HAWASSA UNIVERSITY

DAYE CAMPUS
Department of Agri-business and value chain management
Business Communication(ABVM2019)
BY TSION YOHANNES(MSc)
2021
 CHAPTER ONE
Overview of Business Communication
1.1. Meaning and definition of communication
 Communication is effective self-expression or it is the exchange of
messages in writing, speaking, or images or
 It is sharing information or providing entertainment through words or
speech or their methods or
 It is the transfer of information from one person to another.
 Or it is the exchange of meanings between individuals using a
common symbol system and
 It can be the process whereby one person transmits a message through
Cont.…

 The word 'communication' is derived from communis (Latin) meaning

‘common’.

 It stands for a natural activity of all human beings to convey opinions,

feelings,

 Information and ideas to others through words (written or spoken),

body language, or signs.

 ‘Business communication’ is communication that occurs in an

organizational context in order to:

 Exchange information, ideas, plans,

Cont.…

 Strategies, offer the best of customer services and

 Make decisions, rules, proposals, contracts, and agreements, etc.

 Thus, communication literally means ‘sharing of ideas in common’.

 In business management ideas, objectives, instructions, suggestions,

etc.

 Have to be exchanged among the managerial staff for the purpose of

planning and executing the business policies.

 In fact, communication is regarded as the “lifeblood” of every

organization.
Cont.…
 For our purpose, communication is defined as the process of
understanding and sharing meaning.
 Communication is considered as a process because it is an activity,
an exchange, or a set of behaviors.
 Communication is not an object we can hold in our hands; it is an
activity in which we participate.
1.2.Basic Characteristics of communication
1. Communication is a Process
 Unlike objects, communication is not discrete, static, or solitary.
 As a process, communication exists in time and changes constantly.

2.Communication is Symbolic
 When we say that communication is symbolic, it refers to the nature
of messages, rather than to the process of communication.
 Several of the definitions of communication above mentioned the
exchange of meaning or the transmission of messages.
3.Communication is Contextual
 The shared or common symbols system is part of what we refer to
when we say that communication occurs in a context.
 All English speakers, for example share a certain basic understanding
of the world.
4.Communication is Purposive
 Generally, communication is done for a purpose.
 We have some motivation for communicating, even if we are not
consciously aware of it.
5.Communication is Two-Way
 The existence of both a sender and a receiver in a communication
activity presupposes that the communication process is, generally
speaking, two ways.
6.Communication is Irreversible
 At one time or another, we have all wished we could take back words
we regretted uttering.
 Unfortunately, this is not possible.
 Our words and deeds are recorded in others’ memories, and we can’t
erase them.
7.Communication is not a Panacea
 Although communication can smooth out the bumps and straighten
the road to success, it will not always get you what you want.
 If the quality of communication is poor, the results are likely to be
disappointing.
1.3. Communication skills
 Communication is part of the three major skills needed by managers
(human skills, conceptual skills, technical skills).
1.4. Functions of Communication
 To Tell: communication that presents information is common in most
jobs.
 To sell: while as telling deals almost exclusively with facts, selling on
the other hand involves feelings and attitudes.
 To Learn: The ability to understand others might be less obvious and
dramatic than telling or selling skill, but it is no less important.
 To Decide: As you advance in your career, the number and
importance of decisions you face will grow.
1.5.The Role of Communication in Business
 Communication is the most vital element of any organization.
 Without communication, an organization would only be an assembly
of men, material and processes, which are inoperative.
 Organizational effectiveness depends upon the quality of
communication.
 Managers have to communicate with subordinates and superiors.
 They spend more than 75% of their effective time in communicating.
Cont.…
 It is communication, which gives life to organizational structure.
 It is a thread that holds all the units, sub units, processes, systems,
culture together.
 If communication stops, the organization will cease to exist.
1.5.1.Communication in Management
 Everyone in a business organization is part of management in one way
or another,
 Whether managing people, managing projects, or managing his or her
own activities.
 Mangers at all levels plan, organize, direct, and control organizational
activities.
 If you supervise other people you will also have staffing and hiring
responsibilities.
 Each of these functions relies heavily on communication to achieve
goals.
1.5.2. Communication in Agri- Business

 Agri-business more involves recognizing a consumer’s need,

developing a product and services

 To satisfy that need, delivering them to the right place, and offering
them at a price the consumer will pay.

 Market research helps an organization answer questions about what

products and services it should use its resources to create.

 For example, companies may conduct demand analysis to collect

accurate information about their potential customers’ needs.
Cont.…
 Writing a questionnaire that provides accurate answers to questions
about customers’ needs requires communication skills in planning
what questions to ask.
1.5.3.Communicating in Accounting
 Accounting involves recording transactions, measuring performance,
analyzing deviations in performance,
 And reporting results to management or to other interested parties.
 Each of these activities requires good communication.
1.5.4.Communicating in computer information systems
 The job of computer information systems (CIS) personnel is to help
the organization make the best use of computer resources.
 Making the best use of CIS requires managers, who have strong
communication skills.
 CIS personnel combine their knowledge of business areas
(management, marketing, accounting, finance, and others).
 With their knowledge of computers to help the company solve
information problems.
 Quiz 1 5%

