --- please let me
know how I might avoid this problem in the future. Look at the sample claim letter below
regarding a defective product.

105
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

A SAMPLE CLAIM LETTER

BIFFA RETAILER
ARBAMINCH,
ETHIOPIA
P.O.BOX 887

March 8, 1999
Mr Yaregal Atnafu
Marketing manager
TTY food complex,
Addis Ababa

Dear Mr Yaregal,
We have ordered 4000 Kg of rice our order number BR/009/99 dated February 23,
1999. Today when the shipment arrived we checked its contents and found only 3400
Kg of packed rice out of which 65 packs were badly damaged. It seems one of the
cases was not packed properly or some heavy load had been placed over it in transit.

There is a great demand for your product in the town at this time of the year and we
expected to clear the whole stock during the next two months. But it appears some of
our customers will have to be disappointed.

With enormous resources at your command we hope you can save the situation by
sending the remaining 600 Kg of packed rice immediately by quick transit service.
106
Regarding the damaged packs, we want your advice. There are two alternatives: either
you will allow us to sell them at reduced price in which case we shall send you the
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

In the following section i.e. adjustment letters we will look at a sample adjustment letter which is
written in response to the above model claim letter. So keep the above example in your mind
while going through the discussions that follow.

Adjustment letters
An adjustment letter is written to inform the customer, or the supplier, etc of the actions taken in
response to their claim letter. So, the objective of the adjustment letter is customer satisfaction and
business reputation. In writing the adjustment letter, you should consider the claims very
promptly because any delay will cause further annoyance. In addition you should offer further
cooperation and assurance of satisfaction to prompt good will and good relationship with the
customer.

If the claim is unclear or unreasonable or unjust, state why you are refusing or partially accepting
the claim. The overall tone of your adjustment letter should adopt a gracious and confident
approach. Show confidence in the recipient’s honesty and in the essential worth of your own
company and its products.

Guide lines for writing an adjustment letter

 Respond promptly: your customer is already angry or upset
 Begin the letter directly, telling the reader immediately what adjustment
is being made.
 Adopt a courteous tone: use neutral or positive language
 If appropriate, some where in the letter thank the reader for writing and
apologize if the customer has been severely inconvenienced or
embarrassed because of you company’s action.
 Provide information that re-establishes your customers confidence in
the product or your company. Be specific enough to be believable.
 Close on a positive note: include additional re-sales, sales promotions,
appreciation for the reader’s interest in your products, or some other
strategy that implies customer satisfaction and the expectation of a
continuing relationship.

Before we wind up our discussion of adjustment letters, it would be very good for you to look at
the following sample adjustment letter in response to the previous sample claim letter.

Employment letters

107
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Application Letter: the purpose of a job application letter is to get an interview. If you get a
job through interviews arranged by Arbaminch university placement office or through other
contacts, you may not need to write such letters. However, if you wish to work for an organization
that is not interviewing in your campus, or when you change jobs, you will be required to write a
letter for preparation of a job interview, because the application letter is the first step where you
show a specific company what you can do for it. It is a form of advertising and it should be
organized like a persuasive message. In your application letter you need to stimulate your reader’s
interest, it must be neat, clear, polite, purposeful and accurate and technically correct.

When you write your application letter, it is better if you have some knowledge about the
organization you are applying because you should be able to write about how your qualification
fits into its needs. The application letter should have several paragraphs such as the opening,
middle and closing paragraphs.

There are two types of application letter. These are:

 Unsolicited application letter
 In response application letter
Unsolicited application letter: is sent to a company for which you would like to work even though
no vacancies are being advertised.
In response application letter (solicited) are letters written in response to an advertisement. These
are sent to the company or institution only when they have announced a specific job vacancy by
advertisements and called for applications.

BOTH TYPES OF LETTERS SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY A BIO-

DATA, OR A RESUME, OR CURRICULUM VITAE.

