BASICS OF COMMUNICATION

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 Foundation Course
Basic of Communication

Unit 1
Introduction to Communication
1.1 What is Communication?
1.1.1 Meaning and Definition
1.1.2 Significance of Business Communication
1.1.2.1. Employee Engagement
1.1.2.2 Increase in Productivity
1.1.2.3 Relationship building
1.1.3 Media in Communication
1.2 Managerial Implications
1.2.1 Role of communication in organisations
1.3 Summary
1.4 Key Terms
Learning Objectives:
This unit will help you in:

• Understanding the concept of Communication

• Defining Communication
• Understanding the significance of Business Communication
• Understanding the Managerial Implications of Communication

1.1 What is Communication?

Communication incorporates learning that have been built over time, you must have heard
about story telling in which a storyteller uses his or her experience and then tells a story in a
way that suits his style of communicating. The art of storytelling draws on understanding of
yourself, your message and how you are communicating with your audience also, the
feedback that is provided by the audience. You were not born with the ability to speak and
write, similarly, when you are using the acronyms like BRB or LOL you have not learn to text
in a day but gradually you have understood the meanings and the appropriate usage. Learning
to communicate require reading and studying what others have expressed and then
understanding it in your own way and presenting it to others. Whether it is related with the
text for writing a birthday message to your friend or for writing a business report , you have
to first read and study how others have expressed and then adapting it in your own way and
presenting it to the receivers. To communicate effectively you must depend on 3 Ps that is
prepare, practice and persistence. A classroom environment gives you an ample opportunity
to go through the information and the resources in the form of text or lectures, it also gives
you a trial run to present your ideas and communicate it to others and receive the feedback
immediately. The comments from others will help you in looking at your ideas so that you can
prepare practice and deliver further. There are many models and approaches which helps us
in predicting the behaviour of the people. When the communication takes place in businesses
we are normally not interested in theories or approaches but in order to achieve better
results it is advisable to go through and understand the theories then put them into practice.

1.1.1 Meaning and Definition

Almost every moment of our life we are communicating with each other in some form or the
other, while you are talking, walking or even sleeping there is message that is being
generated. Man is a social animal and loves to interact with other human being so with this
fact it becomes all the more important to understand the art of communication and also to
modify it as and when required when you are communicating with others. This is just not a
composition of sound, physical attributes like vocal cords; and articulators but it is the ability
to facilitate communication by understanding the terms, symbols or images. This composition
of symbols, gestures and illustrations that accompany either the spoken or the written word
leads to effective communication.
The root of the word “communication” in Latin is communicare, which means to share, or to
make common (Weekley, 1967). Communication is a two-way process in which there is an
exchange and progression of ideas towards a mutually accepted direction or goal.
Communication is defined as the process of understanding and sharing meaning (Pearson &
Nelson, 2000).
When we are studying communication, the focus is upon the relationship that involves
interaction between the participants now let us elaborate this definition. So, here, the first
keyword is process. A process is something which is difficult to define because it is prone to
changes it is a dynamic activity. Imagine you are doing your work and your best friend comes
in the way you are going to talk to your best friend in a casual manner, now imagine some
stranger has accompanied your best friend now the situation is going to change your
interaction, you will be cautious about that the stranger is listening to you intently so your
perspective has changed you might watch your words carefully.
The second key word is understanding: “To understand is to perceive, to interpret, and to
relate our perception and interpretation to what we already know.” (McLean, 2003). The
understanding of the words or concepts that are referred in the message is very important
part of the communication.
The third term is sharing, during communication you just not exchange information but also
feelings, emotions, beliefs etc.
The last one is meaning, by knowing the context, asking questions and clarifying doubts, we
derive the meaning of the communication.
There are some basic elements of communication which you need to understand:
1. Sender/ encoder/ speaker
2. Receiver/ decoder/ listener
3. Message
4. Medium
5. Feedback

