business communication unit 1

8/12/2019 Business Communication Unit 1

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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

UNIT 1:- ESSENTIALS OF COMMUNICATION

1. What is the meaning of the term omm!niation"

The term communication is derived from a Latin word communis which means common. This means establishing a

common ground. Now whatever is common is shared by all. But what is that which is shared by all in communication? It

is fact, ideas, understanding, opinions, information etc. In the words of Newman, Summer & Warren, communication

is an exchange of facts, ideas, and opinions by two or more persons. !ccording toKeith Davis, Communication is the

process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. "ommunication should not be

interpreted as merely sending or receiving messages. It involves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening

and understanding. It is a two way process and is complete only when there is some response from the receiver of

information.

#. What is the nat!re of omm!niation"

!n analysis of various definitions of communication revel the nature or characteristics of communication which are as

follows#$

%. Comm!niation in$o%$es at %east t&o 'ersons: "ommunication involves at least two persons the sender and the

receiver. The sender sends the messages and is &nown as the communicator. The receiver receives the message and is

&nown as communicate.

'. Comm!niation is a t&o &a( 'roess: "ommunication is essentially a two way process. It does not merely means

sending and receiving messages. It is not complete unless and until the message has been understood by the receiver inthe same sense.

(. )!r'ose of omm!niation: This basic purpose of communication is to create an understanding. The receiver should

understand the message sent and should response accordingly.

). Form of omm!niation: "ommunication may ta&e several form e.g. order, instruction, report, *ueries etc. it may be

verbal or written. It may be formal or informal.

+. So'e of omm!niation: communication pervades all human relationship. It is essential in all type of organiational

and at all levels of management.

-. Comm!niation is a *(nami 'roess: "ommunication is influenced by the mood and thin&ing of the sender and

receiver. The way a message is accepted depends upon the fact that which of the fine sensory organs of the receiver is

active at that time.

. Comm!niation is m!h more than &or*s: "ommunication is not merely sending or receiving facts, e/pressed in

words. It also involves ideas and emotions. ! lot of communication is done through signs, symbols and gestures.

0. Comm!niation is a goa% oriente* 'roess: "ommunication is a goal oriented and effective only when there is

congruence of goals of sender and receiver.

1. Comm!niation is on$ersationa%: "ommunication sets up a lin& between facts, ideas and thus helps the

communicator and communicatee to progress logically.

%2. Comm!niation is an inter*isi'%inar( siene: "ommunication to be effective derives &nowledge from several

sciences li&e anthropology 3study of body language4, sociology 3study of human behavior4, psychology 3study of

attitude4 etc.

+. What is the signifiane of omm!niation"


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"ommunication is the life blood of business. It is an all pervasive function of management. Today the organiationalstructure is designed on the basis of specialiation and division of labour. Large number of people wor& together who are

functionally related to each other. Thus, co ordination is must amongst the wor&men. "o$ordination can be achieved onlywhen there is mutual trust and understanding between them. This understanding is created by effective communication.

Thus communication is an essential ingredient for effective management. 5urther the role of communication may be

summed up as#$

%. The ob6ectives, plans and policies of the organiation are cleared to the wor&ers through communication.

'. It provides unity of direction to various activities of the enterprise.

(. It helps in controlling and coordinating the various activities of the organiation.

). It helps in motivating the wor&ers of an organiation.

+. It helps the managers to develop their managerial s&ill.

,. What is the nee* of omm!niation"

!ccording toSir John Harvey-Jones, "ommunication is the single most essential s&ill. 7ffective communication is the

need of the day.8 In reent times omm!niation has eome a%% more essentia% *!e to the fo%%o&ing reasons:-

1. ro&th in the si/e of the !siness organi/ation: !n efficient system of communication is re*uired because the

business organiations are growing tremendously. Thousands of people wor& in the organiation. 9rganiations have

factories or offices in different parts of the country or even world.

#. A*$ane tehno%og(: :ay by day rapid changes are ta&ing place in science and technology leading to obsolescence of

old technology. Thus in order to upgrade or modernie technology proper communication between the superior and

subordinate in an organiation is a must.

+. To!gh om'etition in the mar0et: ;lobaliation and liberaliation have resulted in cut throat competition. Thus to

survive such competition, persuasive communication in form of advertisement, publicity, personal contacts are essential.

,. ro&ing s'eia%i/ation: :ivision of wor& paved way for specialists to wor& in different department


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(. Message: =essage is the heart of communication. It is what the sender wants to convey to the receiver. It may beverbal i.e. written or spo&en or non verbal i.e. body language, space language, etc.

). Eno*ing: To encode is to put an idea into words. In this step the communicator organies his ideas into a series ofsymbols or words which will be communicated to the intended receiver. Thus the ideas are converted into words or

symbols. The words and the symbols should be selected carefully, it should be understandable and most of all it should

be suitable for transmission and reception.