The opening paragraph indicates the specific position the applicant seeks, where the
advertisement was seen or how the applicant came to know of the vacant position and why the
application qualifies for the position.

The middle paragraph(s) of the application letter presents selling points unless these are
mentioned in the opening. This paragraph should give key qualifications that indicate that indicate
the applicant can do the job.

Guidelines:
For writing the opening paragraph: To open letters by capturing the reader’s attention in
business follow suggestions below:
 Present your strongest, most relevant qualifications with an explanation of how they
benefit the organization
 Mention the name of a person who is well known to the reader and you has suggested
that you apply

108
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 When responding to a job advertisement, identify the publication in which the

advertisement appeared and briefly describe how you meet each requirement stated
in the advertisement.
 Cite a publicized organizational achievement, contemplated change or new procedure
or product; then link it to your desire to work for the organization.
 State that you are applying for a job, and identify the position or the type of work you
seek.
For writing the middle paragraph:
 Present your key qualifications for the job, high lighting what is on your resume:
job-related education and training, relevant work experience and related
activities, interests and qualities
 Adopt a mature and business like tone:
 Back up your claims of ability by citing specific achievements in educational and
work settings ( or outside activities)
 Demonstrate knowledge of the organization and a desire to join it by citing its
operations or trends in the organization
 Link your education, experience and personal qualifications to the job
requirements.

For writing the closing paragraph

 Request for an interview at the reader’s convenience
 Request a screening interview with the nearest regional representative
 State your phone number with area code and the best time to reach you
 Express appreciation for an opportunity to have an interview

The Resume (curriculum vitae/bio-data): a resume is a persuasive summary of your

qualifications for employment. It is a document which you will use to sell your self in the job
search process. Its purpose is to convince potential employers that they should interview you. A
well designed resume will emphasise your skills, abilities, talents and experience for potential
employers.

The type of resume format may depend on your preference and the employer organization you
target. It may be chronologically organized around dates of employment and education, starting
with the most recent position first. It may also be functional-organized around skills in which
employers are interested. The third alternative is the combination of the above two designs which
includes a section on employment by dates and a section on skills.
Parts of a Resume
1. Opening section- includes:
 Your name, date of birth, address(residential), telephone number
 Job or career objectives
 Summary of basic qualifications

109
Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

2. Education
 List all relevant schooling and training since high school, with most recent
first
 List the name and location of every post-secondary school you have
attended with the dates you entered and left and the degrees or certificates
you obtained
 Indicate your major and minor fields in college work
 State the numerical base for your grade point average, overall or in your
major, if your average is impressive enough to the employee
 List relevant required or elective courses in descending order or importance.
 List any other relevant educational or training experiences such as job
related seminars or workshops attended and certificates obtained
3. Work experience
 List all relevant work experience, including paid employment and volunteer
work
 List full-time and part time jobs, with the most recent one first--- State the
month, year you started and left each job, list the job titles and describe you
functions and responsibilities briefly.
N.B. Note all on-the-job accomplishments such as organization recognitions
letters or money.

4. Activities, honours and achievements

 List all relevant unpaid activities, including offices and leadership
positions you have held, significant awards or scholarships not listed
elsewhere, projects you have undertaken that show an ability to work
with others, and publications and role in academic or professional
organizations.
N.B. Exclude mention of religious or political affiliations.
5. Personal data
 Omit data that could be regarded negatively or be used to
discriminate against you
 Omit references to age if it could suggest inexperience or
approaching retirement
 List job-related interests and hobbies, especially those indicating
strength, sociability, or other qualities that are desirable in the
position you seek.
 Relate aspects of your training or work experience to those of the
target position
 Outline your educational preparation for the job

110
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 Provide proof that your learn quickly, are a hark worker, can handle
responsibilities and get along well with others.
 Present evidence of personal qualities and work attitudes that are
desirable for job performance
 If asked to state salary requirements, provide current salary or a
desired salary range, and link it to the benefits of hiring you.

