Chapter-1-Introduction-to-Business-Communication -- Paya Mehta
Chapter-1-Introduction-to-Business-Communication -- Paya Mehta
Managers
Payal Mehra
•Time constraints
• To inform
The speaker is merely elucidating facts, instructions, rules, guidelines,
explanations, and examples.
• To persuade
The speaker aims to change both perception and mindset. The
communication is intended to bring about a change in the target, from
the current to a desired state, through a series of planned statements
• To mobilize
Communication is considered complete when the target has received
the message and understood it, and agrees to act upon it.
Vertical communication
Horizontal communication
•Spoken:
Meetings, presentations, oral instructions, chats, discussions, etc.
•Written:
Bulletin board notices, circulars, letters, memoranda, reports,
proposals, notes, etc.
•Electronic:
E-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing, phone messages, voice
mails, blogs, etc.
• Centralized
– Information is stored and retrieved from a central pool or repository.
The information has to pass through multiple links to reach the
intended audience. This type of network values power over parity
and centralized decision-making over a democratic process.
• Decentralized
– Information is made available to everybody in the network.
Decision-making is consultative and participative. This is particularly
useful when task complexity increases and creative solutions are
required to make effective decisions
• Wikis
• Blogs
• Webcasts
• Instant messaging
• Facebook
• Podcasts
• WhatsApp
• Smartphones
• Instagram
• Short message service (SMS)
• Threads and many
• Twitter (Now X)
more
• Webcasts
•Humans
communication
has existed for
about 30,000 BC .
•Inthe beginning
There was non
verbal
communication not
verbal.
Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
Chapter 1
Business Communication for Managers/ Payal Mehra
Child looks and recognizes
before it speaks
Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
Chapter 1
Business Communication for Managers/ Payal Mehra
2. Nonverbal Communication
Personal Appearance
• Clothing, hairstyles, neatness, jewelry,
cosmetics, posture, stature are part of personal
appearance
• They convey impressions regarding occupation,
age, nationality, social and economic level, job
status and good or poor judgment, depending on
circumstances
• Appearance by Surroundings
• Aspects of surroundings including room size,
location, furnishings, machines, architecture, wall
decorations, floor, lightening, windows, views and
other related features wherever people
communicate orally
• Surroundings will vary according to status and
according to country and culture
Definition:
“The conscious and unconscious movements and
postures by which attitudes and feelings are
communicated, is called body language”.
• Body language can also vary depending on the culture.
There are a set of universally recognized gestures but
many are influenced by our social settings
•Body language may provide clues as to the attitude or
state of mind of a person. For example, it may indicate
aggression, attentiveness, boredom, a relaxed
state, pleasure, amusement, and intoxication
i. Facial Expressions:
• It is said that face is the index of mind
• Eyes and face are especially means of
communicating nonverbally and they can reveal
hidden emotions including anger, confusion, fear,
joy, surprise, uncertainty and others
• Conventions of eye contact are specific to each
culture (e.g. In USA direct eye contact is
encouraged and eye drop or shift away from listener
is thought to be either shy, dishonest and
untrustworthy)
• Postures:
• Posture is the position of a body while standing or sitting
• The way a person stands, sits, leans or shift expresses his interest
in the matter under discussion
• The posture of a person expresses his personality
• An unbecoming and bad posture sends a bad signal
• An interested listener may lean towards the speaker, and one who
is bored may lean away, slump or glances towards the clock
i. Silence:
– How silence communicates?
– Consider how do you feel when you make an oral
request that is met with silence
– Think about the confusion you feel when your
written message generates no response
Example:
Please see the book (Page No. 26)
ii. Time:
○ In the preceding example should you ask again?
○ How do you feel when you are kept waiting two hours after the
scheduled time for an interview?
○ In US culture being on time is to be considered communicating
nonverbally favorable
○ Concept of time varies across cultures
○ For Example: Americans and Germans are quite punctual
○ Middle eastern people think little to be on time in office on
agreed time, which shows that tasks will be completed
regardless of time
○ In Portugal, if you reach on time for a meeting then your host
will be wondered that why you came so early
• Eye contact
• Facial expressions
• Proximity
• Appearance
• Vocal elements
Mental Barriers
We all see the world differently, and the perceptual process
determines what messages we select or screen out. Many times, noise
exists in the mind of the sender or the recipient.
Factors
– stereotyping, fixed beliefs, and a closed mindset
– a sense of superiority, and
– egocentricity
Physical Barriers
In workplace, physical barriers include marked-out territories into
which strangers are not allowed, closed office doors, barrier screens,
separate areas for people of different statuses, and so on.
Personal Barriers
In workplace, personal barriers include fear, mistrust, and suspicion.
Cultural Barriers
When we have to be a part of a group, the unwritten understanding is
that we accept the collective code of conduct or behaviour. Inability to
do that results in cultural barriers.
Interpersonal Barriers
There are various levels at which interpersonal barriers occur:
• Withdrawal
• Rituals
• Pastimes
• Working
• Games
• Closeness
• Technology
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59Business Communication for Managers/ Payal Mehra Chapter 1
Barriers to Communication (Continued)
Information Overload
This occurs when the volume of information received exceeds the
person’s capacity to process it.
Passive Listening
Passive listening is little more than hearing and occurs when the
receiver of the message has little motivation to listen carefully.
Listening to music, stories, television programmes, or pretending to
listen while merely being polite in another’s company may be cited as
examples of passive listening.