1. Sender/ encoder/ speaker

Sender is a person who generally initiates the communication process. The sender selects
ideas or messages, encodes them and transmits them to the receiver. The entire gamut of
communication is set around this process of encoding and transmitting. The careful selection
of words or symbols or images campaigns the receiver to you listen carefully. In this process
there are number of factors that needs to be addressed the first one being an understanding
of the receivers and their needs. the level of acceptance will be higher if the message is
formulated in accordance with expectations of the receiver.
2. Receiver/ decoder/ listener
The message is directed towards the receiver there are number of factors on which the
extent of comprehending the message by the receiver is dependent upon (1) the individuals
knowledge of the topic (ii) receptivity of the message by the receiver (iii) mutual trust and
the nature of relationship that exist between sender and the receiver and (iv) receiver's
perception and understanding of the message being conveyed. Past experiences attitude
towards the message and the sender intelligence comma speaking skills and listening skills of
the sender helps in in developing the perception. Perception varies among individuals for
example management may consider themselves as open to its employees, but the perception
of the employees may not agree to this
3. Message
Information that is being transmitted is called as the message. Message include both verbal
and nonverbal data. Part of the message that is heard is called verbal information while the
information which includes body language and the surrounding environment is nonverbal
information. The way the message is interpreted can altogether alter the meaning intended
in the message
4. Medium
Medium or Channel is another important element of communication. The medium can be
oral, written or nonverbal. The medium or channel should be decided before the message is
composed. There are set of rules and regulations for each medium for example there can be
a bit of informality in oral communication but when you have to opt for written
communication you have to be cautious that you are following all the rules of communication
as this communication is getting recorded and circulated to all and there can be instances of
quoting it in the future.
5. Feedback
Feedback complete the loop of communication and it is considered as a very important
component of communication. Effective communication is the result of an honest feedback.
Any kind of misunderstanding or errors in communication may emanate if there is lack of
feedback. Flaws in communication can easily be done away with if the feedback is solicited
at all the steps in the communication.
The year and examination of for the final year students of ABC college from the centre based
exam to the online proctored mode. The dean of examination asked his office to send out
emails to the students informing the students about the change in the mode of examination.
On the day of the exam many of the students have gone to the respective centres to take
their exams. Apparently, they have not checked their emails as they may be busy in
preparation, thus, the change in the mode of the examination had not flowed through.
1.1.2 Significance of Business Communication
Communication is the major driving force behind the process of growth of any organisation.
Organisational concerns, issues and grievances are addressed through communication
process. So, it is very important for the organisation to develop proper communication
processes as it comprises of human beings who by nature are interacting with each other
One of the most important function of the communication lies in information dissemination
that is sharing of knowledge from one person to another or in a group. Communication here,
is instrumental as it helps people in interacting with each other. Modern day organisations
are decentralized, and this results in exchange of information at all levels as well as from
varied directions. In such organisation for information dissemination various tools for
channels like formal and informal are widely used.
For example, a person can look up to the company's website for quarterly product wise sale
and on the basis of this he can get an idea about his performance in comparison to his
colleagues. Based on this he can work upon his way of functioning and the efforts that he is
putting into the job in order to go on a vacation given to the highest performing salesman.
1.1.2.1 Employee engagement
In any organisation the workers are ready to accept the responsibility and is willing to work
if they are motivated and there is constant improvement in their morale. Communication
here becomes an excellent tool to interact with the employees on vision of the organisation,
alignment and implementation of the vision. This can be done formally as well by recording
statement that outline the relationship between the organisational objective and personal
objectives of the employees. Informally also on various occasions and during face-to-face
meetings the senior management and leadership discuss about the same. As the
organisations are Multinational, technology can be of great help in communicating with the
employees and their subsequent engagement.
 Many organisations have scheduled review forums in which different business groups are
there; each group presents a short update by which attitudes and needs of the employees
can be known. Within these groups also people are been given chances to give the
presentation, thereby having a sound idea about the engagement levels at various positions
in the organization.
1.1.2.2 Increase in productivity
Modern day organisations are dynamic organisation, any good progressive organisation will
always encourage and value the ideas and suggestions that are coming from the employees
and implementation of the same wherever and whenever is possible with due recognition
very low cost.
A CEO of an organisation put up a suggestion box outside his office. Employees were
encouraged to come out with their ideas for new products for improvisation of organisational
processes. He made a schedule that it by 8th of every month the suggestions collected will be
reviewed by A committee of experts and 82 best suggestions will be taken up and put on the
website for the employees to give their positive and negative feedback for that Idea. On the
last day of the month the committee will present the best idea as accepted by the employees
to the sea and departmental heads, if it gets accepted the employee who has come out with
this idea will be rewarded.
1.1.2.3 Relationship building
Exchanging ideas, interactions and expression of human emotion between people takes
place because of communication, thus communication is imperative to build and nurture
relationships
You have now understood the significance of communication. If communication does not take
place in the organisation the organisation can witness following fallacies:

• The employees will not understand the vision and goals of the organisation and as a
result there will be no effort towards realisation of those goals
• The employees will remain ambiguous about their roles and responsibilities
• There will be lack of competency and skills as the managers will not be able to take
up the skill enhancement processes
• Employees will not understand and recognise the competitors’ activities.
1.1.3 Media in Communication
In earlier days the messages used to get delivered sometimes through smoke or a horseman or a
pigeon. With the advancement in technology the media for communication has also started changing.
The traditional media involved storytelling, traditional dances, drama, painting, music, songs etc. The
purpose was to deliver a message to the sender.