6. Reference
 List three to five references, or offer to supply the names on request.
 Supply names of academic, employment and professional associates- but
not relatives
 Provide a name, title, address and telephone number or each reference
 List no names as reference unless you have that person’s permission to do
so.
 Exclude you present employer if you do not want him or her to know that
you are seeking another position, or add “resume submitted in confidence”
at the top or bottom of the resume

For illustration, assume that the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation advertised a vacancy
for the post of Junior Human Resource Officer on Ethiopian Herald dated August 10, 2008. The
minimum requirement for the position was a B.A degree in Business Management. The interested
applicants were requested to submit their application letter with in 10 working days after this
announcement has been made.

Dear learner, look at the following application letter and resume shown below as a sample. They
are written by an applicant as a response to the above vacancy announced by Ethiopian
Telecommunications Corporation.

111
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

SAMPLE APPLICATION LETTER

Mekuria Getachew
P.O.box 3030
Addis Ababa

August 12, 2008

Ato Mesafint Fantahun

Human Resource Manager
Addis Ababa

Dear Sir,
This is response to your vacancy announcement on the Ethiopian Herald dated 10th
August, 2008 for the post of Junior Human Resource Officer.
I am keenly interested to join your organization because it is such a privilege to work
with you and contribute my best to your efforts to connect Ethiopia to the future.
I am qualified enough to take this opportunity because I have requisite educational
background and adequate work experience.
I have studied BA in business management in Arbaminch University and graduated
with high distinction. During my stay in previous organization, I learned how to
organize and prepare various reports using different computer packages, assisting the
director of Administration.
SAMPLE CURRICULUM
I recently VITAE sequence at Grace College on Microsoft word and
completed a three-course
power point. I learned how to apply those programs to speed up letter and report
writing tasks. CURRICULUM VITAE (C.V)
I would appreciate an interview with you. If you are interested in me, please call me
any afternoon between 3 and 5 PM at (0911) 73-86-94 to let me know the day and
NAME: Mekuria Getachew
time most convenient for you.
DATE OF BIRTH: 20th November, 1985
Sincerely,
PLACE OF BIRTH: Awassa

ADDRESS:
Mekuria Getachew
Addis Ababa
Tel: 0911-73-86-94
E-mail: Meduria_1985@yahoo.com
112
OBJECTIVE: To obtain the post of Junior Human Resource Officer

EDUCATION: BA degree in Business Management, with High Distinction, 2007,

 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

SELF CHECK EXERCISE 8

Answer the following questions by filling the blank spaces.

1.______________________ is one of the characteristics of a good business letter represented by
the timeliness or urgency of the response.
2. The letter format in which none of the parts are indented is____________.
3. The part of the business letter which shows to whom the letter is written is ____________.
4. The letter which is written in response to a claim letter is _______________.
5. An application letter should be accompanied by ___________.
6. Look at the following business letter format.
--------------------
--------A---------
-------------------
------------------
--------B--------
------------------

-------C---------

113
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------E--------

-----------F----------

Question: Now indicate the part of Business Letter corresponding to each letter.
i. A refers to____________________
ii. B refers to____________________
iii. C refers to____________________
iv. D refers to____________________
v. E refers to____________________
vi. F refers to___________________

CHAPTER NINE

BUSINESS REPORTS

INTRODUCTION

To carry on efficient operations, businesses need various reports. In almost any kind of
responsible business job-whether you are a management trainee, a salesperson, an accountant, a
junior executive, or a Vice person, you may have to write reports. Your communication
effectiveness and, often your promotion and salary increases are affected by the quality of reports
you write.