1. List functions of communication in agri-business organizations found

around your environment.
2. List and explain the characteristic of communication.
 CHAPTER TWO
Model and Process of Communication
2.1.Model of Communications
 Making a model, or a simplified analogy to help understand a
complex process, is useful in thinking about communication.
 The information is encoded, transmitted, received, and decoded.
 In an ideal system, the decoded information would match the original
exactly.
 Their original model consisted of five elements:
 An information source, which produces a message;
 A transmitter, which encodes the message into signals;
Cont.…
 A channel, to which signals are adapted for transmission;
 A receiver, which decodes (reconstructs) the message from the signal;
 A destination, where the message arrives.
 The strengths of Shannon and Weaver’s model are its
 Simplicity
 Generality, and
 Quantifiability
 Such advantages made this model attractive to several academic
disciplines.
Cont.…
 It also drew serious academic attention to human communication and
information theory, leading to further theory and research.
 The model is presented below.
2.2. Process of Communication
 The word process indicates that it is an activity that is connected with
a series of steps that are deliberately undertaken to reach a goal.
 Communication means the process of passing information and
understanding from one person to another.
 It is defined as “the process of exchange of information, ideas and
opinions which bring about integration of interests aims
 And efforts among the members of a group organized for
achievement of predetermined goals.
1. Source (sender): The sender or source of a communication is the
person or organization that has information to share with another
person or group of people.
 The source may be an individual (say, a salesperson or hired
spokesperson,
 Such as a celebrity, who appears in a company’s advertisements) or a
nonperson entity (such as the corporation or organization itself).
2. Encoding: The communication process begins when the source
selects words, symbols, pictures, and the like, to represent the message
that will be delivered to the receiver(s).
Cont.…
 This process, known as encoding, involves putting thoughts, ideas, or
information into a symbolic form.
 The sender’s goal is to encode the message in such a way that it will
be understood by the receiver.
 This means using words, signs, or symbols that are familiar to the
target audience.
 Many symbols have universal meaning, such as the familiar circle
with a line through it to denote no parking, no smoking, and so forth.
3.Message: The encoding process leads to development of a message
that contains the information or meaning the source hopes to convey.
 The message may be verbal or nonverbal, oral or written, or
symbolic.
 Messages must be put into a transmittable form that is appropriate for
the channel of communication being used.
 In communication, this may range from simply writing some words or
copy that will be read as a radio message to producing an expensive
television commercial.
 Message is the content of the communication.
Cont.…
 Message is an idea, thought, feeling or emotion that is organized or
composed by the sender.
 The symbols that represent the message are called codes.
 There are three basic communication codes.
 Nonverbal codes- are all intentional or unintentional codes other than
words or written materials by which a person transmits a message.
 They include such things as facial expressions, movements of hands,
eye contact, clothing and other body gestures, which can represent
nonverbal communication.
4. Channel: The Channel: The channel in the communication process is
the medium that the sender uses to transmit the message to the receiver.
 Care needs to be exercised in selecting the most effective channel for
each message.
 Even though both an oral and a written medium may be appropriate
to transmit a particular message, one medium may be more effective
than the other.
 To illustrate, let’s assume that an individual desires an immediate
reply to a question.
Cont.…
 Although the message could be in either an oral or a written form, the
oral medium most likely will be more effective because of the
immediacy, if required.
 In selecting an appropriate channel, the sender must assess the
following factors, as the situation demands:
 Need for immediate transmission of message, (fax instead of letter)
 Need for immediate feedback, (phone instead of fax)
 Need for permanent record of the message, (written rather than oral)
 Degree of negotiation and persuasion required, (personal meeting
face-to face)
Cont.…
 The destination of the message, and (far flung area letter only)
 The nature of the content of the message(has to be a contract written)
 In addition, the sender should take into consideration his/her skill in
using each of the alternative channels, as well as the receiver’s skill in
using each of the channels.
 Communication rarely takes place over only one channel; two or
three even four channels are normally used simultaneously.
5. Receiver: The receiver is the person(s) with whom the sender shares
thoughts or information.
 Generally, receivers are any person who read, hear, and/or see the
marketer’s message and decode it.
6. Decoding: Decoding is the process of transforming the sender’s
message back into thought.
 This process is heavily influenced by the receiver’s frame of reference
or field of experience,
 Which refers to the experiences, perceptions, attitudes, and values he
or she brings to the communication situation.
 For effective communication to occur, the message decoding process
of the receiver must match the encoding of the sender.
 Simply put, this means the receiver understands and correctly
interprets what the source is trying to communicate.
 Effective communication is more likely when there is some common
ground between the two parties.
7. Response/Feedback: The receiver’s set of reactions after seeing,
hearing, or reading the message is known as a response.
 Receivers’ responses can range from non-observable actions such as
storing information in memory to immediate action such as dialing a
toll-free number to order a product advertised on television.
Cont.…
 Senders are very interested in feedback, that part of the receiver’s
response that is communicated back to the sender.
 Feedback, which may take a variety of forms, closes the loop in the
communications flow and lets the sender monitor how the intended
message is being decoded and received.
 For example, in a personal-selling situation, customers may pose
questions, comments, or objections or indicate their reactions through
nonverbal responses such as gestures and frowns.
 The salesperson has the advantage of receiving instant feedback
through the customer’s reactions.
2.3. Barriers to Communication
 A communication breakdown or barrier may occur at any point in the
communication process.
 The cause may be ascribed to the sender, the message, the channel or
the receiver.
 Furthermore, a barrier may arise from the environment in which the
communication takes place.
 There are various problems that hinder the message does not reach the
receiver such as,
 The problems of encoding and decoding, faulty selection of channel,
wrong language or the interpretation of the message.
Cont.…
 Throughout the communication process, the message is subject to
extraneous factors that can distort or interfere with its reception.
 This unplanned distortion or interference is known as noise.
 Errors or problems that occur in the encoding of the message,
distortion in a radio or television signal,
 Or distractions at the point of reception are examples of noise.
 When you are watching your favorite commercial on TV and a
problem occurs in the signal transmission,
 It will obviously interfere with your reception, lessening the impact
of the commercial.
Cont.…
 Noise may also occur because the fields of experience of the sender
and receiver do not overlap.
 Lack of common ground may result in improper encoding of the
message.
 Using a sign, symbol, or words that are unfamiliar or have different
meaning to the receiver.
 The more common ground there is between the sender and the
receiver, the less likely it is this type of noise will occur.
2.3.1.Barriers in relation to the sender’s idea
 The world constantly bombards us with information: Sights, sounds,
scents and so on.
 Our minds filter Stream of sensation and organize it into a mental map
that represents our perception of reality.
 In no case is the maps in a person’s mind the same as the world itself,
and no two maps are exactly alike.
 As you view the world, your mind absorbs your experiences in a
unique and personal way.
 For example, if you and a friend go out for lunch, each of you will
mentally grasp different things.
Cont.…
 Because your perceptions are unique, the ideas that you want to
express differ from other people.
 Even when two people have experienced the same event, their mental
images of that event will not be identical.
 As a communicator, you filter out the details that seem unimportant
and focus your attention on the most relevant and general, a process
known as abstracting.
2.3.2. Barriers in transforming idea to message
 In a process not completely understood, the idea in your mind is
transformed into words;
 You decide such issues as length, organization, tone, and style of the
message.
 You can express an idea in an almost infinite number of ways, but
something makes you choose one approach over another
 For example, you may decide to say, “The man was driving a car,”
rather than,
 “The old geezer was poking along in a beat-up green old Ford.”
Cont.…
 Your choice of words depends on your subject, your purpose, your
audience, and your personal style or mood.
 To some extent, your choice of words also depends on your cultural
background.
 If you are a bureaucrat manager, you might say, “Expedited
adjustment assistance may be ineffective in helping the industry cope
 With current problems of severe inventory overhang, low prices, and
financial losses.”

 That sort of language is considered appropriate in some bureaucracies.

Cont.…
 On the other hand, if you’re a straightforward manager, you might
say, “Even a swift government bailout won’t save us from going
broke.”
 When you choose your words, you signal that you are member of a
particular association 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.

Cont.…
 Typical problems involve indecision about message content, lack of
familiarity with the situation or the receiver, emotional conflicts, or
difficulty in expressing ideas.
2.3.3. Barriers while the Message is transmitted
 The Third step in the communication process is physical transmission
of the message from sender to receiver.
 The channel may be nonverbal or verbal, written or spoken.
 Beyond that, you can convey a message by phone, computer, letter,
memo, report, face-to-face exchange, or other medium.
 The transmission channel and the medium you choose depend on the
message you want to convey
 And on other factors, such as the location of your audience, the need
for speed, and the formality of the situation.
2.3.4. Barriers while the Receiver Gets the Message
 For communication to occur, the receiver has to get the message.
 If you send a letter, the recipient has to read it before she or 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.
Cont.…
 If all goes well, the message is interpreted correctly:
 The receiver assigns the same basic meaning to the words as the
sender intends and responds in the desired way.
 Like transmission problems, problems during the reception phase
often have a physical cause.
 The receiver may be distracted by competing sights and sounds, an
uncomfortable chair, poor lighting, or some other irritating condition.
 In some cases, the barrier may be related to the receiver’s health.
 Hearing or visual impairment, for example, or even a headache, can
interfere with reception of messages.
Cont.…
 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
2.3.5.Barriers while the receiver reacts and gives feedback to the
sender

 Feedback is the final link in the communication chain.