In Modern Times there is a revolution that has taken place in the communication media. The impact
of Information Technology in every field has been felt and so the businesses, are also not exempted
from it. It is because of Information and Communication Technology that now the world is termed as
‘global village’. We all have witnessed that these tools are playing a key role in communication because
of their reach, pace and rich interaction. The modern media includes:

• Electronic devices like mobile or fax machines: the mobile phones are the voice-based
communication they can also be used for Short Message Services (SMS) as well as Multimedia
Message Services (MMS). The latest phones enable surfing on the internet.
Fax is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material to a telephone number
connected to a printer.
• Emails: have turned out to be the biggest revolution during last few years, it brings in the
advantages of written communication and it can supplement other existing communication
tools and it also helps in high speed communication and information transfer
• Internet: is changing the way customers, suppliers and other stakeholders communicate.
Customers quickly navigate over the internet to browse the latest information about the
products that they want. Similarly, companies also understand the requirement of the market
and can introduce new products or improvise the existing products
• Intranet: can be used to give the relevant information about the policies, company directories
and project status report to the employees, it is a very important work tool for a manager.
Intranet is going to work only inside the organization.
• Extranet: it is external intranet that allows clients, suppliers, and colleagues to exchange data
with other source, thereby saving lot of time and money
• Video conferencing: it is a widely used tool in the modem corporate world as the executives
are at different locations in different parts of world. Through video conferencing they can see
and hear each other without being physically present at a location
• Social Media: it refers to web-based Technologies for communication and sharing over the
internet social media is widely used for interactions among one to many and many to many
• Social Networks: Social Network Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube are
facilitating social sharing and these sites are making networking possible along with setting up
profiles, create formal connections and their preferences and interest.
• Blogs: provide updated information by the individuals or groups or companies to provide
opinion or information about a range of topics services and products blogs may vary in length
frequency of Post and formality (examples: WordPress, Blogger etc)
• Cloud computing: allows access to document from anywhere and collaboration with co-
authors. Cloud Computing has applications software on web servers and stores information
on those same remote server

1.2 Managerial implications

To understand business communication, it is necessary to appreciate that the organisations
comprise of different levels and functions. At these different levels and functions different
type of communication and information systems are required so that the organisation can be
effectively managed. The following table discusses the Functional and Communication Area
along with examples.
Table1

Functional Area Communication Area Example of Typical Function

Management Function Manage, Control, Inform, Functional area
Coordinate, Evaluate and communication network,
 Communicate at all levels, Systematic operations of
Unity of command organisational
Production and Operations Schedules and timetables, Cost and quality tracking,
Measuring results, Work Customer Problem tracking,
Simplification, and Remedial Job costing, Resource
action utilization
Human Resources Managing, Controlling and Recruiting and hiring,
auditing of human resources Education and Training
of the organisation disciplinary actions,
Workforce planning benefits
management, performance
appraisals
Marketing New product development, Market research analysis,
distribution, pricing, Promotion and advertising,
promotion, sales, Information dissemination
forecasting, and services internally and externally
offered by the organisation
Source: Sengupta.S., Business and Managerial Communication, PHI, Pg. 185
Business communication brings in array of different and diversified growth that have varied
purposes and goals. There is diversity amongst the members of the organisation at different
hierarchical levels in the organisation. Modern day organisations have understood the
importance of this diversity and they are on a mission that this diversity should grow in the
organisation through the process of effective communication. Many organisations have
appreciated diversity and have made it a part of their vision and purpose. Inclusion of the
diversified groups enhances bonding in the organisations.
Communication within the organisation also gets influenced by the number of hierarchical
levels in the organisation, thankfully the modern day organisation have much fewer levels of
hierarchy so we can say that the challenges that the modern day organisations are facing
regarding the communication is different from what the yester years organisation were
facing. Also, managers are increasingly sharing and delegating their responsibilities and
decision making with few other members including employees junior to them.
So today the communication at the managerial level requires on the part of managers to
establish their professional and personal competency and able to communicate with and
influence peers, seniors and subordinates.
Managers have to establish their credibility that whatever they are saying the employees can
have trust in them also the same should also appear to be so. The managers have to realise
that their decisions will have an impact on the image and reputation of the organisation. The
communication that the managers do has become now multi-dimensional, the recipients of
this communication may be internal or external, private or public, known or unknown,
requiring instant adjustments of particular approach or style for content.
1.2.1 Role of communication in organisations
Communication plays following roles in the organization:
i. Imperative to the functioning of the organisation: an organisation cannot exist without
communication. Right from Inception, to the whole life cycle of the organisation, it survives
on communication. Any disruption or sudden change in the communication can influence the
behaviour of the individuals or groups functioning in the organisation
ii. Smooth working of the organisation: communication binds organisation and its people. It
is the crucial and the vital element that also acts as a binding force among the organisations
as well.
iii. Basis of managerial function and effectiveness: the organisation is managed through
various processes of supportive communication and human relationships. The wider
managerial areas of planning, organisation, delegation and leadership, motivation,
coordination and; authority and control. In order to make these processes possible as well as
executable effective communication is highly required. Organisations through proper
communication can inculcate discipline, improving the moral of the employees as well as
constantly engage and motivate them.
The nature and scope of communication has evolved rapidly in case of these management
principles. Let us first understand the different functions of the management:

• Planning: this is the most basic function of management every manager before
executing any plan starts with planning. Planning involves determination of
objectives, selecting alternatives, choosing the best alternative and then
implementing. Planning answers the questions like what is to be done, when is to be
done, where is to be done, how it will be done and who all will be involved in it
• Organisation: Organisation gives the structure of relationship at various levels, action
and jobs
• Delegation: entrusting responsibilities to subordinates while ensuring that the
subordinates must act within the limits prescribed by the seniors. A good leader
encourages the members to accept the assigned responsibilities and gives credit to
them whenever it is done
• Motivation: stimulation of interest for the job in the employees. A motivated
employee does not require any kind of supervision or persuasion at work. Reducing
ambiguities related to roles and responsibilities and sharing the concerns for
improving the performance motivates an employee.
• Coordination is synchronising the discrete efforts of individuals for attaining the
organisational objectives is coordination
• Authority and control it is the key to any Management job, but the authority enjoyed
by opposition is not unlimited. Control is an act of ensuring that the activities are
resulting into the desired goals. Any effective control mechanism will be flexible
forward-looking ready to adapt corrective measures and suggest the ways of
improving the performance.
The strategy of all communication should be to reach to the target audiences. It should be
the mechanism to let these audiences know about the benefits that they can derive from such
communication. The communication strategy should determine the following:
 ▪ Who: refers to the targeted group to enlist the management effort
▪ What: What specific information to be provided to the chosen audiences in order to
accelerate the speed or pace of change of progress
▪ When: it is important for the managers to know the right timing to release the
information. Scheduling of and the frequency of messages and timetable of planned
communication should be decided
▪ How: How the message will be translated, where do we convey the message, the
choice of media and strategy to reach the identified audience
▪ Who: Who should communicate with whom, in order to get the desired impact of the
message, the organisation should be clear in terms of who will deliver and receive the
message that is the sender and receiver of the communication should be identified
▪ Why: Why the communication is important for the identified group, what is the
intended message for them that is going to serve self as well as group interest.
Keeping in view these aspects we can analyse the managerial implications of communication
that is preceded by action. By all means, positive or negative communication, is the essence
of life and lies at the core of organisational existence.
1.3 Summary
Communication is derived from Latin word ‘communicare’ which means sharing and
receiving. There are various elements of communication like Sender, Receiver, Message, Medium
and Feedback. Communication significantly contributes in employee engagement, increasing
productivity and relationship building. Modern media for communication includes video
conferencing, blogs, cloud computing etc. In organizations, communication is the basis of
managerial function and effectiveness.
1.4 Key Terms:
▪ Communication: It is an attempt to share understanding by two or more persons.
▪ Sender: He is a person who initiates the communication process.
▪ Receiver: The listener who receives and encoded message and attempt to decode the
same in its true spirit.
▪ Message: it is an encoded idea transmitted by the sender.

Unit II
Forms and Types of Communication
2.1 Forms of Communication
2.1.1 Intrapersonal communication
2.1.2 Dyadic communication
2.1.3 Small group communication
 2.1.4Public communication
2.1.5Mass communication
2.2 Stages of Communication
2.3 Types of Communication & their Advantages and limitations
2.3.1 On the basis of direction of communication
2.3.2 On the basis of expression
2.3.3 On the basis of organisational structure
2.4 Barriers to Communication
2.4.1 Sender Oriented
2.4.2 Receiver Oriented
2.5 Technology in Communication
2.5.1 Audio Communication
2.5.2 Video Communication
2.5.3 Online Communication
2.6 Summary
2.7 Key Terms

Learning Objectives:
This Unit will help you to:

• Understand the different forms of Communication

• Suggest different types of Communication
• Understand the barriers to Communication
• Appreciate the role of technology in Communication

2.1 Forms of communication:

The message can be transmitted through various forms of communication. Well-structured
message to a targeted audience results in effective delivery of the message full stop
sometimes you must have noticed that if you are not prepared or you are nervous the same
nervousness gets transmitted to your audience as well and they start withdrawing themselves
from such Communication. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how message
composition and delivery can be made effective and impactful with the help of these different
forms of communication:
There are five major forms of communication:
 1 Intrapersonal communication: In intrapersonal communication the sender and the receiver
are the same. This communication happens within yourself as a result of which there is no
problem with the feedback and the feedback works without any interaction. a person may
communicate with them himself with the help of thinking, emotion and feelings
An author while writing a book thinks about the content, the readers and their profiles and
builds the idea. Lot of planning is involved in the whole process.
2. Dyadic communication: There are two persons who are involved in the dyadic
communication. In this process of communication, the sender and the receiver of the
message exchange their roles and the feedback at the same time, thus it is a dynamic process
In a quarterly meeting where the employee’s departmental heads and CEO meet, everyone is
free to give suggestions for improving processes. This also encourages even the junior most
employees to come up with the same thereby making him feel that it what he says is valued
and it will not be disregarded.
3. Small group communication: A group communication is when there are more than two
people who are involved in the communication process. If there are very small number of
people who are indulging into a communication, it is called as small group communication.
Everyone becomes a source and receiver of the information and there is sharing of
information and feedback within this small group of people.
4. Public communication: Single source sends message to a large number of audiences in
Public communication. In this communication there is absence of mutual feedback between
the source of the message and the receiver of the message this type of communication is only
speaker or source centric.
5. Mass communication: In this type of communication there is large audience that cannot be
classified. In order to communicate with them, we require certain tools and technology. In
case of mass communication there is no direct access with the receiver and the feedback is
meagre or it is delayed. The examples of mass communication are newspapers, television,
radio and now internet.
2.2 Stages of communication
In order to persuade and convince someone in a professional communication there are few
stages that are to be followed:
1. Awareness: When the Definite purpose of an idea or a concept that has been put forward
is known it is the awareness stage
2. Knowledge: well informed and updated about a subject brings in knowledge
3. Liking: it is indicated of fondness as a result of communication with information
4. Preference: this stage includes preferring something over other
5. Conviction: the communication effort is directed towards developing a firm belief in
favour of someone or an object
6. Purpose: fulfilled the objectives are achieved when a persuasion that is planned and
systematic results in conviction
2.3 Types of Communication
Modern day manager has to communicate not just within the organisation but also outside
the organisation. Inside the organisation managers have to communicate in both the
directions as well as laterally. While communicating externally the managers deal with
general public, dealers and suppliers, government agencies, investors and most importantly
consumers or their customers. Communication can be divided into various types on the basis
of the following:
2.3.1 On the basis of direction of communication
It includes downward, upward and horizontal or lateral communication
2.3.2 On the basis of expression
It includes oral, written and nonverbal
2.3.3 On the basis of organisational structure
It includes formal, informal and grapevine

On the basis of direction of communication:

Downward communication
The communication that takes place through the hierarchical channel originating at one end
and terminating at the other normally is called as downward communication. This direction
of communication is used for informing policies, evaluating performances, obtaining
feedback, motivating disciplinary actions etc,
Advantages
➢ Minimises conflict by enabling the explanation for rules and policies and shows order
and discipline
➢ Motivates employee
➢ Restrict grapevine situation
➢ Bridges communication gap
Disadvantages
➢ Messages are not received properly because of the intervening hierarchical levels
➢ Distortion of messages takes place as per the judgement of concerned hierarchy
➢ Subordinates are overloaded with information from the top so they tend to be less
attentive towards this information

