BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

[E 307- Professional Communications]

Focus:

- Definition of communication

- nature and process of communication

- Barriers to communication

- conditions for successful communication

- Intercultural communication

- Improving intercultural sensitivity

- Improving intercultural writing skills

What is communication?

The word communication is derived from

communis (Latin), meaning common which stands for
natural activity of human beings to convey opinions,

feelings, information, and ideas

Communication is interchange of thoughts, opinions, or
information, by speech, writing, or signs - Robert Anderson
Communication is the sum of all the things one person does
when he wants to create understanding in the mind of
another; it involves systematic and continuous process of
telling, listening, and understanding. - Allen Louis

Classification of communication:

Interpersonal communication
Intra-personal communication
Group communication
Mass communication
Verbal communication
Non-verbal communication
Meta communication, eg. I have never seen you
so smartly dressed.

Purpose of communication:

Inform [expose, develop and explain the subject]

Persuade [central focus on receiver, not message]
1. Ads

2. flyers

3. brochures, etc

Eg. Now your dream home is just a step away from

being a reality. Simply get an HSBC home loan and

choose from a range of highly flexible repayment

options, based on your convenience.

Five basic questions involving communication

Who? [Encoder]
Says what? [sign/message]
On what channel? [medium]
To whom? [Addressee/decoder]
With what effect? [Prompt]

Process of communication:
Linear concept:
5 basic questions a. Who?
b. Says what?
c. On which channel?
d. To whom?
e. With what effect?

The Linear Model

Shannon-Weaver Model - two way communication process

Based on the idea that communication occurs only when the message has been
received and that it should be received, as far as possible, unchanged.

Two-way

communication process considers communication essentially to be

reciprocal process and a mutual exchange of messages. It makes no sharp

distinction between the roles of sender (SOURCE) and receiver, because
same person plays both roles.

Elements of communication:

Message

Channel [can be written. oral, audio-visual, or live-projections]

Sender

Encoding [changing of message into symbols, i.e. words/

gestures/ pictorial forms/signs]
Receiver [target audience]
Decoding
Acting

Feedback

Noise [prevents or distorts communication]

Filters [attitudes, beliefs, experience, consciousness, personal

status]

Barriers to communication:

Noise
Lack of planning
W r o n g / u n c l a r i fi e d
assumptions

Semantic problems
Cultural barriers
Socio-psychological
barriers

Emotions
Selective perception

Filtering

Information overload
Loss by transmission
Poor retention
Poor listening

Goal conflicts

Offensive style

Time and distance

Abstracting, etc

Conditions for successful communication: [1]

Keith Davis rule of five to guide the receiver:

1. Receive
2. Understand
3. Accept
4. Use
5. Feedback

Conditions for successful communication: [2]

Francis J Bergins seven Cs for successful communication:
1. Candidness [honest, sincere, unbiased] - frankly speaking

2. Clarity [verbalise ideas accurately/ accurate, familiar words with

proper intonation, stress, and pause]

3. Completeness [not missing any part / be planned and structured]

4. Conciseness [brief / say in minimum words]

- Instead of saying In recent times , we can say Yesterday/

During the last three months

5. Concreteness [being specific, definite and vivid in description]

6. Correctness [grammatical correction]

7. Courtesy [using words and expression which are not offensive]

Intercultural communication: [1]

[communication across cultures]

How to improve intercultural sensitivity?

- recognising cultural difference

- recognising contextual difference

- recognising ethical and legal difference

- recognising social difference

1. attitude towards materialism,

2. roles and status

3. use of mannerism
4. concept of time

Intercultural communication: [2]

[communication across cultures]

- recognising different context cultures:

1. High context culture [Japan, China, India,

Bangladesh]

2. Low context culture [Australia, Finland, Germany,

Denmark, Norway, USA]

Factors for different context cultures:

- Negotiating style [impersonal VS personal]

- Problem solving techniques [open to disagreement VS

authoritarian]

- Decision making process [quick/efficient VS elaborate/

lengthy]

Recognising Non-verbal differences:

- Concepts of personal space

** Compare two countries with different notion of personal space in communication

Factor(s):

- distance in communication

- Use of body language

** Compare two countries with different notion of body language in communication

Factor(s):

- shaking/ nodding head

- shrugging
- gaze

- shaking hand

Overcoming Ethnocentrism

To overcome ethnocentrism:
- Acknowledge distinctions
- Avoid assumptions
- Avoid judgments

- Increase cultural savvy

- Avoid stereotyping

** Stereotyping is the attempt to categorise individuals by trying to

predict their behaviour on the basis of their membership in a

particular group.

Improving intercultural writing skills:

Recommendations:

1. Use plain language

2. Be clear and precise

3. Address international correspondence properly

4. Avoid slang and idioms
5. Cite numbers carefully
6. Be brief

7. Use short paragraphs

8. Use transitional elements