+. Transmission: Ne/t in the process of communication is transmission of the message as encoded messages aretransmitted through various media and channels of communication connects the sender and the receiver. The channel and

media should be selected &eeping in mind the re*uirement of the receiver, the communication to be effective and

efficient the channel should be appropriate.

-. 5eei$er: Aeceiver is the person or group for whom the message is meant. e may be a listener, a reader or a viewer.

!ny neglect on the part of the receiver may ma&e the communication ineffective. Aeceiver is thus the ultimate

destination of the message. It the message does not reach the receiver the communication is said to be incomplete.

. 6eo*ing: :ecoding means translation of symbols encoded by the sender into ideas for understanding. nderstanding

the message by receiver is the &ey to the decoding process. The message should be accurately reproduced in thereceiver


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+. 3ori/onta% omm!niation: The flow of information between departments or people of e*ual level in anorganiational structure may be termed as horiontal or lateral communication. The two departments may be under the

same superior or may have different heads. @uch communication may be written or oral. The main ob6ect of lateralcommunication is to co$ordinate the efforts of different departments or persons.

,. 6iagona% omm!niation: :iagonal communication is between people who are neither in the same department nor

on the same level of organiational structure. It cuts across departmental lines. It generally ta&es place when members

cannot communicate effectively through other channels.

These upward, downward, horiontal or diagonal communications may be oral, written, informal or gestural.

19. What are the a*$antages of Forma% Channe% of omm!niation"

%. !ll information flows through the proper channel in an orderly and smooth way.

'. 5ormal channel helps in fi/ing responsibilities for the activities carried out in an organiation thereby ensuring

control.

(. In 5ormal "hannel the superior and the subordinates are in direct contact with each other. @o a better understanding

develops between them.

). The information is filtered at every level of organiation which ensures that only essential C necessary information

passed to the ne/t level.

+. 5ormal channel cover all sub system of an organiation.

11. What are the *isa*$antages of Forma% omm!niation"

%. 5ormal channel is a slow and rigid channel therefore they are time consuming.

'. The superiors are overloaded as they have to filter the information and pass only the essential part of information.

(. 5ormal channel is a narrow channel of communication.

). >ossibilities of over filtration of information cannot be denied which may lead to distortions of information.

+. 5ormal channel are e/pensive as the messages are generally conveyed in writing.

1#. What is the im'%ie* ( Informa% omm!niation"The informal channel of communication is that channel of communication which is not officially prescribed. It is that

route which is used by wor&men in an organiation to maintain social 3informal4 relationship amongst themselves. It is

thus created as a result of operation of social force in an organiation. It can be said that informal communication flows

through corridors to water coolers, down hallways through lunchrooms and where ever wor&men get together in groups.

Informal communication co$e/ists along with formal communication and supplements it. 7/# $ gossip and tal&ing

between employees at brea& and free time.

1+. What is a ra'e$ine"

Informal communication is &nown as grapevine. ;rapevine arises because of the desire of the people to communicate

without following the formal channel of communication. It follows no setlines, nor any definite rules, but spreads li&egrapevine, in any direction anywhere

1,. What are the fators res'onsi%e for ra'e$ine"

!ccording to Deith :avis ;rapevine is a product of situation. It steadily ta&es place when#$

%. Eor&men in the organiation are faced with uncertainties li&e promotional chances, increments, 6ob insecurities, etc.

'. Ehen there are possibilities of certain changes in an organiation li&e change in policy, adoption of new technology,

etc.

(. Ehen wor&men are physically situated close enough to influence and trust each other.

1. What are the *ifferent T('es of ra'e$ine"

Deith :avis has identified four different networ&s for transmitting information via the grapevine#$


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%. Sing%e Stran* Chain: In single strand chain one person communicate with only one person. In this the first persontells something to the 'nd, the 'nd to the (rdperson, the (rd to )thperson and so on till the message is communicated to all.

'. ossi' Chain: In gossip chain one person communicates with many persons. !s soon as a person gets some

interesting non 6og related information he conveys the same to every other person.

(. )roai%it( hain: In probability chain communication ta&es place between many persons. There information isconveyed from one person to another irrespective of the fact that they are related to each other or not whether formally or

informally. In this the information passes at random.

). C%!ster Chain: In cluster chain one person communicates with many other persons but selectively. In this one person

may convey information to ) or + persons whom he &nows very well and can trust out of these )$+ persons one or two

may again pass on the information. !s the number grows larger and larger and information staler, it gradually dies out.

This is &nows as cluster chain because one person while conveying message may from cluster.

What are the a*$antages of Informa% or ra'e$ine omm!niation"

%. It is free from formal lines of authority.

'. "ommunication is faster and *uic&er as the message has not to pass through prescribed route.

(. There is no channel of command and it spreads to all directions.

). If properly utilied it may supplement formal channel of communication as it may be used to clarify managementsview points.

+. It may also provide feedbac& to managers on the reaction of a decision ta&en by the management.

-. Informal communication draws employees closer to each other and builds up a co$ordial relationship.

14. What are the *isa*$antages of Informa% or ra'e$ine omm!niation"

%. ;rapevine often carries half truth and distorted information with an alarming rate of speed.