Upward communication in such type of communication feedback as well as voluntary

information is provided. An excellent example of upward communication is the suggestion
schemes that the organisations have adopted to encourage the employees to come out with
new and innovative ideas for their work-related issue.
Advantages
➢ Management gets to understand the attitude and patterns of behaviour of the
employees
➢ It establishes mutual trust and confidence
➢ Reaction of the employees for the various organisational policies becomes evident to
the management
➢ As the feedback is direct from the concerned person it leads to better decision making
based on the facts
➢ It helps in in achievement of objectives at each level
Disadvantages
➢ Status differences may lead to inhibiting the communication on one to one basis
➢ Employees are suspicious about the intentions of the management
➢ negative feedback is not shared by the employees as they think that it may reflect
their own shortcomings, or it may result in their reprisals
➢ Many a times employees do not have the requisite skills to communicate either orally
or in written.
Lateral or Horizontal communication
Also called as lateral communication, in which the communication takes place among equals
within the same organisation. They may be responsible for different functional activities but
complementary functions so there is a requirement for help and support. Horizontal
communication is mostly witnessed between department to department or it may occur
between one unit inside the organisation with that of a branch or functional unit outside the
main premises of the organisation.
Advantages
➢ Problems can be resolved easily in a properly structured
➢ Horizontal communication reduces wastages and there is efficiency leading to higher
returns
➢ It is mostly valued in the team-based organisation
➢ Faster exchange of information leading to increasing pace of decision making
Disadvantages
➢ Differences in approach towards attainment of vision may result in conflict and
controversies
➢ Assuming power disproportionate to formal position by some main cause of
resentment and feeling of enmity result in productivity losses
➢ Horizontal communication may not be very effective unless the efforts are rewarded
and appreciated
On the basis of expression
Oral communication:
Spoken communications are called as oral communication. Many times, it so happens
that we are able to decipher the meaning of the message by the choice and use of words
communicated.
If you say somebody ‘shut the door’, the receiver is going to take it as an order or
command. If it is ‘please shut the door’, here the receiver is requested by the sender to
shut the door in a polite manner. Similarly, ‘will you please shut the door’ here an explicit
request is being made to the receiver. The fourth one ‘can you please shut the door’ in
this message the receiver is explicitly being asked to demonstrate his ability to shut the
door. In all these examples you will find that the meaning is same but because of the
choice of the words used in oral communication it can highly influence the understanding
of the intent of the message.

Written communication:
Communication that is written and structured to give it a shape of a message is written
communication. Letters memos reports emails at spectra are all the different forms of
written communication that are easily found out in the organisation. Written messages
are common in nature and they are framed with the purpose of documentation. So, one
has to be very cautious in term of leaving no ambiguity and multiple interpretations for
these written messages. Example the important files were opened. This may lead to lot
of ambiguity like who open the file why the file was opened the file is of which
department etc. Another example in an interrogation the boss fired the junior. Now this
is also ambiguous who is the boss, who is the junior, reasons for firing of the junior, was
it a heated argument?

Nonverbal Communication:
The process of conveying a message without the use of words is called as Nonverbal
communication is. It includes gestures and facial expressions, tone of voice, timing,
posture. Nonverbal communication though appears to be simple but is much more
complex, that is the reason its understanding becomes very difficult. You must have
experienced may times that though the words used in communication are positive, but
they carry deep meaning inside, so without explicit telling of something, with tone you
understand the hidden meaning. In Business Communication, it is very important to
understand nonverbal cues, so that you can understand the true meaning of what is being
said.

On the basis of organisational structure

Formal Communication
 An organisation in which formal channels and chain of command is in order, such type of
organisation have the formal communication in place. The information related to policy
flows downwards and the transactional information flows upward to inform
management about the progress of implementation of the policy.
Advantages:
➢ Goal achievement by using most efficient means of communication
➢ Fixed responsibility at each level of hierarchy
➢ There is a direct contact between sender and receiver of the message
➢ Established relationships
➢ Resolution of problems
➢ Rational mechanism thereby enhancing the performance of the
organisation
Disadvantages:
➢ Sudden and unpredictable happenings
➢ Cannot be formalized
➢ There is more emphasis on rules and regulations, directives thereby
increasing the workload
➢ Delay in in the provision of solutions thereby causing frustration among the
employees
➢ Least interaction among the peers
➢ There is no effort on the simplification of the decision-making processes
and ensuring better human relations
➢ Cares only for Limited organizationally relevant behaviour rather than on
the larger social cultural and technological context of the surrounding
environment.
Informal communication
Informal organisations naturally grow because of the interaction among the employees after
organisation, in contrast with formal organisation the informal organisation is neither
structured nor documented. The communication in such organisation is unplanned and
mostly oral. These communications are also quite personal in nature as informal
organisations grows when people come in contact with each other, share their feelings and
information. The informal system of communication is as important as formal processes. As
the informal channels are developed by virtue of exchange of information and interactions
between people in the organisation the velocity with which this communication reaches to
the employee whose at the last level of the organisation swiftly than the one that is been sent
through the formal channel of communication. Organisation have experienced that instead
of formal meetings, informally the work gets done at a faster pace by deliberate chit chatting,
making requests, asking questions etc. with each other.
Advantages
➢ Much faster than formal means
➢ Multidimensional
 ➢ Reaction from the recipient is much quicker
➢ Can act as a supplement to the existing formal channel
Disadvantages
➢ breeding ground for mis information
➢ Directionless
➢ Responsibility cannot be fixed on either the sender or receiver
➢ Messages gets tweaked as per the convenience of the persons involved in the process
➢ There is hardly any check on the free flow of messages