This chapter is exclusively devoted to written reports. It provides overview of business reports. It
includes their meaning, classifications, objectives and main parts. It discusses how to prepare,
organize and outline reports.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, you should be able to:

 Define what is meant by a business report
 Discuss why businesses need reports and highlight the general purposes of reports

114
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

 Identify various classifications of business reports and distinguish among them

 Identify main parts of business report
 Know how to write business reports

CHAPTER OUTLINE
9.1 Definition and Meaning of Business Report
9.2 Objectives of Business Reports
9.3Classification of Business Reports
9.4 Preparation before writing Reports
9.5 Main Parts of the Report
9.6 Organization and outline of Report Body

9.1 DEFINITION AND MEANING OF BUSINESS REPORT

Dear learner, in your personal or work life you might have come across several types of business
reports. So, It might be easy for you to define what business report is. What is Business Report?
You may put your answer on the provided space below:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Now, try to evaluate the appropriateness of your definition against the following possible
definitions of Business Report.

A Business Report is an impartial, objective, planned presentation of facts to one or more persons
for specific, significant business purpose. This means, to be classified as a business report, a
report must serve some business purpose. This purpose may be to solve a problem. A business
report must be specific enough to be meaningful, broad enough to take in variations found in
reports.

A Business Report can be also defined as any factual, objective document that serves a business
purpose.

A Business Report is an orderly and objective communication of factual information that serves
some business purpose.

As you can see from the above definitions, report is about factual information, not opinion. What
is the difference between fact and opinion? Factual information is documented and verifiable.

115
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Example: The room is very warm. The temperature on the wall indicates that it is 85 degrees.
Opinion is a perception, an interpretation. Example: Everyone in the room has removed their
jackets; therefore, it must be very.

You may be surprised at the variety of messages that qualify as reports. The term covers
everything from a fleeting image on a computer screen to reprinted forms to informal letters and
memos to formal manuscripts. Many reports are delivered orally. In general, however, most
business people think of reports as written, factual accounts that objectively communicate
information about some aspect of the business. Because business reports are a managerial tool
intended to inform or to contribute to the decision making and problem-solving process, they
must be accurate, complete and unbiased. The report facts may pertain to events, conditions,
qualities, progress, results, products, problems, or suggested solutions. They may help the
receivers understand a complex business situation; carry out operational or technical assignments;
or plan procedures, solve problems and make policy decisions about strategic planning.

The goal in developing a report is to make the information as clear and convenient to use as
possible. Because time is precious, you tell your readers what they need to know- no more, no
less-and you present the information in a way that is geared to their needs.

9.2 OBJECTIVES OF BUSINESS REPORTS

Organizations use reports to provide a formal, verifiable, link among people, places and times.
Some reports are used for internal communication; others are vehicles for corresponding with
outsiders. Some serve as a permanent record; others solve an immediate problem or answer a
passing question.

Although business reports serve hundreds of purposes, most reports are used for one of the
following general purposes:
 To present the facts in an unbiased manner
 To monitor and control operations
 To help implement policies and procedures
 To comply with legal or regulatory requirements e.g. Annual report ArbaMinch
university writes to Ministry of Education
 To document work performed for a client e.g. Interim progress reports, final report
 To guide decisions on particular issues e.g. Research reports, justification reports
 To obtain new business or funding e.g. sales proposals

Each of these purposes imposes its own requirements on the report writer. If your readers need
information to oversee an operation, you would present your message differently than if you were
contributing a decision on a complex issue. In other words, the purpose of a report affects its form.

116
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

9.3 CLASSIFICATION OF BUSINESS REPORTS

Reports are commonly classified by who initiated the report, why it is being prepared, when it is
prepared, and where it is being sent. Here are some common report classifications:

 Voluntary reports versus authorized reports. Voluntary reports are prepared on

your own initiative. Thus, they usually require more detail and support than
authorized reports, which are prepared at the request of someone else. When
writing a voluntary report, you give more background on the subject, and you
explain your purpose more carefully. An authorized report, on the other hand, is
organized to respond to the reader’s request.

 Routine reports versus special reports. Routine or periodic, reports are submitted
on recurring basis( daily, weekly, quarterly, annually).They require less
introductory and transitional material than do special reports, nonrecurring reports
that deal with unique situations or one-time events.