'. The people in an organiation are li&ely to be mis informed and misled.

(. @ince there is no chain of command it is difficult to fi/ responsibilities on a particular individual.

). 9ften the information transmitted is contradictory in nature.

+. ;rapevine is less orderly and less static and thus the image of the organiation may be spoiled.

17. 3o& an the ra'e$ine e !se* effeti$e%("

;rapevine is *uite powerful and influential. It can cause considerable damage. ence management try to crush it

completely. But ;rapevine cannot be completely eliminated. The ;rapevine can be used effectively in the following

way#$

%. The manager should adopt an open door policy and should &eep each one well versed about plans, prospects policy

matters or any other changes in the organiation.

'. The manager should identify the leader and try to win his confidence. The manager should involve the leaders in the

decision ma&ing.

(. The manger should listen to every gossip or rumours and analyse it to get to the nerve of the feelings of employees.

). The manager should maintain a cordial relationship with his subordinates so as to reduce the possibility of grapevine.

+. !s far as possible the manager should wor& towards providing healthy atmosphere at the wor&place. 9ne cannot stop

rumours or curb grapevine altogether but efforts should be ta&en to chec& these as far as possible.18. What is Inter-*e'artmenta% omm!niation"

The communication between the members of various department of a company 3vi. production, planning, mar&eting,

sales etc.4 is &nown as Inter$ :epartmental communication. Inter-6e'artmenta% Comm!niation: F!ntion

#9. What are the a*$antages of Inter 6e'artmenta% Comm!niation"


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The a*$antages of Inter 6e'artmenta% Comm!niation are as fo%%o&s:

%. It helps to collaborate and achieve the ob6ective of the organiation.

'. It helps in bringing about co$ operation and harmony in the organisations functioning.

(. It also helps in avoiding

i. nnecessary conflicts

ii. >oor performance

iii. Time delays

iv. :ecisions that wor& at cross purposes.

#1. What are the maor a!ses of Inter 6e'artmenta% Comm!niation )ro%em"

Inter 6e'artmenta% Comm!niation 'ro%em arises *!e to the fo%%o&ing reasons:

%. 6e'artments are 'h(sia%%( se'arate*

Fery after the various departments in an organiation are separated physically this creates barriers to effective

interdepartmental relationship which restricts the natural communication process.

'. 6e'artmenta% 'erform se'arate f!ntion

The various departments perform functions and thus each department has different priorities. This causes barriers incommunication.

##. What are the $ario!s Means an* Me*ia of Comm!niation"

=essages, ideas, suggestions etc. are the sub6ect matter of communication. They are abstract and intangible, their

transmission and receipt re*uire the use or certain symbols. The symbols may be#$

%. Ferbal "ommunication symbol

'. Non$Ferbal "ommunication symbol

7ach of these symbols may be either used e/clusively, that is to the complete e/clusion of others, or as is very

commonly the case, two or more of these can be used to supplement each other. The verbal communication and nonverbal communication can be further classified as follows#

9ral

Ferbal "ommunication Eritten

@ign Language

Non$ Ferbal "ommunication Body Language >ara Language @pace, surrounding and time

#+. What is ;era% Comm!niation"

The term verbal means use of words. Ferbal communication means communication through words which may be oral

or written. Thus in verbal communication words are the main communication symbols used on and off the 6ob. Eordsinfect ma&e languages and are most accurate and powerful symbols. Therefore most of the communication in wor& place

through words.

#,. What is ora% omm!niation"

9ral communication means communication through words spo&en i.e. by speech#$ In ora% Comm!niation< Both the

parties to the process, i.e. sender and receiver, e/change their ideas through oral words either in face to face

communication or through any mechanical or electrical device, such as telephone etc. in this system person can e/change

their feelings fully and clarification regarding any doubt or ambiguity may be sought. 9ral communication is preferred

by ran& and file employees as well as supervisors and managers, as they en6oy the opportunity to as& *uestions and to

participate.

Advantage:


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%. Eonomia%: 9ral communication is relatively less e/pensive. It saves the money spent on stationary in anorganiation.

'. Time se$er: 9ral communication is fast. It saves the time involved in writing the message.

(. F%e=i%e: 9ral communication is very fle/ible in sense it provides an opportunity to the spea&er to correct himself and

ma&e himself clear by changing his voice, pitch, tone etc.

). >!i0 res'onse: 9ral communication is also helpful in getting *uic&er response from the receiver. The spea&er getsimmediate response from the receiver. It thus provides immediate feedbac& to both sender and receiver.

+. )ersona% to!h: 9ral communication is personal in nature. It is this nature that brings superiors and subordinates

closer. It is also an effective tool of persuasion.

-. Maintains sere(: 9ral communication has an added advantage of maintaining secrecy. 9ral messages can be more

easily &ept confidential than written messages.

. ro!' omm!niation: 9ral communication is an effective tool for communicating with the groups at large. ;roup

reactions can also be interpreted immediately to arrive at reasonable conclusions.