 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.
Cont.…
 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, complexity of the message, difficult conditions
for transmission and reception differences between sender and
receiver.
 Quiz 2 out of 5%
1.What are the process of communication.
2. List barriers of communication
 CHAPTER THREE
Types of Communication
3.1.Formal Communication
 Formal networks are systems designed by management to dictate who
should talk to whom to get a job done.
 People from different departments work together daily in most
organizations,
 And flow charts provide a kind of road map that guides them through
complicated task.
 And since someone is always ultimately responsible for getting a job
done well organizational chart helps to know where that responsibility
Cont.…
 The formal communication network consists of downward, upward,
and horizontal communications.
3.1.1.Downward Communication
 Information circulates through formal communication network in
several directions.
 One of those directions involves downward communication, which
takes place
 whenever a supervisor sends a message to one or more subordinates.
Cont.…
A. Types of downward messages
 There are several types of downward communication:

1.Job instructions: Directions about what to do or how to do it.

 “When you restock the shelves, put the new merchandise behind the
old stock.”
2.Job rationale: Explanations of how one task relates to another task.
 “We rotate the stock like that so the customers won’t up with stale
merchandise.”
3.Procedures and practices: Information about rules, regulations,
policies, and benefits.
Cont.…
 “Don’t try to argue with unhappy customers.
 If you can’t handle them yourself, call the manger.”

4.Feedback: Information about how effectively a person is performing.

 “You’re really catching on fast.
 If you keep up the good work, you’ll be an assistant manager by the
end of the year.”
5.Indoctrination: Information aimed at motivating employees by
impressing the mission of the organization upon them and specifying
how they should relate to it.
B. Problems with Downward Communication
 Even the best organizations often don’t use downward communication
as effectively as possible.
 In some cases there isn’t enough information, and in others the
messages that do travel down aren’t clear or complete.
 These problems fall into several categories.
 Lack of awareness.
 Insufficient or unclear messages.
 Message overload.
3.1.2.Upward Communication
 Upward communication occurs when messages flow from
subordinates to superiors.
 Many leading businesses attribute their success to the emphasis on
upward communication in their organization.
A. Types of upward messages
 Upward communication can convey four types of messages.

1.What subordinates are doing: “We’ll have that job done by closing
time today.”
2.Unsolved work problems: “We are still having trouble with the air
conditioner in the accounting office.”
Cont.…
3.Suggestions for improvement: “I think I’ve figured a way to give
people the vacation schedules they want and still keep our staffing up.”
4.How subordinates feel about each other and the job: “I’m having a
hard time working with Lemma.
 He seems to think I am mad at him.”
 Or “I’m getting frustrated.
 I’ve been in the same job for over a year now, and I’m itching for
more responsibility.”
B. Problems with Upward Communication
 Three factors create problems with upward communication.
 Risk.
 Distortion.
 Status differential.
 Most of the responsibilities for improving upward communication rest
on managers.
 The place to begin for mangers is to announce their willingness to
hear from subordinates.
 A number of vehicles facilitate upward messages; to name a few, an
“open door” policy, grievance procedures, periodic interviews, group
Cont.…
 Informal types of contact can often be most effective; chats during
breaks, in the work place, or at social gatherings can sometimes tell
more than planned sessions.
3.1.3.Horizontal Communication
 Horizontal (sometimes called “lateral”) communication consists of
messages between members of an organization with equal power.
 The most obvious type of horizontal communication goes on between
members of the same division of an organization;
 Office workers in the same department, co-workers on a construction
project, and so on.
Cont.…
A. Types of horizontal messages
 Horizontal communication serves five purposes:

1. Task coordination: “Let’s get together this afternoon, and set up a

production schedule.”
2. Problem solving: “It takes three days for my department to get reports
from yours.
 How can we speed things up?’

3. Sharing information: “I have just found out that a big convention is

coming to this town next week, so you ought to get ready for lost of
business.”
Cont.…
4. Conflict resolution: “I’ve heard that you were complaining about my
work to the boss.
 If you’re happy, I wish you’d tell me first.”

5. Building rapport: “I appreciate the way you got that rush job done on
time.
 I’d like to say thanks by buying you lunch when it’s convenient.”
Cont.…
B. Factors inhibiting horizontal communication
 Despite the importance of these five functions, several forces work to
discourage communication between peers.
 Rivalry.
 Specialization.
 Lack of motivation.
 Information overload.
 Physical barriers.
3.2.Informal Communication
 Some observers consider informal contacts like these to be the
primary means of communication within an organization.
 Analysts of communication flatly assert that, as much as 90 percent
of what goes on in a company has nothing to do with formal events.
 There are several reasons why informal networks are so important.
 Amount of Information- Informal networks carry a tremendous
amount of information.
 Speed- Since they are not forced to follow official channels, these
informal sources often provide information much faster than official
methods.
Cont.…
 Accuracy- Informal contacts often provide more accurate information
than official channels.
 Informal networks develop for several reasons.
 Some are based on physical proximity.
 Despite their distance on an organizational chart, some people
communicate simply because they spend time close to one another.
3.2.1.Functions of informal communication
 Not all informal messages are idle rumors.
 As the following examples show, informal communication can serve
several useful functions.
1.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.”
Cont.…
2.Expanding- Informal communication can fill in the gaps left by
incomplete formal messages.
 You might say to an experienced co–worker:
 “The invitation to the office says ‘casual dress.’ What does that
mean-jeans and T-shirt or sport coat and tie?”
3.Expediting- Informal networks can often deliver messages more
quickly than official channels.
4.Contradicting- Sometimes informal networks contradict official
messages.
Cont.…
 You might learn from a friend in accounting department that the
deadline for purchases on the budget of this year isn’t as firm as it
sounded in the controller’s recent memo.
5.Circumventing- Informal contacts can sometimes help you bypass
official channels that are unnecessarily cumbersome and time-
consuming.
6.Supplementing- Sometimes even a management realizes that informal
communication can get the job done better than the more formal variety.
3.3.Forms of communication
 These forms of communication are used in our everyday business
activities.
 Or this subsection can be seen as medium of transmission which
classified into two: verbal (oral & written) and non-verbal.
 They are, in fact, forms by which we conduct communication activity.