 Internal reports versus external report. Internal reports (used within the
organization) are generally less formal than external reports (sent to people
outside the organization).

In addition to these categories, a report can be short or long, formal or informal. Formal reports
are generally long-more than ten pages-and encompass complex problems. Informal reports are
generally short. However, meanings of the terms “long” and “short” vary depending upon
circumstances. Short, informal reports require fewer elements in their introductions, fewer
transitional devices for continuity, fewer headings and usually a more personal writing style than
do long, formal reports. Dear reader, keep in mind that a single report may have several
classifications. For instance, a monthly sales report is generally an authorized, internal, routine,
informal report. Nevertheless, most reports can be placed in two broad categories: Informational
reports and analytical reports. Informational reports present facts on a subject, whereas,
Analytical reports present facts with analyses, interpretations, conclusions, and perhaps
recommendations. The purpose of informational reports is to explain, whereas, analytical reports
are meant to convince the audience that the conclusions and recommendations developed in the
text are valid.

9.4 PREPARATION BEFORE WRITING REPORTS

117
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Before you start writing a report, you need to consider the planning steps. For all reports adequate
preparation before writing involves the following six important planning steps regarding purpose,
reader, ideas to include, facts to collect, interpretation and organization.

1. Define the Problem, Purpose, and Scope

The first planning step is to analyze the problem involved and know the purpose of your report.
Ask questions like “What is wanted?” “How much?”, “Why?”, “When?” Answers to those
questions will help you determine your problem, purpose, scope, limitations (in time and perhaps
in fund), and title of the report. Then try to write your purpose in one concise, clear sentence.

2. Consider Who Will Receive the Report

Visualizing your reader or listener and his or her needs is an extremely important step in business
report preparation. Who wants (or needs) this report? Who will read it? How much detail do they
prefer? What is the reader’s point of view? Experience? Knowledge? Prejudice? Responsibility?
Will the report be sent to several-or perhaps Hundreds of- persons at the same time?

3. Determine Ideas to Include

In short reports this third step usually involves writing down- in no particular order- any general
idea you will need to develop in order to meet the report’s purpose. If the report is long, a detailed
working plan follows. For some reports, formulating hypotheses (Hypotheses are possible
explanations or solutions for analyzing a problem) is desirable (even essential) as a basis for
determining what information you will need and then you will jot down the tentative topic
headings in a preliminary, tentative outline.

4. Collect Needed Material

The fourth step in report preparation is to gather needed facts thoughtfully from reliable sources.
They might include primary sources (collecting data from people who are actually closer to the
problem) and secondary sources (published materials).

5. Sort, Analyse and Interpret Data

In this fifth step the amount of brain work depends of course on the complexity of your research
as determined by purpose and reader needs. In a short, informational report this step may take
only a few minutes. I a long, analytical report based on masses of detailed data from many sources,
this step may require weeks of study, arranging and analysis between the first sorting and the final
interpreting of data. Your analysis and interpretations should of course be objective, free from
your own personal bias (if you have any). To be honest, never omit or manipulate relevant facts,
though they may contrary to your own preferences or may require a decision different from what
you had expected.

118
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

Now is also the time reconsider the logic of your hypotheses and whether any main ideas in your
original, tentative outline should be revised. Occasionally, after investigating your primary and
secondary sources, you may find that some points in your tentative outline are not logical or
possible to complete. Conversely, some areas that should have been included in the outline may
have been omitted. And so you now revise, add, and delete topics where necessary.

6. Organize Data and Prepare Final Outline

After careful analysis and interpretation, you will organize the findings and make the final outline.
But before preparing such an outline, you need to know what constitutes a report body and to
consider various methods of organizing and outlining.

9.5 MAIN PARTS OF THE REPORT

After you have completed the six preparation steps, you turn to the main parts of the report. These
usually contain three sections: Prefatory parts, text (Body) and Supplementary parts.