6isa*$antages?Limitation:

%. Time Cons!ming: 9ral communication may not be time saver always. =any a times it is seen that meetings continue

for a long time without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion.

'. )oor retention: 9ral communication is more li&ely to be forgotten. The listener cannot always retain oral messages in

his memory for long. @ometimes even the spea&er may not remember what he actually said.

(. Not s!ita%e for %ength( messages: Fery often oral communication gets distorted. This is more so in case of lengthy

messages when communicated through various level of hierarchy.

). No 5eor*:No permanent record is &ept in case of oral communication. In the absence of record, oral messages have

no legal validity.

+. Mis!n*erstoo*: In oral communication, much depends upon the tone, pitch, voice etc. the spea&er, due to his poor

vocal e/pression, may not be able to ma&e himself clear and the listener may also be in attentive. Thus the message may

be misunderstood.

-. Not 'reise: 9ral communication is not precise and to the point. >eople are more precise when they write rather when

they spea&. Fery often, the e/act message to be conveyed is lost in a mass of words.

#. What is &ritten omm!niation"

Eritten communication means communication through words written. In written communication, both the parties to the

process, i.e. sender and receiver, e/change their ideas through written words, graphs, diagrams, pictographs, etc. It

transmits messages through letters, memos, notices, circular notes, manuals etc. Ehile oral communication is

spontaneous and natural, written communication re*uires conscious efforts. Eritten communication depends on

language as a means up of sentences into clauses and of matter into paragraph etc is very important.

#2. What are the Charateristis of Written omm!niations"

The harateristis of &ritten omm!niation are as fo%%o&s:-

%. Eritten communication is a one cycle even because it does not get immediate response from the receiver.

'. Eritten communication is specific when it is meant for specific persons. It can also be general when it is meant for

public at large.

(. Eritten communication is a creative activity. It re*uires a lot of imagination and continuous efforts.

). Eritten communication is however not spontaneous. It re*uires a meticulous planning on the part of the writer.


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+. Eritten communication is time ta&ing. The message has to be planned, drafted and finally encoded 3written4 beforesending.

#4. What is the Im'ortane of Written Comm!niation"

%. Eritten communication is indispensable to an organiation. Gust as it is impossible to thin& of social life without oral

communication, it is impossible to thin& of business or an organiation without written communication. It is thebac&bone of the business communication.

'. Eritten communication is used more in an organiation because face to face communication is not always possible,

due to employees being spread over widely located geographical distance.

(. Eritten communication assigns responsibility. In an organiation employees have to function within defined limits of

authority and responsibility. In the absence of written communication it is not easy to determine responsibility.

). Eritten communication, through its media of letters and menus to its creditors, shareholders can boost up the image of

the organiation.

#7. What are the a*$antages an* 6isa*$antages of Written Comm!niation"

A*$antages:

%. )ermanent 5eor*: Eritten communication provides a permanent record for future reference and serves as a good

guide for decision ma&ing and planning in future.

'. )reise an* A!rate: The writer tries to organie his ideas logically before penning them down. !s a result written

communication tends to be more accurate, precise and reliable.

(. Lega% e$i*ene: Eritten messages provide a permanent record and as such are used as legal evidence in a court of

law. Eritten records are more reliable and acceptance as documentary proof.

). Wi*e o$erage: Eritten communication has the widest possible coverage. It is perhaps the only means of

communication when the sender and the receiver are separated by long distance.

+. Eas( to !n*erstan*: Eritten messages can be read and re$read again and again. Thus it is li&ely to be understoodbetter.

-. S!ita%e for %ength( message: Lengthy messages loose their authenticity in oral communication. Eritten

communication is thus very suitable for transmitting lengthy messages.

. Ai*s ontro%: Eritten communication encourages deliberation, permits editing and review, helps to prevent distortion

and conse*uent misunderstandings.

6isa*$antages:

%. Time ons!ming: Eritten communication is not suitable when the message is to be sent immediately. It is timeconsuming event which re*uires time in not only sending it but also in putting the message in writing.

'. 5igi*: Eritten communication is rigid and lac&s fle/ibility. The doubts and *ueries cannot be clarified immediately.

(. Cost%(: Eritten communication is a bit more e/pensive than oral communication. It costs a lot in terms of stationary,postage and typing costs.

). La0 of sere(: It is difficult to maintain secrecy in written communication.


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+. 6e%a(e* fee*a0: Eritten communication is mostly handicapped by its inability to get immediate feedbac&. Thesender of the message is not able to 6udge the response of the receiver from his facial e/pression.

-. Inrease the &or0%oa*: Eritten communication creates mountains of paper cluttered around the premises of theorganiation. The staff has a tough time in managing it very often valuable papers are lost. Therefore staffHmanagers

have to be e/tra careful about the papers.

#8. What is the Non-$era% Comm!niation"

Non$verbal communication is not the communication which involves neither written nor spo&en words but ta&es place

without the use of words. In it we are concerned with such things as body movements, space, time voice toneHpitch,

general characteristics of the environment colour, and any &ind of audio or visual signals that the communication may

use.