3.3.1. verbal communication

3.3.1.1. Oral Communication
i) Speech
 Speech is the planed transmission of a specific message.

 Speaking on a particular subject in front of a group of people can be

Cont.…
 In other world, delivering an oral presentation before an audience is
known as speech.
A) Types of Speeches
i) Informative Speeches: An informative speech provides interesting
and useful information to the audience.
 Informative speeches can be about objects, processes, events or
concepts.
ii) Demonstrative Speeches: Demonstrative speeches also involve the
delivery of facts and information to a desired audience.
Cont.…
 The main difference with an informative speech lies in the specific
topic:
 Demonstrative speeches deal with subjects that involve processes,
procedures, and methods.
iii) Persuasive Speeches: Persuasive speeches are designed with the
intention of convincing or winning over an audience.
 The goal of the speech is to reinforce an existing idea in the audience,
or to inflict some change in their prevailing mindset.
Cont.…
iv) Inspirational Speeches: Inspirational speeches are usually more
general, discuss broader concerns, and can use stories, facts,
 And experiences to sway the audience into accepting a certain point
of view or value.
v) Graduation Speeches: Graduation speeches should revolve around
the students in the graduating class and their teachers.
 Graduation speeches should highlight any major events that took
place in the community,
 The school or even the world during the past few years that have led
up to the graduation.
Cont.…
vi) Celebration Speeches: Celebration speeches are short, brief and
favorable to the person in whose honor the celebration is being held.
 In short, celebratory speeches should make the subject of your speech
look good.
vii) Political Speeches: In most cases, you would be making a political
speech to a constituency or your local community.
 Political speeches usually have an audience, which is not likely to
agree with you.
 Be prepared for brickbats while making such speeches.
B) Parts/structure of a good speech
 A good speech, like every good piece of writing, is not just poured out
at audience,
 But is meaningfully communicated only when it meets a prescribed,
conventional specification.
 Every speech, good or bad has the following components.

1.An introduction: Introduction is good; it captivates audiences'

attention and stirs up interest:
 Sends questions, expectations and anxieties running in the minds of
the audience.
 Since poor introduction, kill their appetite.
2.The body: All the points you may have gathered in the research will
now be knit together beautifully
 And well explained to answer the questions your audience are likely
to be asking.
 Your points must be well explained and objectively convincing
enough that at the end,
 Your audience will be left in no doubt but rather have clear
understanding of your impressions.
3.The conclusion: the last line of a good presentation should leave a
lasting impression on people's minds.
Cont.…
 The conclusion should be food for thought, something people should
remember long after they may have forgotten everything else,
including the speechmaker.
C) Guidelines for effective speech
 Identification of purposes: First purposes of the speech should be
clearly identified.
 Without proper selection of the objectives, speeches become
meaningless.
 Analyzing the audience: The natural of the audience must be
evaluated to take proper strategy.
Cont.…
 Planning the speech: Like written messages, speeches also should be
preplanned.
 After evaluation the audience the main idea, detailed description and
length of the speech must be fixed.
 Prepare outline: Outline of a speech helps the speaker to present the
speech in an orderly manner.
 The chance of omitting major points can be minimized.
 Careful about length of speech: Appropriate length of speech should
be determined carefully by considering the purpose of the speech and
time available for such speech.
Cont.…
 Appropriate style: Generally, a casual style is followed for small
audience and style that is more formal is followed for big audience.
 Overcoming fears: It is very important for a speaker to overcome
fears to ensure effective speech.
D) Active listening
 In our daily life, we cannot make difference between ‘hearing’ and
‘listening’.
 However, listening means interpretation of hearing.
 Thus, it can be stated that listening starts with hearing and ends with
interpreting and evaluating the message.
 Listening defined: Listening is "the process of receiving, attending to
and assigning meaning to aural stimulus".
E) Guidelines for effective listening
 Stop talking: when we are not talking, we are inclined to concentrate
on what to say nest rather than on listening to what is being said.
 Therefore, you must stop talking before you can listen.
 Put the talker at ease: If you make the talker fell at ease, she or he
will do a better job of talking.
 Then you will have better input with which to work.
 Show the talker you want to listen: If you can convince the talker
that you are listening to understand rather than to oppose,
 You will help create a climate for information exchange.
Cont.…
 Remove distraction: Certain activates can also distract the talker.
 So do not drawing, tap with your pencil, shuffle papers or the like.

 Empathize with the talker: If you place yourself in the talker’s

position and look at things from her or his point of view,

 You will help create a climate of understanding.

 Be patient: You will need to allow the talker plenty of time.

 Remember that not everyone can get to the point as quickly and
clearly as you.
Cont.…
 Hold your anger: From our review of the workings of our mental
fitters, we know that angry minds do not contribute to
communication.
 Angry people build walls among themselves.
 They harden their positions and block their minds to other’s words.
 Go easy on argument and criticism: Argument and criticism tend to
put the talker on the defensive.
 Thus, he or she tends to “clam up” or get angry.
 Even if you win the argument, you lose.
 Rarely does either party benefit from such controversy.
Cont.…
 Ask Questions: By frequently asking questions.
 You display an open mind.
 You show that you are listening.
 You also help develop the message and ensure correctness of
meaning.
F) Causes of poor listening

 Boredom or lack of interest.

 The listener’s dislike of the personality or physical appearance of the

speaker.

 A desire to change rather than accept the speaker.

 A willingness in the listener to hear only that part of the message they
agree with.

 A perception by the listener that the speaker lack credibility.

 Physical Barriers: a noisy typewriter, duplicating machine, someone's

loud voice etc.
Cont.…
 Personal Barriers: Illness, fatigue, and discomfort make us unable to
concentrate.
 Psychological distractions: Personal problems such as finances,
buying a house etc.
 Attitudinal biases against the speaker are another type of
psychological block to listening.
 Semantic Barriers: Semantic means "meaning of words".
 3.3.1.2 .Written Communications
1. Business letters
 A letter is a formal piece of writing used to exchange information of
various types.
 It acts like an ambassador.
 Perhaps letter is the most widely used means of written
communication.
 Letters used for business purposes can be termed as business letter.
 Business letters convey messages regarding various business
activates.
Cont.…
 In the words of H. A. Murphy and others, “The medium used most
often for written messages to persons outside your organization is the
business letter.”
 W. J. Weston said, “Business letter is the process of accomplishing
business transaction in written form.”
2. Memo and Report Writing
a) Memo
 A memorandum (known as ‘memo’ in short form) is by definition, “a
written statement that you prepare specially for a person or committee
in order to give them information about a particular matter”.
Cont.…
 In an organization, it takes the form of “a short official note that you
write to a person or to several people, especially people who you
work with.”
 A memo plays a very useful role in an organization.
 It ensures quick and smooth flow of information in all directions.
 It also enables officers to maintain good business relationships.
 A memo will come to your aid when you wish to avoid coming into
personal contact with certain colleague.
 Another useful function of a memo is to establish accountability.
b) Report
 The dictionary meaning of report is, it is a formal statement of the
results of an investigation.
 “Thus, it can be stated that a report is a formal presentation of facts
based on investigation, which generally provides recommendations.
 Business reports are analytical vehicles, which help managers in to
run the business smoothly.
 Business reports include both findings and recommendations.
 The basic objective of business report is to help the managers in
making decisions.
c) Classification of Business Report
A. Based on mode of presentation
1. Oral report: When report on a matter presented verbally or through
oral media then it is known as oral report.
 In this case, after investigating the matter the investigator express
his/her findings verbally to the top management.
 It is less effective because it cannot be used as documentary evidence.