PREFATORY PARTS

Although the prefatory parts are placed before the text of the report, you may not want to write
them until after you have written the text. Many of these parts- such as the table of contents, list of
illustrations and executive summary-are easier to prepare after the text has been completed
because they directly reflect the contents. Other parts can be prepared at almost any time.

Cover
Many companies have standard covers for reports, made of heavy paper and
imprinted with the company’s name and logo. If your company has no standard
covers, you can usually find something suitable in a good stationery store. Look
for a cover that is appropriate to the subject matter, attractive, and convenient. Also,
make sure it can be labeled with the report title, the writer’s name (optional), and
the submission date (also optional).

Think carefully about the title you put on the cover. Give your readers all the
information they need: the who, what, when, where, why and how of the subject.
Put a title on the cover that is informative but not too long.

The Fly and Title Page

The title fly is a plain sheet of paper with only the title of the report on it. It adds
formality to a report.

119
Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

The title page includes four blocks of information:

 The title of the report;
 The name, title, and address of the person, group or organization that
authorized the report (usually the intended audience);
 The name, title, and address of the person, group, or organization that
prepared the report;
 The date on which the report was submitted.

Letter of authorization and Letter of Acceptance

If you were authorized in writing to prepare the report, you may want to include in
your report the letter of memo of authorization (and sometimes even the letter or
memo of acceptance). The letter of authorization (or memo of authorization) is a
document requesting that a report be prepared.

The letter of acceptance (or memo of acceptance) acknowledges the assignment to

conduct the study and to prepare the report. This document is rarely included in
reports.

Letter of Transmittal
The letter of Transmittal (or memo of transmittal) conveys your report to your
audience. The letter of transmittal says what you would say if you were handing
the report directly to the person who authorized it, so the style is less formal than
the rest of the report. For example, the letter would use personal pronouns (you, I,
And We) and conversational language. The transmittal letter usually appears right
before the table of contents.

Table of Contents
The table of contents outlines the text and prefatory and supplementary parts. Be
sure the headings in the table of contents match up perfectly with the headings in
the text.
List of Illustrations
For simplicity’s sake, some reports refer to all visual aids as illustrations or
exhibits. If you have enough space on a single page, include the list of illustrations
directly beneath the table of contents. Otherwise, put the list on the page after the
contents page. When tables and figures are numbered separately, they should also
be listed separately.

Synopsis or Executive Summary

A synopsis is a brief overview (one page or less) of a report’s most important
points, designed to give readers a quick preview of the contents. It is often

120
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

included in long informational reports dealing with technical, professional or

academic subjects and can also be called an abstract.

TEXT OF THE REPORT

Apart from deciding on the fundamental issues of content and organization, you must also make
decisions about the design and layout of the report. The following are parts you include in your
text section:

Introduction
The introduction of a report serves a number of important functions:
 Puts the report in broader context by trying it to a problem or an assignment
 Tells readers the purpose of the report
 Previews the contents and organization of the report
 Establishes the tone of the report and the writer’s relationship with the audience
Here is list of topics to consider covering in an introduction, depending on your
material and your audience:
 Authorization- when, how, and by whom the report was authorized; who wrote it,
and when it was submitted.
 Problem/purpose- The reason for the report’ existence and what is to be
accomplished as a result f the report’s being written.
 Background- The historical conditions or factors that led up to the report.
 Sources and methods- The secondary sources of information that were used and
the surveys, experiments, and observations that were carried out.
 Definitions- a brief introductory statement leading into a list of terms used in the
report and their definitions.
 Limitations- Factors affecting the quality of the report, such as a budget too small
to do all the work that should have been done, an inadequate amount of time to do
all the necessary research, unreliability or unavailability of data, or other
conditions beyond your control.
 Report organization- The organization of the report (what topics are covered and
in what order), along with a rationale for following this plan.