Im'ortane:

%. Non$verbal communication is important because action spea& louder than words.

'. Non$verbal communication reveals a person true feeling, motivation or character. :ue to this non verbalcommunication are superior to verbal communication.

(. Non$verbal communication is much more efficient than verbal communication wave of hand or pat or the bac& spea&svolume.

+9. What is @inesis"

!ccording to a scientific analysis, verbal communication accounts for bodily movements, gestures accounts ++ and

voice, tone etc. account for (0 of our total communication. @ince bodily movement, gestures etc are also important for

communication, they are being systematically studied as a sub area of non verbal communication. It has been termed as

DIN7@I"@. The word &inesics literally means body movement. It stands for the way the body communicates withoutwords, and through various movements of its parts.

+1. What is the Im'ortane of @inesis"

%. The importance of &inesics can be put brought forward by the words of famous psychologies )a!% E0man who says,

Ee tal& with our vocal cord but we communicates with our facial e/pression, tone and pitch of voice, our whole body.8

'. The importance of body language lies in the fact that one can play fast and loose with words but body language spea&s

truth.

(. Ehen managers consciously read what others are conveying by body movement, they can easily deal with issues

before their become problem.

). Non$verbal communication is also important because it is efficient. ! message can be very well transmitted more

economically than any other means of communication.

+#. 3o& are o*( mo$ements of a 'erson g!i*e* ( his tho!ghts an* fee%ing"

!ll body movements, postures, gestures etc. are guided by our thoughts processes, emotions etc. our nodding of head,

blin&ing of eyes, waving of hands and shrugging of our shoulders sends out signals and messages that spea& louder than

words. That is why it is called Body Language. Gust as language use sets of symbols to convey meaning, our body too

both consciously and un$consciously, &nowing and un&nowingly carries messages, status relationships, moods warmth,

indifference etc. 9ne has to infer these meaning from body symbols.

++. What is the ro%e of *ifferent 'arts of the o*( in omm!niation"


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%. 3ea*: ead occupies a very important place in our body. @imilarly it also plays a very important role incommunication. The way we hold our head conveys a lot. The posture and movement of head are very important in face

to face communication. Let us see what each posture conveys#$

i. A hea* he%* !': @ign of honour, self respect and self confidence.

ii. A hea* ent %o&: @ign of modesty, politeness, or guilt.

iii. A stiff%( hea*< he%* or *ra&n a0 &or*s: @ign of pride, or naughtiness.

'. Fae: ! popular states the face is the inde/ of mindi.e. the face is the mirror of mind. The face is indeed the

primary site for e/pressing emotions. It reveals both the type and intensity of the feeling. 5acial e/pression conveys a lot

without spea&ing a single word. 7very facial muscle and every part of the face is an instrument of communication be it

eye brows, the lines of forehead, the chee&s lips. ! manager can very well practice to interpret these signals by first

observing his own e/pression in a mirror.

(. E(e Contat: 7ye command particular attention as a source of non verbal communication. 7yes communicate our

deepest feeling. In face to face communication eye contact is of great importance. They are especially effective for

indicating attention and interest, influencing others, regulating interaction and establishing dominance. 7yes adopt

different position in different situations such as#$

i. Fi=e* e(e: @how concentration.

ii. 5aise* e(es: Indicate fear or surprise.

iii. Smi%ing e(es: Aeflect happiness.

iv. Long fi=e* ga/e: @how interest.

v. E$asi$e e(es:Nervousness or lac& of interest.

). est!res: The physical movement of arms, legs, hands, torso and head are called gestures. They also play a very

important role in conveying meaning or messages without using words, e/amples#$

i. >ounding fist on the table shows anger

ii. !rms spread apart means wide.

iii. @huffling from one leg to another means nervous or restlessness etc.

The anger the gesture, the louder the speech. @peech and gesture go together and therefore, have to be proudly co$

ordinated. Lac& of co$ordination between speech and gestures will lead to confusion.

+. Bo*( sha'e an* 'ost!res: Behaviourial scientists have studied the shape of the human body and have broadly put

there in the following three types#$

i. Etomor'h: thin, youthful and tall.

ii. Mesomor'h: strong, athletic and muscular.

iii. En*o mor'h: 5at round and soft.

Ee however cannot do much about our body shape but we can definitely put it to effective use. @tanding or sitting erect,

leaning forward or bac&ward, stretching or bending sideways all convey meanings. ! person can ma&e both positive and

negative impression of himself or others through his body posture. Therefore we should ma&e efforts to ensure that our


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body does not send out wrong or negative signals especially during interview, meeting and other formal or informalinteractions.

+,. What are the a*$antages an* *isa*$antages of @inesis"

A*$antages:

%. Body language communication is easily visible. It helps the receiver of the message in decoding the message.

'. It adds intensity to the process of communication.

(. >eople are for the body language so it goes a long way to improper the overall atmosphere.

