chapter 9 Flashcards
define communication
Communication is the transferring of a message from the sender to the receiver, who understands the message.
define message
A message is the information or instructions being passed by the sender to the receiver.
Some of the main examples of external communication are:
» orders for goods from suppliers
» sending information to customers about prices and delivery times
» advertising goods or services (this is covered in detail in Chapter 15) » asking customers to pay bills on time.
define internal communication
Internal communication is between members of the same organisation.
define external communication
External communication is between the organisation and other organisations or individuals.
define transmitter or sender
The transmitter or sender of the message is the person starting off the process by sending the message.
define the medium of communication
The medium of communication is the method used to send a message, for example, a letter is a method of written communication and a meeting is a method of verbal communication.
define receiver
The receiver is the person who receives the message.
define feedback
Feedback is the reply from the receiver which shows whether the message has arrived, been understood and, if necessary, acted upon.
define one way communication
One-way communication involves a message which does not call for or require a response
The advantages of two-way communication
» It should become absolutely clear to the sender whether or not the person receiving the message has understood it and acted upon it. If they have not, then perhaps the message needs to be sent again or made clearer. Effective communication has not taken place until the message is understood by the receiver.
» Both people are now involved in the communication process. The receiver feels more a part of this process. He or she can make a real contribution to the topic being discussed or communicated. This may help to motivate the receiver.
define two way communication
Two-way communication is when the receiver gives a response to the message and there is a discussion about it.
There are several factors that the sender of a message should consider before choosing the most appropriate method to use to communicate with the receiver:
» Speed – is it important that the receiver gets the information really quickly
» Cost – is it important to keep costs down or is it more important to communicate effectively, regardless of cost.
» Message details – how detailed is the message? If it contains technical plans, figures and illustrations then, clearly, written and visual forms of communication are likely to be essential.
» Leadership style – is the leadership style a democratic one? If it is, then two- way verbal methods of communication with employees are much more likely to be used than they would be by an autocratic leader.
what are the different types of communication methods
» Verbal methods of communication involve the sender of the message speaking to the receiver.
» Written methods of communication include letters and notices/posters, but increasingly involve the use of information technology
» Visual methods of communication include methods such as diagrams, charts and videos.
Verbal, or oral, communication methods include:
» face-to-face/one-to-one talks/meetings between the sender and the receiver
» telephone conversations
» video conferencing, where groups of people in different locations are able to
see and hear each other through a video/internet link
» meetings and team briefings, which could involve few or many people.
Advantages of verbal communication
» Information can be given out quickly. When this happens at big meetings, it is an efficient way of communicating with a large number of people.
» There is opportunity for immediate feedback and two-way communication.
» The message is often reinforced by seeing the speaker. The body language of the
speaker, how they stand and their facial expressions, can help to put the message across effectively. This, of course, does not apply to telephone conversations.
Disadvantages of verbal communication
» In a big meeting, there is no way of telling whether everybody is listening or has understood the message.
» It can take longer to use verbal methods when feedback occurs than to use a written form of communication.
» When an accurate and permanent record of the message is needed, such as a warning to a worker, a verbal method is inappropriate.
Written methods of communication include the following:
» Business letters – used for either internal or external communication, they should follow a set structure.
» Memos- written messages used only internally. Many businesses use computers to send these through the internal email system. An example of a memo sent by email is shown below.
Advantages of written communication
» There is ‘hard’ evidence of the message which can be referred to in the future. This should help to reduce disagreements between the sender and the receiver about the contents of the message.
» It is essential for certain messages involving complicated details which might be misunderstood if, for example, a telephone call was made. Also, the law in many countries requires certain safety messages to be written and displayed in offices and factories. It is not sufficient to tell people about safety measures – they could be forgotten.
» A written message can be copied and sent to many people. This could be more efficient than telephoning all of those people to give them the same message verbally.
» Electronic communication is a quick and cheap way to reach a large number of people.
Disadvantages of written communication
» Direct feedback is not always possible, unless electronic communication is used. This can, however, lead to too many email messages being created and ‘information overload’, meaning people are unable to pick out the really important messages from the many that might be received. With written messages in other forms, two-way communication is difficult.
» It is not so easy to check that the message has been received and acted upon as with verbal messages – although this can be done with email as a ‘please acknowledge’ function can be set up.
» The language used can be difficult for some receivers to understand. If the written message is too long it may be confusing and lose the interest of the reader.
» There is no opportunity for body language to be used to reinforce the message.
Visual methods of communication include the following:
» Films, videos and Microsoft PowerPoint displays – often used by businesses to help train new staff or to inform sales people about new products.
» Posters – can be used to explain a simple but important message by means of a picture or cartoon. For example, the dangers of operating an unguarded machine or the waste of energy from leaving lights switched on.
Advantages of visual communication
» These methods can present information in an appealing and attractive way. People are often more prepared to look at films or posters than to read letters or notices because of the interesting way they communicate messages.
» They can be used to make a written message clearer by adding a chart or diagram to illustrate the point being made.
Disadvantages of visual communication
» There is no feedback and the sender of the message may need to use other forms of communication to check that the message has been understood. For example, training videos are often followed by a written test for the new staff to check their understanding.
» Charts and graphs are difficult for some people to interpret. The overall message might be misunderstood if the receiver is unsure how to read values from a graph or how to interpret a technical diagram.
define formal communication
Formal communication is when messages are sent through established channels using professional language.