Grapevine

Grapevine, an aspect of informal communication, is mostly used as a network through which

rumours are transmitted across the organisation. It is likely that because of the grapevine
unsubstantiated and damaging information is also passed on. Managers work in touch with
the formal networks can use grapevine strategically to quicken the decision-making process
in the right perspective. The grapevine information can be transmitted as:

Source:
https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/communication/types-of-
communication/different-types-of-communication-business-management/18316

1. Single strand in which individual communicates with another individual

2. Gossip where one interacts with many
3. Probability also known as random chain
4. Cluster one to few and few too few

2.4 Barriers to Communication

Barriers are the impediments that are caused because of disruption in the progress of the
intended message. Identification of these barriers is critical these barriers can be categorised
into sender oriented and receiver oriented.
2.4.1 Sender Oriented
Sender oriented barriers can be voluntary or involuntary. The sender should immediately try
to remove these barriers as soon as they are identified. Some of the sender-oriented barriers
are:
1. Badly expressed message: the ideas prompted by the sender, if not structured properly
or there is no concreteness in the idea, in that case the discrepancy is going to emerge. The
receiver at any point of time should not feel that this interaction has been not fruitful to him
and once this message crops up in the mind of the receiver, he gets tuned off and thus the
process of communication comes to a cease.
2. Transmission loss: it appears to be a minor issue, but it can prove to be detrimental, as the
actual message cannot be transmitted. The loss in transmission is mostly a physical noise that
has occurred because of the inappropriate choice of the medium. It is the responsibility of the
sender to ensure before the beginning of the communication that there is no noise in the
channels
3 Semantic issues: the jargons appear to be impressive but if the receiver is not able to
comprehend the meaning then these jargons are of no use. It is essential to understand the
accurate intention behind any message. The sender should be aware of the idiosyncrasies of
the receiver if the barriers are to be removed.
4 Over/ Under communication: the information exchange in the communication should not
be in excess nor it should be scanty. Senders should try to get the profile of the receiver and
based on the profile assessment of the receiver the right amount of information should be
exchanged. In case of under communication the receiver is already aware about the
information so probably the receiver may not be attentive towards the message that has been
exchanged
5. Prejudices: any communication that starts with a biasness can prove to be detrimental for
the whole process although it is difficult but while communicating all kind of biasness or
prejudice should be done away with the same is applicable for the receiver as well. If the
receiver receives a message with prejudices it is going to bring in inability to listen and to
know the intent of the message
2.4.2 Receiver oriented barriers:
The receiver initially adopts a role of a passive listener but eventually with lot of assimilation
and absorption of the situation, the role of receiver changes now he becomes active in the
communication process. If there is a miscommunication or the communication process
ceases, in that case the receiver also becomes responsible. Some of the receiver-oriented
barriers are:
1. Poor retention: if the receiver is not able to retain the information then he will not be able
to link what was initially said and what is being told now. In this manner the message might
get lost
2. Inattentive listening: if the receiver has poor concentration it leads to his mind functioning
in different ways. Listening is more of exercising control over mind and assimilating the
information. If the receiver is not interested in what is being communicated or his
concentration is towards something else or his mind is wandering, all these lead to inattentive
listening
3. Being evaluative: the mind can either evaluate or listen, it cannot do both the activities at
the same time, evaluation should always be the next step after listening it cannot be done
along. If the receiver start evaluating simultaneously with the starting of the communication,
it may lead to major part of the content to be missed as a result it may lead to
misunderstandings
4. Interests and attitudes: Indifference towards the message kills the whole communication
process. It is quite natural that one may not be interested in whatever is being said but
starting any communication with this fixed notion should be done away with. Such fix notions
may turn out to be hazardous for the communication process.
5. Conflicting information: if there is any conflict between the information that the receiver
possesses and the one that is communicated to the receiver may result in confusion. In such
cases the receiver should become conscious of this fact and verified with the sender about
the credibility of the information that he has received later. Convincing the receiver about the
latest information is very crucial for the sender, the sender should ensure the receiver that
whatever has been conveyed to him will remain relevant in the further proceedings
6. Different status and position: hierarchy in the organisation is not the criteria to judge the
strength of any idea. The seniors should not snub the juniors if they have come out with the
innovative proposal, only on the basis of the being junior and new to the company. Many
organisations are now coming out with policies to Infuse fresh ideas in the organisation. At
the same time not hurting the ego of the seniors who have been working with the
organisation from quite a considerable time
7. Resistance to change: many times, miscommunication takes place in the organisation
because people are happy in their comfort zone and they are unwilling to discuss or change
their status quo. People should become pragmatic and try to minimise the barriers by
opening up for discussions and embrace the changes
8. Refutation and arguments: communication is the process in which it is assume that the
sender and the receiver are at the same level. Once the arguments begin there is a shift in
balance
2.5 Technology in Communication
Communication today is increasingly dependent on technology whether it is ordering your favourite
food, or you have to show a demonstration of the product to a client, who is far away from you.
While using technology, in communicating with the other people there are certain etiquette that we
need to follow if we are interacting via voice, video and screen share. There are guiding principles
that needs to be followed while you are using specific type of Technology. People who are not well
versed with technology may generate strong emotions like fear, frustration or admiration, also
while using Technology there are certain questions which comes to our mind like which platform or
application that we should use; how are we going to use it and how to ensure that there is a smooth
and productive conversation between all those who are involved.