6isa*$antages:

%. No one can totally rely upon the body language because it is non verbal. It cannot be ta&en seriously.

'. There are chances of misinterpretation because people belonging to different cultural bac&grounds send different body

signals.

(. If the listener are inattentive, these body languages become ineffective.

+. What is )ara Lang!age"

>arameans li&e. >ara language means li&e language. It is non$verbal communication which is closely related to

verbal communication. It is non verbal communication because it does not comprise words. It is li&everbal

communication because it is related to way the words are spo&en. Eithout it words do not convey their intended

meaning. Ehile verbal communication consists of whator the contents of words, paralanguage involves the howof

a spea&ers voice or the ways in which the spea&er spea&s. 7/ample of paralanguage is voice, words stress etc.

+2. What is the $ario!s e%ements of )ara %ang!age"

%. ;oie: Foice is the most important element of >ara language. Foice tells us about the spea&ers se/, age, bac&ground,

educationJ temperament etc. voice conveys the message in a more effective way. owever these points have to be

considered.

i. )ith $ariation: >itch means highness or lowness of sound i.e. *uality of sound. Eide variation in pitch should bemade during a speech. This is essential and helps in catching the attention of the listener and maintaining the interest inthe speech.

ii. S'ea0ing s'ee*: The spea&ing speed should neither be too fast nor too slow. The speed should be such which ensures

fluency. !s a rule the easy parts of the messages should be delivered at a bris& pace as it is li&ely to be understood easily.

9n the other hand, the difficult complicated, technical part of the message should be delivered at a slower rate.

iii. )a!se: >ause is an important aspect of speech. 9ne cannot and should not go on spea&ing without pause. But pause

have to be at the right moment. ! pause at the right moment can be vary helpful in emphasiing the upcoming sub6ect.

Ehere as an arbitrary pause or unnecessary fre*uent pauses spoils the speech.

iv. ;ariation in $o%!me: an efficient spea&er varies his volume while delivering his speech. Folume means loudness of

voice. Folume variation puts life into one

s speech. owever the loudness of voice should be ad6usted according to thesie of the audience. Ehile spea&ing one should be loud enough to be audible but not too loud to put the audience off.

v. Non f%!enies: speech is not always a continuous string of meaningful words. There are pauses scattered at intervals.

These pause are very often inserted with sounds or utterances li&e ah, oh, uh, hum, you &now, o& etc. These

sound or utterances are called Non fluencies. These non fluencies if used carefully and sparingly add to the fluency of

the spea&er, gives him time to breathe or rela/ and ma&es the listener more alert and gets the message conveyed overtly

or covertly.


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'. )ro'er &or* stress: >roper word stress is at most important in communication. ! spea&er can change the meaning byputting stress on a word here or a word there in the same sentence. 5or e/ample, let us read the following series of

statement, emphasiing the bold word in each#$:id you go for a wal& (ester*a(? :id you go for a &a%0 yesterday? In each of the above statement the same group of

words is used but the stress on different words gives it a different meaning every time it is spo&en. @imilarly we can

change the meaning by stressing different parts of spo&en words li&e play 3noun4 5ly 3noun4 >lay 3verb4 5ly 3verb4. !

good spea&er should put stress on words or parts of words. 9ne should also improve ones word stress by listening the

good spea&ers and participating in discussion.

+4. What are the a*$antages an* *isa*$antages of )ara Lang!age"

A*$antage:

%. >ara language aids the verbal communication. Ferbal communication is incomplete without >ara language.

'. 9ne can very easily 6udge the spea&ers bac&ground both educational and cultural from the way he spea&s.

(. >ara language also indicates the spea&ers position in the hierarchical structure of the organiation.

). >ara language is also helpful in dealing with a particular person.

+. >ara language is not rigid and one can improve it by observing and listening the good spea&ers.

6isa*$antages:

%. >ara language cannot be fully relied upon as it is only a li&e language.

'. Listener has to be open minded otherwise the >ara language may pre6udice him.

(. >ara language can thus be misleading or misguiding.

). It re*uires e/tra care to get the e/act content of the language.

+. :ue to spea&er

s belonging to different speech community it is difficult to achieve uniformity.

+7. What is )ro=emis or S'ae Lang!age"

Non verbal communication involves not only body language and >ara language but also the space around us >ro/emics

is the study of how we communicate with the space around us. The space here means the distance between the sender

and receiver of the message in oral communication. This distance is called pro/imity. E*&ar* T. 3a%% has done very

useful and interesting wor& in his idea. >lacing ourselves in the centre he has presented the space around us in the form

of the following concentric circles#$ :istance wise it can be stated as below#$ Intimate: >hysical contact to %0 inches.)ersona%: %0 inches to ) feet. Soia%: ) feet to %' feet. )!%i: %' feet to as far as one can see or hear.

%. Intimate s'ae %ang!age: In this very close contact is maintained within the space of %0 inches. It is most suitable for

the use of body language as most of our body movement originate within this area. 9nly very special people li&e our

family members, relatives and close friends enter into this area intimate space is very suitable for highly confidentialtal&s and decision concerning sensitive matters.