Body
The body of the report follows the introduction. It consists of the major sections or
chapters (with various levels of headings) that present, analyze, and interpret the
findings gathered as part of your investigation. Restrict the body to those details
necessary to prove your conclusions and recommendations.

Summary, conclusions and recommendations

121
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

The final section of the text of a report tells readers “what you told them.” A long
report generally has separate sections labelled “Summary”, “Conclusions,” and”
Recommendations”. Here is how the three differ:

Summary-The key findings of your report, paraphrased from the body and stated or
listed in the order in which they appear in the body.
Conclusions- An analysis of what the findings mean. These are the answers to the
questions that led to the report.
Recommendations- Opinions, based on reason and logic, about the course of action
that should be taken.

SUPPLEMENTARY PARTS

Supplementary parts follow the text of the report and include the appendixes, bibliography, and
index.

An appendix contains materials related to the report but not included in the text because they are
too lengthy or bulky or because they lack direct relevance.

A bibliography is a list of secondary sources consulted when preparing the report. List all the
secondary sources you used in the bibliography.

An index is an alphabetical list of names, places, and subjects mentioned in the report and the
pages on which they occur. An index is rarely included in unpublished reports.

9.6 ORGANIZATION AND OUTLINE OF REPORT BODY

How a report is organized increases the readability of the report. The report’s reader, purpose, and
subject matter must be considered when you choose the organizational plan for the entire report
body and the text section. Then you will need to outline the topics correctly. The two usual ways
to organize a report body are by the deductive (direct) and inductive (indirect) plans. Most
business reports are organized deductively because readers wish to know early the
recommendation or conclusions.

Deductive Arrangement
The word “, deductive, or direct, means describing up front and explanation in
your report the main ideas or main recommendations before presenting detailed
evidence and explanation.

122
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

In a lengthy report, readers usually prefer the deductive arrangement because it

gives them an immediate picture before they delve into the mass of supporting
details.

Inductive Arrangement
Here you present the explanation before the main ideas or recommendation. You
present much evidence and supporting materials before arriving at the main
recommendation or conclusion.

Ways to Organize Report Text Section

One of the most challenging tasks in report writing is to decide on the best way to organize the
mass of details in the text section. You must make this decision before you prepare the final
outline and, of course, before you begin writing the report. You can develop the text in one (or
more) of the following ways:

1. By criteria or topics- This is the most common. Your main headings may be the
standards, factors, solution options, benefits, or characteristics-criteria-on which a
decision rests.
2. By order of occurrence- Agendas, minutes of meetings, convention programs,
progress reports, and write-ups of events or procedures may follow this
chronological arrangement.
3. By order of location or space- This organization is useful for any orderly
description focusing on space location of units. For example, to illustrate the
political implications of a policy change, you can write about its influence in
Europe, the Middle East, and the western hemisphere.
4. By procedure or process-While close to the chronological pattern, this method
traces the steps of, say, a policy or the operations of a machine or the step- by-step
procedure a bank teller might use in handling a deposit or withdrawal.
5. By order of importance or by alphabetization- First present the most important
ideas, events, or topics and proceed to the less important points.
6. By order of familiarity- Always proceed from the simple or familiar to the complex
or unfamiliar, because the reader can comprehend better what is known than what
is not known.
7. By sources- This method is less desirable unless you are sure your reader is most
interested in what each source revealed rather than in the criteria o other important
ideas.
8. By problem solution- This way of organization is structured in such a manner that
an initial discussion of the problem followed by a solution.