2. Written report: On the other hand, when reports are presented in

written form then it is called written report.
 It has documentary evidence.
B. Based on degree of formality: Business reports can be of two types:
formal and informal report.
I. Formal: Formal reports are usually detailed.
 It examines a complex problem in depth and provides
recommendations.
 Formal reports are prepared accounting to specific formats.
 This type of report again can be divided in two categories:
informational and analytical report
1. Informational: This type of report presents information on particular
topic but does not provide any explanation and recommendations.
Cont.…
2. Analytical: Analytical reports not only present and analyze data but
also interpret the data and make recommendation.
 Usually critical problems are analyzed through analytical repots.
 Example: Feasibility reports, request approval, evaluation of
investment project, etc.
II. Informal: These types of reports are prepared to assists routine
managerial functions.
 These reports are usually written by subordinates.
 Informal reports are short in length and written in letter or memo,
format.
C. On the basis of length: Based on length, repot can be of two types:
Short and long report
1. Short Report: Interim, personal activity report, etc. are examples of
short report.
 Length of these reports can be on page or several pages.
 Routine reports are short in length.
 Less time is allotted for the preparation of this type of report.

2. Long report: Length of long report may be more than hundred pages
depending on the nature and importance of the matter.
d) Elements of a formal report

A. Prefatory Parts: This is the introductory part of any formal report.

B. Text of the report: All the collected information’s or data also

presented in this section in a systematic manner.

C. Supplementary parts: This is the last part of a report.

 It includes:

1.Appendix: It is a supplementary part, which contains the important

materials related to the report, but not included in the text.

2. Bibliography: all published and unpublished materials used in the

report must be mentioned at the end of the report.

3. Index: It is a list of names and subjects mentioned in the report.

3.3.2. Non-Verbal Communication
 Non-verbal communication refers to touch, eye contacts and body
language.
 In fact, face-to-face communication is accompanied by facial
expressions and gestures.
 They contribute to developing effective communication.
3.3.2.1.Types of non-verbal communication

A. Paralanguage

 The non-verbal system sometimes called para verbal cues conveys

most of our messages about how to understand what is said.

 Pitch and pitch change refers to the high or low quality of the vocal
cord.

 Pitch shows our feelings or the strength of our feelings.

 High pitch shows strong feelings of excitement, fear or happiness.
 Low Pitch we are inferring our intensity or extreme seriousness.
B. Kinesics
1. General physical movement can secure or detracts from the attention
given to the message, but it can accomplish both goals at the same time.
 General physical activity can show the speaker's level of energy.
 If a speaker is active, but that action is not distracting, the audience is
more interested.
 They are more likely to believe in both the speaker and the message.
2. Posture and gesture are another type of NVC.
 Posture indicates the feelings of the individual.
 Poor posture during an interview might be interpreted as disrespect,
lack of enthusiasm or an indication of poor work habits.
 In one-to-one or small group situations, posture can indicate liking:
 Leaning forward indicates a positive feeling toward others, leaning
backward, a negative feeling.
 Gestures complement our words.
 They emphasize what we say.
 There are many types of gestures:
Cont.…
 Illustrators (provide directions, like arrow, circle, to clarify an idea);
 Regulators (provide a guide try to recognize, handshake, head nod);
 Emblems (like finger pointing, forming a circle with index / middle
finger signs "okay").
3. Discrete physical movements are those components, which display
the minute details like squinting of the eyes,
 Avoiding eye contact, furrowing your eyebrow, explain or express the
slight intentions of speakers in conversations.
4. Facial reactions especially the eyes are the most reliable indicators of
emotion.
 The dilation of the pupil and the rapid shifting of gaze tell us much
about the feelings of the communicator.
 When eye contact wanders, listeners feel that the speaker is not
interested in them.
 The total absence of eye contact can be due to nervousness or
forgetfulness.
 To smile only or to scowl only is not the answer to becoming an
effective communicator.
Cont.…
 The mouth carries many significant messages about how you feel
and think.
 Remember that your mouth is one of the most revealing indicators of
your feeling and attitude.
5. Slight body responses like a shrug of the shoulders or a hesitating
gesture are additional nonverbal activities that suggest particular mental
states.
 These micro movements and interpretations indicate the many things
to many people.
 Audiences listen with both their ears and their eyes.
6. Silence is also a good way of communicating.
 Disapproval, anger, resentment, lack of interest, acceptance, respect
and fear can be expressed through silence.
 Silence can be effectively used while speaking.
 A slight pause before or after making an important point during a
speech will make it effective.
 This pause before an important point creates suspense and raises a
sense of anticipation.
 Hence, the audience listens to the next point more attentively.
Cont.…
 A slight pause after making an important point indicates that
something very important has been said.
 The speaker may desire the audience to assimilate it and realize its
significance before passing on to the next point.
C. Proxemics refers to our use of space and the way that we use space to
govern the personal actions and behavior of others.
 Each of us needs "our space".
 We need physical areas where we can be comfortable.
 Personal space is relative and depends upon the circumstances and the
person to whom we are interacting.
Cont.…
 Public space (refers to four to five feet distance), Personal Space
(refers to arms length dealing),
 Private space (refers to distance less than three feet) and expressing
intimacy.
 Space helps to define non-verbal relations.
 We react to people, initiate communication, and engage in dialogue.
 In addition, we develop feelings of security / insecurity, depending
upon spatial relationships.
D. Chronemics is the way each of us uses and structures the time in
relations with others.
 We accept and expect timeliness as an essential element in some of
our daily activities.
 Punctuality expresses power relationships between two people.
 The power of chronemics is great.
 Waiting, rushing and hesitating occur because of a time orientation,
 And our response to time delivers a strong message about us and other
people.
Cont.…
 It suggests how we may feel about the individual or the mission.
 The time element is strongly receiver-oriented.
 The other person is negatively or positively affected by our actions.

E. Environment: Our environments (i.e., surroundings) tell something

about how we feel and how we will react to people and situations.
 The color or size of a room says something to you or about you.
 People prefer attractive surroundings and they evaluate other people
based largely on their reactions to the immediate environment.
Cont.…
 People working in rooms termed ugly had experienced fatigue,
headache, discontent, sleep, irritability and hostility.
 The arrangements of the objects in an environment send a message to
the observer or listener.
F. Clothing and personal appearance also communicate non-verbal
messages.
 Your clothing and appearance help others determine your status,
creditability and persuasiveness.
 There are dress codes for businesses and professions.
 You may recollect that the personnel at different petrol pumps in
Cont.…
 Their uniforms display the company logo and other similar things.
 School students, doctors, technical workers, wear uniforms to have a
professional outlook, build an image to the institution they are
serving.
 Armed forces and police personnel are wearing uniforms to denote the
rank of the officials also.
 CHAPTER FOUR
Principles of Effective Communication
4.1.Effective Communication
 Effective communication is the act of influencing and inducing others
to act in the manner intended by the speaker or writer.
 Effective communication ensures that all persons and organizations
understand the message sent.

 Communication plays a major role in employer-employee

relationships in any organization.