We will be discussing about three types of Technology that is generally used to communicate:

1. Audio communication

2, Video communication

3. Online communication

2.5.1 Audio communication

The factors that we need to consider while deciding upon audio only conversation is:

• Clarity of the line

• Cost involved if the calls are to be made internationally
• Comfort and trust in terms of sharing sensitive information

2.5.2 Video communication

Most platforms that are used in video communication more or less work on the similar lines. To
conduct a call by video, you first have to ensure that there is a camera, mostly the computers have
built in cameras, also, if required you may purchase a separate webcam. You should also ensure that
the computer that you are planning to use has a working speaker and there are no interruptions and
that the others can hear you; a working microphone can help you with better listening. Video
conferencing is generally accomplished using a third-party application such as Skype, Zoom or
Teams. These platforms are slightly different from each other while choosing a platform for video
conferencing you need to consider the following parameters:

• Is this a presentation mostly led by one person or it is a collaborative meeting;

• Will the video be used for just showing them faces or you have to share some
demonstration;
• Is there any lag between the audio and the image;
• Does these platforms work well on tablets as well as smartphones;
• Can participants quickly switch over devices if there is any requirement

2.5.3 Online communication

Sometimes you need to see someone's computer screen especially, when you have to share sales
figures; play a video of markup design prototypes There are several platforms that helps in screen
share like Google Hangouts. WebEx, Join Me. Few important things to be considered while choosing
a screen sharing platform:

• Why you are using the screen sharing?

i. Do you only need to show simple PowerPoint slide or
ii. You have to show some spreadsheet or
iii. You have to work on those spreadsheets
iv. If you are allowing participants to mark up what you are showing
v. Copy or paste into a shared file you need Google Hangouts for the same
vi. Is it that more than one person is going to share the screen, most platform
comfortable e allows to switch up among the call participants screens
While choosing the platforms, you may take help of the picture below:

Source:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ivytech-wmbusinesscommunicationmgrs/chapter/comparing-
communication-tools/ retrieved on July 22, 2020

2.6 Summary
The message can be transmitted through various forms of communication like
intrapersonal, dyadic, small group, public and mass media. Communication can be
broadly divided into various types based on: direction of communication which
includes downward, upward and horizontal or lateral communication; expression
which includes oral, written and nonverbal; organisational structure that includes
formal, informal and grapevine. Barriers in the communication can be either sender
or receiver oriented. Technology is used on the basis of requirement whether it is
audio, video or online communication.
2.7 Key Terms
▪ Effective Communication: Effective communication, as such, might be the accurate
transmission and receipt thereof and its correct understanding
▪ Communication Barriers: Various inadequacies that can be identified through
communication evaluation are required to be analyzed in terms of various factors -
obstructions and barriers - that impede flow communication.

Bibliography:
Books:
1. Kaul A., Business Communication, 2nd ed., Delhi: PHI
2. Kaul A., Effective Business Communication, 2nd ed., Delhi: PHI
3. Sengupta.S., Business and Managerial Communication, Delhi: PHI
4. Jain, N. & S. Mukherji, Effective Business Communication, 2nd ed., Chennai: McGraw
Hill
5. Pearson, J., & Nelson, P. (2000). An Introduction to Human Communication:
Understanding And Sharing (P. 6). Boston, Ma: Mcgraw-Hill

Open Education Resources:

▪ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ivytech-wm-
businesscommunicationmgrs/chapter/comparing-communication-tools/
▪ https://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/