'. )ersona% s'ae %ang!age: >ersonal space e/tends from %0 inches to ) feet. >eople have normal conversation with

close friends, colleagues and visitors. The nature of communication is more or less personal and is generally rela/ed and

casual. It permits informal spontaneous tal&ing. @ome important decisions are also ta&en in this.

(. Soia% s'ae %ang!age: @ocial space e/tends fro ) feet to %' feet. It is used for formal and official relationship. =ost

of the communication in the organiation ta&es place in this space. "ommunication here is dominated by reason andplanning rather than by emotion and feeling.


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). )!%i s'ae %ang!age:public space e/tends beyond %' feet. "ommunication in public space is highly formal andob6ective. >ublic address system may have to be used. >ublic announcement and election rallies are best e/amples of

public space language.

+8. 3o& is s'ae !se* in omm!niation"

>ro/emics is also concerned about the use of space by groups of people. :ifferent people ma&e use of space around them

in different ways. The way a group uses the space assigned determines their respective position and interaction pattern.

5or e/ample# people seated in front are considered to be bold and are the ones who initiate the conversation. 5i/ed andsemi fi/ed spaces have important implication in communication. Let us analyse it further. Fi=e* s'aes: 5i/ed spaces

refer to permanent features li&e room, walls, buildings and its total capacity, length, breadth etc. These featuresdetermine who interacts with whom, why, how and for what purpose. Semi Fi=e* S'eies: @emi fi/ed spaces refer to

physical features which are not permanent and can be changed or re$arranged. 5or e/ample, furniture decor etc. In other

words semi fi/ed spaces are fle/ible that permits the use of a variety of spaces to conduct different types of

communication. 5or e/ample, some furniture can be arranged or rearranged as per the need of communication.

,9. What is the signifiane of s!rro!n*ing in omm!niation"

@urrounding or physical environment spea&s a language of its own. It is a vast area. Two important parts of surrounding

are colour and layout. Ee get meaning from our surrounding.

@imilarly our choice of colour and design gives signal to others#$

%. Co%o!r: "olours have been used since long to convey meaning. There e/ists, what we may call a colour language

different colours are associated with different attitude. Behaviourial pattern and cultural bac&ground for e/ample white

stands for peace and chastity. >in&, red, yellow, blue represent cheerfulness. Blac&, grey is associated with sober mood

and negative feelings.

'. La(o!t an* 6esign: The layout and design of an office pro6ects the image of an organiation. ! tastefully decorated

office creates good impression. Thus the space arrangement of an office, the furniture and its colour design etc. are

important in communication.

,1. What is Time Lang!age"

Time language is another type of non verbal communication. nder it people communication with each other in terms of

time by showing then in a sophisticated way, the worth of time. Time pervades our thin&ing and dominates our

communication. !ll communication is meant to be suitably timed. Time management is now one of the most important

part of overall management.

,#. What are the Barriers of Comm!niation"

"ommunication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another, any thing that

onstructs the free flow of communication is referred to us Barrier of communication$ 7.g. >roblem in encoding and

decoding, wrong or defective communication channel, noise in the channel etc. Barrier may arise at any of the following

level#

%. The senders level

'. The receivers level

(. The medium of communication.

,+. What are the t('es of Barriers in omm!niation"

Types of Barriers# The barriers to communication in an organiation may be broadly categoried into following groups#

%. >hysical barriers


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'. @ocio$ psychological or personal barriers

(. 9rganiational barriers

). @emantic barriers

+. =echanical barriers

owever, such a classification does not suggest that these are mutually e/clusive. Aather, it is helpful in understandingthe nature of communication barriers.

%. )h(sia% Barriers: There are the environmental factors that also obstruct or reduces the sending and receiving of

communication, such as physical distance distracting noises and other interferences difficulty arises in communicating a

message, when the physical distance increases#$

I. Noise:Noise is first and foremost barrier to effective communication. Noise may be caused by machines, e*uipment,communication device, disturbances in the time of transmission etc. noise also encompasses many other factors such as

the sender may use ambiguous or confusing signal. The receiver may misinterpret the message. Thus communication is

li&ely to be spoilt due to noise.

'. Soio-'s(ho%ogia% or 'ersona% Barriers: There are certain socio psychological factors which restrict the free flow

of communication. They are the attitude and opinions, status consciousness, ones relations with fellow wor&ers, seniors,

6uniors etc. family bac&ground. These restricts participative communication#

I. =otives, attitudes, 6udgments, emotions, and social values of people from the part of the personal barriers.)s(ho%ogia% *istane is also developed with this.

II. In*i$i*!a% 6ifferenes: There are differences in the motives, attitudes and sentiments of the people. @o this causes

problems in encoding and decoding others sentiments, attitudes and motives.