 It also affects the relationships among members on the management

team.
Cont.…
 Although effective communication does not guarantee success of a
business, its absence usually assures problems.
4.1.1. Benefits of Effective Communication:
The following can be the benefits of effective communication:
 Steady Workflow: The first benefit of effective communication is the
steady workflow as in organization
 if the message is completely conveyed and received it will results in
positive feedback of steady workflow.
 Problem Solutions: Effective business communication helps in
providing solutions to any problem.
Cont.…
 It helps in developing relationships which make easy to find solution
if any problem arises.
 Achieving Goals: Organizational goals can only be attained through
effective business communication.
 It makes the business relations more strong which enhance
opportunities for any organization.
 Enhance Productivity: It enhances productivity of both monetary
and human capital in terms of performance.
 People get clearer picture of what they have to give as output which
increase output in any organization.
 Global Market: You can overcome the challenges in global market
only through effective business communication.
 Developing right attitude is crucial to effective communication in
international markets.
 Decision making: Only through effective business communication
one can make decision making easy and timely for both customers
and investors.
4.1.2.Guidelines for Effective Communication
 Effective communication skills are necessary for smooth relations
with other people.
 They can be your family, friends, colleagues or even strangers.
 Communication is engaging in an exchange with another person.
 Knowing how to communicate effectively will help you get across
what you mean more efficiently.
 Some general guidelines for selecting words and some tips for
effective communication are noted in the following;
Cont.…
 Be Exact: Try to find the most precise and specific words.
 Pay attention to feedback that indicates how the meaning is perceived
by the receiver.
 Use the word “is” carefully: When you say; “He is radical,” you
may really mean, “He seems to be a radical.”
 There is a vast difference between the two statements, and each might
bring a different reactions.
 Avoid Overgeneralization: Lumping groups together verbally
expresses a distorted vision of the world.
Cont.…
 Prejudice and stereotyping (assuming that an individual will think and
act according to your notion of the typical member of that sex or that
ethnic, racial, or religious group) rarely produce useful dialogue.
 Be sensitive to connotative meaning: they are the emotional or
implied meanings we attach to certain words.
 Even if your intent is to make a simple factual statement, the
connotative meaning of a term can offend someone.
 Do not to overuse you or your: One sure way to produce a defensive
reaction is to assign ownership.
 “Your boss made another silly statement in his meeting last night” is
 Count from 1 to 10: When you get in the middle of an intense
argument or when someone suddenly lashes out at you, don’t get mad
right away.
 Count 1 to 10 before responding.
 Recognize that you don’t know all the answers to all questions: If
you don’t know the answer just say that you don’t know.
 You don’t have to make other people feel and think that you know
everything.
 Listen to other people’s concerns.
 Always remember that what others may not mean the way we
think they mean it: Our values, beliefs and judgments may have
altered the meaning of what someone has said.
 Always allow for the possibility that our impression of what someone
has said may not be true.
 Focus on common interests rather than differences: This will help
you direct your energy to promoting the common interest and making
everyone happier, and will also help you avoid frustration.
 Think positive: Always see the glass as half full rather than half
empty.
 Doing so will help you reduce stress.
Cont.…
 Also it can keep you motivated and pleasant when you deal with other
people.
4.1.3. Principles Effective of communications
 The ability to communicate effectively with others is considered a
prized quality of the successful business people.
 To compose effective written or oral messages, you must apply certain
communication principles.
 Called the “seven C’s” they are completeness, conciseness,
consideration, concreteness, clarity, courtesy and correctness.
Cont.…
1.Completeness
 Your business message is complete when it contains all facts the
reader or listener needs for the reaction you desire.
 Provide all necessary information: answering the five W’s helps make
messages clear:
 What you want and how much?
 When you need it?
 Where it is to be sent?
 To whom it is to be sent?
 How payment will be made?
Cont.…
 Answer all questions asked: look for questions: some may even appear
buried within a paragraph.
 Locate them and answer them precisely.

 Give something extra, when desirable: use your good judgment in

offering additional material if the sender’s message was incomplete.
 Your message is complete when it contains all facts the receiver needs.

 Incomplete messages:

 Result in additional expenses

 Spoil goodwill

 Lead to confusion and debates

2.Conciseness
 Conciseness is saying what you have to say in the fewest possible
words without sacrificing the other C qualities.
 A concise message is complete without being wordy.
 To achieve conciseness, observe the following suggestions:
 Eliminate wordy expressions: use single word in place of phrases.
For example, use ‘now’ instead of ‘at this time’.
 Include only relevant material: delete irrelevant words and rambling
sentences.
 Avoid unnecessary repetition: it leads to dullness.
Cont.…
 Limit repetition
 Repeating a word or an idea is one way to emphasize it.
 Use a shortened form of noun and use a pronoun in place of a noun.
 Eliminate Excess Words
 Emphasize Verbs
 Verbs are more powerful words in the English Language.
 Stressing verbs make writing concise, clear and powerful.
 Use the Active Voice
 The active voice tells who is doing what.
 The passive voice tells what was done by or to whom or what.
 Active: Isabirayit will conduct a cost-benefit analysis.
 Passive: A cost-benefit analysis will be conducted by Isabirayit.
 Active: The members elected Negash.
 Passive: Negash was elected by the members.
 Active: You have not paid your April Bill.
 Passive: Your April bill has not been paid.
3. Consideration
 Consideration refers to giving thoughtful attention to the receiver/
sender.
 You have to prepare every message with the receiver in mind and try
to put yourself in his/her place.
 Try to visualize your readers/ listeners with their desires, problems,
circumstances, emotions, and probable reactions to your messages.
 Three specific ways to indicate consideration are:

 Focus on ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘We’.

 People are usually concerned about themselves than about others.

Cont.…
 They are likely to read your messages when they see their names and
the pronoun ‘you’ rather than ‘I’ or ‘we’.
 Show interest in readers/ listeners or show reader benefits.
 Your message should show interest in and concern for the reader’s
needs or viewpoints.
 Whenever possible and true, show how your receivers will benefit
from whatever the message asks or announces.
 If so, they will be more likely to react favorably.
 Emphasize the positive, pleasant facts.
 For most people negative words like no, impossible, I cannot etc. have
unpleasant emotions.
 By making clear what you can or will do, you (by implication) make
clear what you cannot do without using a single negative word.
 Apply integrity and Ethics- integrity refers to high moral standards as
honesty, sincerity, decent character etc.
 Ethics on the other hand is concerned with what is right human
conduct.
4. Concreteness
 Often it means using denotative (direct, explicit, often dictionary-
based)
 Rather than connotative words (ideas or notions suggested by or
associated with a word or phrase).
 The following guidelines should help you compose concrete,
convincing messages.
 Use specific facts and figures: whenever possible, use an exact,
precise statement or a figure in place of a general word to make your
message more concrete.
 Put action in your verbs: active verbs help make your message more
Cont.…

 Choose vivid, image-building words: business writing uses less

figurative language than does the world of fiction.

5. Clarity

 Clarity means getting your message across so that the receiver will
understand what you are trying to convey.