Methods of Outlining
After you have decided how to organize the body and the text, you will arrange the headings and
subheadings in an outline. A good outline, especially for reports two or more pages long, is an

123
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

essential tool and a real time -saver. It will become your guide for writing the report. In a long,
formal report, it also becomes your table of contents. The outline helps you- before you write the
report- to see the relationship between topics, compare proportions and headings, check for
loopholes in logical order, and eliminate overlapping.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

o A report is an orderly and objective communication of factual information that

serves some business purpose
o The functions of Business Report include: a presentation of facts on a subject, a
presentation of facts with analyses and interpretations, a presentation of facts with
analyses, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations.
o There are various types of business reports: Voluntary reports, authorized reports,
Routine reports, special reports, internal reports, external report.
o Before writing a report, plan your report. For all reports adequate preparation
before writing involves the following six important planning steps: purpose,
reader, ideas to include, facts to collect, interpretation and organization.

o The main parts of a report are: Prefatory part, Text part and Supplementary Parts

o The two usual ways to organize a report body are by the deductive (direct) and
inductive (indirect) plans. Most business reports are organized deductively because
readers wish to know early the recommendation or conclusions.
o He text of a report can be organized by using one (or more) of the following ways:
By criteria or topics, By order of occurrence, By order of location or space, By
procedure or process, By order of importance or by alphabetization, By order of
familiarity, By sources, By problem solution.

124
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

SELF CHECK EXERCISE 9

Write True if the statement is correct and False if the statement is incorrect.
1. A business report is an orderly communication of factual and opinion information
that serves some business purpose.
2. Authorized reports require more detail and support than voluntary reports
3. All business reports are formal.
4. A monthly sales report produced by a sales representative is generally an
authorized, internal, routine, and informal report.
5. The first planning step for preparing your business report is to write down the main
ideas without worrying about their orders.
6. Introduction is one of the prefatory parts in Business Report.
7. An appendix which is supplementary part, contains materials related to the report
but not included in the text such as questionnaires and detailed statistical
calculations.
8. The order in which you first present various evidences and supporting materials,
before arriving at the main conclusion is said to be inductive arrangement.
9. In your reporting, always go from unknown to known so that you would draw
attention of the reader.
10. In your reporting, first present the most important topics.

ANSWERS FOR
SELF-CHECK EXERCISES
6. D
7. D
Self-Check Exercise 1 8. B
1. C 9. C
2. A 10. E
3. A 11. D
4. B 12. D
5. A 13. B

125
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

14 C
15. B
16. B
17. C
Self-Check Exercise 2
1. E
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. B

Self-Check Exercise 3
1. C
2. B
3. E
4. B
5. Conclusion
6. Instruction
7. Body
8. Oral report
9. Persuasion

Self-Check Exercise 4
1. E
2. D
3. D
4. D
5. Oral communication
6. Telephoning
7. False
8. False
9. True
10. True
Self-Check Exercise 5

126
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

1. D 4. True
2. A 5. False
3. A 6. False
4. C 7. True
5. D 8.True
Self-Check Exercise 6
1. Interviewer
2. Unstructured
3. Opening, question-response phrase,
closing
4. Grievance interview
5. Problem solving

Self-Check Exercise 7
1. a
2. d
3. b
4. a
5. c
Self-Check Exercise 8
1. Promptness
2. Full block format
3. Inside address
4. Adjustment letter
5. CV/ resume
6. i. Heading
ii. Inside address
iii. Salutation
iv. Body
v. Complementary
vi. Signature area
Self-Check Exercise 9
1. False 9. False
2. False 10. True
3. False

127
 Business Communication _______________________________________________ ___________ Mgmt 212________

REFERENCES

1. Adler Ronald B. and Elmhorst J. M (2002). Communicating at Work. 7th ed. McGraw-
Hill, Boston

2. Bovee C. L. and Thill J. V. (2000). Business Communication Today. 6th ed. Prentice Hall,
New Jersey.

3. Hamilton C. And Parker C. (1987) Communicating for Results. 2nd ed. Wadsworth
Publishing Company, Belmont.

4. Locker Kittty O. And Kaczmarek S. K. (2001). Business Communication. McGraw Hill,

Boston.

5. Monippally, Mathukutty M. (2001). Business Communication Strategies. Tata McGraw Hill

Publishing Company limited, India.

6. Murphy H. A and Hildbrandt (1991). Effective Business Communications. 6th ed. McGraw
Hill, New York.

128