III. 6ifferenes in interest: The interest of people also differs. ! problem may be important for one person but may not

carry weight for another. The ideas, *uestion, attitudes, feelings etc of other party may represent an obstacle to ones

own personal goal.

IF. 6i$ision of )eo'%e: "ommunication is ideas and viewpoint also gets affected by the division of people into classes,castes and communities.

F. 6ifferene of $ie&'oints: "ommunication suffers when there are differences in view point of the different people.

FI. La0 of '%anning: ;ood communication never happens but has to be planned. Ehen people ta&e it lightly and

communicate without planning it turns into miscommunication or mal$communication.

FII. C!%t!ra% arriers: :ue to difference in the cultural bac&ground the same word, phrases, symbols, actions etc. may

mean different to different group of people. =isunderstanding may ta&e place due to this.

FIII. Emotions: @elf control is essential in effective communication. =essages are li&ely to be distorted when it is

influenced by emotions of both sender and receiver.

IK. )oor retention: when people forget the messages reaching them, the need arises to repeat the message using morethan one media of communication for the same message. It should also be noted that about 02 of the messages is lost in

each transmission.

K. )oor %istening: >oor listening defeats the very purpose of communication. It leads of poor retention and incomplete

messages reception. Aeceivers should be encouraged to be attentive listeners.

(. Organi/ationa% Barriers: 9rganiational barriers arise due to defects in the organiation structure and the

communication system of an organiation#


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I. 3ierarhia% *istane: :ownward communication promotes hierarchical distance. The chances of information beingfiltered are more at this structure, because there are several layers. Information received from the top may not reach at

bottom in the same shape. The information gets coloured which brings hierarchical distance.

II. 6i$ersion: :iversion of information is also one of the causes which brings barrier to communication process. 5or

e/ample sometimes a manager diverts the information meant for one person or group to another.

III. Co%o!ring: Information are also coloured by the manager intentionally with a view to twist the situation in their

favour. 5or e/ample, an office may *uote his subordinate wrongly, to spoil his career or his chance of promotion or hisimage in the eyes of the boss.

IF. Stat!s arriers: @tatus is a barrier of communication in a formal organiation. 9rganiational interaction and

communication are influenced by the status and the e/pectations.

F. oa% onf%its: ;oal conflict acts as communication reducers. :ifferent goal lead to bifurcation of interest. :ue to

this communication suffers.

FI. Fi%tering: 5iltering means manipulation of facts by the sender in such a way that the receiver it favourably. This

happens more often in case of upward communication when the subordinates try to please their boss. The result is

communication of incomplete or bias information.

FII. Ins!ffiient 'erio* for a*!stment: >eople ta&e their own time to ad6ust. Ehen the purpose of communication is

to bring about changes, sufficient time should be given to the employees to ad6ust themselves to ensure communication.

). Semanti Barriers: @emantic means the relationships of signs of their reference. @emantic barrier arises from the

disadvantages of the symbolic system. @ymbols have got number of meaning and one has to choose any one of themaccording to the re*uirement of communication. ence, a meaningful distinction should be made between inferences and

facts.

@emantic refers to the study of relationship of words and signs. It arises from the disadvantage of symbolic system.

@ymbol or the language is the most important tool of communication which has to be used very carefully#$

I. Wor*s &ith *ifferent meaning: @ome words convey more than one meaning. Ehen the receiver assigns a different

meaning to a word than what the sender intended, there occurs mis$communication.

II. 6enotation an* onnotation: Eords have two types of meaning. :enotation and connotation. :enotation are the

literal meaning of the words connotation are the suggestive meaning of the words. "onnotation are the suggestive

meanings of the words. "onnotation may be positive or negative. 5or e.g. word cheap may be connected as low price3positive "onnotation4 or low *uality 3negative connotations4 difference in connotation may misinterpret a particular

message.

III. Offensi$e st(%e of omm!niation: Badly e/pressed messages lose their impact. 9ffensive style of communication

leads to communication brea&down causing loss of time and money.

IF. Wrong ass!m'tions: "ommunication should not be based on assumption as it may lead to wrong interpretation. !ll

possible efforts should be made to clarify assumptions.

F. Se%eti$e 'ere'tion: many a time the message is decoded by the receiver in a way which may be selective. In other

words most of the receivers protect their own interest and e/pectations leading to a particular type of feed bac& which

becomes a communication problem.

+. Mehania% Barriers: =echanical barriers include inade*uate arrangement for transmission of news, facts andfigures. 7/ample poor office layout and defective procedure and the use of wrong media led to poor communication.

I. Information o$er%oa*: 7/cess of communication is called information overload. Brevity is the soul of

communication. The receiver cannot comprehend and absorb beyond his mental capacity. is mind will remain closed

for the e/cess part of the communication. Therefore one should be brief and to the point.

II. Loss of transmission: Ehen messages are transmitted from person to person they are filtered. In other words they are

diluted and distorted on the way. In oral communication about (2 of the information is lost in each transmission.

III. 3ea$( ost of transmission: sometimes cost also acts li&e a barrier in communication.

business communication unit 1

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