 Follow the following guidelines:

 Choose short, familiar, and conversational words. Avoid Greek,

Latin or other technical words.
Cont.…
 Construct short sentences and paragraphs. Generally, short
sentences and paragraphs are preferred; however, a pleasing Varity of
length is also desirable.
 Unity: Have one or main idea in sentence, and any other points or
ideas must be closely related to it.
 Coherence: Words should be correctly arranged so that they clearly
express the intended meaning.
 Include examples, illustration, and visual aids when desirable.
Some important statements, words, or phrases may be underlined
numbered, typed in capital or italics.
6.Courtesy

 Courtesy is a combination of consideration and showing good

manners.

 You can be courteous in your business communication by being

thoughtful, appreciative, and sincerely tactful.

 Avoid expressions that irritate, hurt or belittle others

 Do not ignore answering customers’ or employees’ inquires no matter

how busy you are.

 Sometimes silence (neglect) may be considered significantly

discourtesy.
Cont.…

 Totally ignoring inquires communicates unfavorable nonverbal

messages that may lead to loss of business or employee morale.
 Avoid blunt behavior. Blunt behavior is common cause of discourtesy.

7.Correctness
 The correctness principle is more than proper grammar, punctuation
and spelling.
 A message may be perfect grammatically mechanically but still lose a
customer and fail to achieve a purpose.
 Though mistakes are never intentional, they spoil our image.
Cont.…
 Errors in the messages fall in the following categories:

a. Use the right level of language.

 There are three levels of language –formal, informal, and sub formal.
 The formal level of language is used for scholarly dissertation, master
and doctoral thesis, government agreements, legal documents, etc.
 The informal language refers to the language of business used for
letters, memos, reports etc.
b. Check the accuracy of words, figures and facts.
 The following words are often confusing: a and an, anxious, eager,
between and among, counsel, and council etc.
c. Maintain acceptable writing mechanisms.
 This refers to:
 Spelling errors
 Punctuation marks
 Capitalization
 Grammatical accuracy
 Sentences and paragraph structures
 Format for memos, letters, reports etc.
d. Choose non-discriminatory expressions
 Equal treatment of sexes
 Use humankind rather than mankind
 Use chairperson rather than chairman.
 CHAPTER FIVE
Legal, International and Inter-cultural aspect of Communication
5.1. Legal Aspect of Business Communication
 Legal aspect refers to the selection of words used in Business
Communication so as to ensure their conformity with the rules
 and regulations laid by the country’s business law failure to which
may cause a person to be up against legal actions.
 A person or the communicator should be mindful of the following
areas while communicating with:
Cont.…
 Defamation
 Fraud
 Invasion of privacy
 Miscellaneous areas

1.Defamation: “The unconsented & unprivileged publication of a false

idea which injures the reputation of a person in a society is called
Defamation.”
 We will dilate on this area by giving a focused view to some of the
important terms used in the definition.
Cont.…
 Unconsented: Unconsented means “without agreement”.
 This makes the first point clear that whatever a person is to defame
the other person, it is against the will or consent of the other person.
 Unprivileged: This means “Unrightfully”.
 It’s plain to understand that it is defaming another person when he is
not given the privilege or right by the law to defame.
 Privilege is mainly of two types.
 Absolute privilege.
 Conditional/Qualified privilege.
Cont.…
A. Absolute Privilege: A person has absolute privilege to defame the
other person means he has been given full right by the law to defame
the other person on any matter whatsoever.
 This case is limited to the following areas:
 Judicial Proceedings.
 Assembly Proceedings.
 Official Proceedings.
B. Conditional/Qualified Privilege: Privilege under certain conditions
or privilege to defame on certain matters is called Conditional Privilege.
 For example, an employer may defame his employee on the
following matters like tenure or salary or Responsibilities.
i) Publication: When a defamatory matter is made known to a third
party either intentionally or unintentionally it’s called publication.
 Publication branches off into two types:
 Slander: Slander is an oral defamation.
 Libel: It means to use written material such as newspapers, letters,
pictures etc. to defame a person.
Cont.…
 As against slander, libel is considered as the severer one and is of
more serious consequences because the defamatory material is at hand
to drag the defamer to the court of law.
ii) False Idea: A statement which is termed as defamatory should be
false in its nature.
 If it’s right and not false, then it can never be termed as defamation.
 Therefore, if in a court of law the defendant proves that whatever he
made public about the plaintiff is absolutely true, he could no more be
liable in the case of defamation.
2. Invasion of Privacy
Invasion of privacy includes:
 Intrusion into a Person’s Physical solitude: This sheds light upon
the fact that there are certain activities we engage in our solitude or
loneliness.
 If a person infringes upon another person’s such activities, he’s
invading upon that person’s privacy.
 Disclosure of private facts about an individual: If some private
facts shared by two individuals are disclosed by any one of person,
it’s invasion of privacy.
Cont.…
 Using a person’s name or identity for a commercial purpose
without his permission: We call it invasion of privacy when without
the consent of a person, his name or identity is used.
 Throwing false public light to a person unintentionally: If
unintentionally a person is exposed to public attention censure then
the person responsible for it may have the court of law to answer to
for invading upon the innocent’s privacy.
3.Fraud
“Fraud is an intentional misrepresentation of facts with a view to induce
the other to enter into a contract”.
 Essential elements of a fraud
 It must be intentional: To do a fraud a person should willingly
misrepresent a fact.
 It must relate to a material fact: It means that a fraud is always related
to an important fact (A fact upon which a contract is made).
 It must be given before the conclusion of the contract: This signifies
that a fraud is always done before the ending of a contract.
 After the end of the contract a fraud cannot be termed as a fraud even
if it is a fraud.
 Therefore, making the person responsible for the fraud not liable for
any legal proceedings.
Cont.…
 It must induce the other party: A fraud is designed in a manner so as
to compel the other party to engage in a contract.
 It must be a statement of fact not a statement of opinion: It means that
it should base upon a concrete fact, which does not vary from person
to person.
 It must result in a loss to the aggrieved party: It makes the point
distinct that a fraud is always end in a financial loss to the victim.
4. Miscellaneous areas
 Currency notes and government papers etc: A person who
counterfeits currency notes, treasury bills or bonds may find himself
in the court of law for a crime like that.
 Copyright: Theft of copyright material such as republishing a book
without the consent of the publisher and reproduction of an authorized
recorded tapes or CDs may cause a person liable to legal actions.
 Pornographic material: Any obscene material, which is against the
morality.
5.2. International and Inter-cultural aspect of Business
Communication
5.2.1. International communication
 International communication defined as communication that occurs
across international borders has been traditionally
 concerned with government-to-government information exchanges in
which a few powerful states dictated the communication agenda.
5.2.2. Inter-cultural Communications
 Business practices are shaped by deeply-held cultural attitudes toward
work, power, trust, wealth—and communication.
 Communication is fundamental in business, because business is a
 Goods and services are created and exchanged through the close
coordination of many persons,
 sometimes within a single village, and sometimes across global
distances.
 Intercultural communication, as the name indicates, is concerned with
communication across cultures.
 A communication studies scholar distinguishes it from cross-cultural
studies of communication as follows:
 ‘Cross-cultural’ and ‘intercultural’ are often regarded as
interchangeable.
 They are, nevertheless, different.
Cont.…
 Cross-cultural research involves comparing behavior in two or more
cultures
 (e.g. comparing self-disclosure in Japan, the USA and Iran when
individuals interact with members of their own culture).
 Intercultural research involves examining behavior when members of
two or more cultures interact
 (e.g. examining self-disclosure when Japanese and Iranians
communicate with each other).
 Understanding cross-cultural differences in behavior is a prerequisite
for understanding intercultural behavior.
5.3. Six fundamental patterns of cultural differences
 In a world as complex as ours, each of us is shaped by many factors,
and culture is one of the powerful forces that acts on us.
1. Different Communication Styles
 The way people communicate varies widely between, and even
within, cultures.
 One aspect of communication style is language usage.
 Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways.
 For example, even in countries that share the English language, the
meaning of "yes" varies from "maybe, I'll consider it" to "definitely
so," with many shades in between.
Cont.…
 Another major aspect of communication style is the degree of
importance given to non-verbal communication.
 Non-verbal communication includes not only facial expressions and
gestures;
 it also involves seating arrangements, personal distance, and sense of
time.
 In addition, different norms regarding the appropriate degree of
assertiveness in communicating can add to cultural
misunderstandings.
2. Different attitudes toward conflict
 Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing, while others view it as
something to be avoided.
 In the U.S., conflict is not usually desirable; but people often are
encouraged to deal directly with conflicts that do arise.
 In fact, face-to-face meetings customarily are recommended as the
way to work through whatever problems exist.
 In contrast, in many Eastern countries, open conflict is experienced as
embarrassing or demeaning; as a rule, differences are best worked out
quietly.
 A written exchange might be the favored means to address the
3. Different approaches to completing tasks
 From culture to culture, there are different ways that people move
toward completing tasks.
 Some reasons include different access to resources; different
judgments of the rewards associated with task completion,
 different notions of time, and varied ideas about how relationship-
building and task-oriented work should go together.
 When it comes to working together effectively on a task, cultures
differ with respect to the importance placed on establishing
relationships early on in the collaboration.
4. Different decision-making styles
 The roles individuals play in decision-making vary widely from
culture to culture.
 For example, in the U.S., decisions are frequently delegated that is, an
official assigns responsibility for a particular matter to a subordinate.
 In many Southern European and Latin American countries, there is a
strong value placed on holding decision-making responsibilities
oneself.
 When decisions are made by groups of people, majority rule is a
common approach in the U.S.; in Japan consensus is the preferred
mode.
Cont.…
 Be aware that individuals' expectations about their own roles in
shaping a decision may be influenced by their cultural frame of
reference.
5. Different attitudes toward disclosure
 In some cultures, it is not appropriate to be frank about emotions,
about the reasons behind a conflict or a misunderstanding, or about
personal information.
 Keep this in mind when you are in a dialogue or when you are
working with others.
Cont.…
 When you are dealing with a conflict, be mindful that people may
differ in what they feel comfortable revealing.
 The variation among cultures in attitudes toward disclosure is also
something to consider before you conclude that
 you have an accurate reading of the views, experiences, and goals of
the people with whom you are working.
6. Different approaches to knowing
 Notable differences occur among cultural groups when it comes to
epistemologies that is, the ways people come to know things.
5.4. International Communication and Communication Content
 The key question for international marketers/business personnel is
whether the specific communication message
 and media strategies must be changed from region to region or
country-to-country because of environmental requirements.
 Proponents of the one world, one voice" approach to global
communication believes that the era of the global village
Cont.…
 is fast approaching and that tastes and preferences are converging
worldwide.
 According to the standardization argument, because people
everywhere want the same products for the same reasons,
 companies can achieve great economies of scale by unifying
communication around the globe.
 International Business owners who follow the localized approach are
skeptical of the global village argument.
 Three major difficulties occur in attempting to communicate
internationally:
 the message may not get through to the intended recipient, due to a
lack of media knowledge;
 the message may get through but not be understood, due to lack of
audience understanding and:
 the message may get through, be understood but not provoke action.
This may be due to lack of cultural understanding.
 Media availability is a mitigating factor.
 Take for example, television.
5.5. Selecting a communicating and promoting agency
 Another international communication and promotion issue company’s
face is whether to create ads in house, use an outside agency, or
combine both strategies.
 In selecting a communicating and promotion agency, the following
issues should be considered:

 Company organization: Companies that are decentralized may want

to leave the choice to the local subsidiary.

 National responsiveness: Is the global agency familiar with local

culture and buying habits in a particular country, or should a local
selection be made?
Cont.…
 Area coverage: Does the candidate agency cover all relevant
markets?
 Buyer perception: What kind of brand age does the company want to
project? If the product needs a strong local identification, it would be
best to select a national agency.
 Other factors that need to be considered in relation to international
marketing communications (Promotion) include:
 The work ethic of employees and customers to be targeted by media
 Levels of literacy and the availability of education for the national
population
 The similarity or diversity of beliefs, religion, morality and values in
the target nation
 The similarity or diversity of beliefs, religion, morality and values in
the target nation
 The family and the roles of those within it are factors to take into
account.
5.6. Gender Communication
1.Different Communication styles
 The styles that men and women use to communicate have been
described as "debate vs. relate", "report vs. rapport, or "competitive
vs. co-operative".
 Men often seek straightforward solutions to problems and useful
advice
 whereas women tend to try and establish intimacy by discussing
problems and showing concern and empathy in order to reinforce
relationships.
2. Gender Split
 Here is a truly interesting fact: When you start canvassing men and
women on the subject of their social conversational preferences, you
find a great deal of agreement.
 The first, and perhaps most surprising, is that, in mixed company, men
are boring.
 The second: Under similar conditions, women are not.
 The second point is kind of a corollary to the first.
 Given a choice, everyone prefers talking to women.
 Of course there are boring women and interesting men.
3. "Male Logic" and "Women's Intuition"
 Women's conversation tends to emphasize feelings more, which may
also mean that they think about feelings more.
 It does not, however, mean that woman is more emotional.
 It is perfectly possible that men are just as emotional, but for social
reasons they talk (and think) about their feelings less.
 Similarly, the fact that in most cultures men argue more about abstract
things does not mean that men are naturally more logical,
 it just means that the things men prefer to talk about require logical
argument more than they require expression of feelings.
5.6.1. Gender Differences in Communication
 Who talks the most?
 In mixed-gender groups, at public gatherings, and in many informal
conversations, men spend more time talking than do women.
 For example, in one experiment, the men with expertise talked longer
than the women with expertise.
 Men initiate more interaction than do women.

 Who interrupts?

 Men are more likely than women to interrupt the speaking of other

people.
Cont.…
 A study of faculty meetings revealed that women are more likely than
men to be interrupted.
 Some of the interruptions that women experience come from other
women.
 (Women, when they do interrupt, are more likely to interrupt other
women than they are to interrupt men, according to two studies.)
 Women are more likely than men to allow an interruption of their talk
to be successful (they do not resist the interruption as much as men
do).
End of the course

Thank you!!