Business Communication: Types, Sources, and Purposes

This report discusses the different types of business information, their sources, and purposes. It also explores how to present complex internal business information using different methods. Additionally, it covers the production of corporate communications and the legal and ethical issues related to the use of business information.

Business
Communication

Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Task 1.....................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Different types of business information, their sources and purposes.........................................3
P2 Present complex internal business information using three different methods .........................4
Task 3.....................................................................................................................................................5
P3 Produce corporate communications............................................................................................5
P5 Explain the legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of business information.....................7
Task 4.....................................................................................................................................................8
P6 Explain the operational issues in relation to the use of business information.............................8
P7 Outline electronic and non-electronic methods for communicating business information. .......8
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................9
References ..........................................................................................................................................10

Introduction
Business communication defines most organizations, resulting in effective marketing
campaigns, productive interpersonal relationships among co-workers and successful customer
service resolutions. Because audiences demand different kinds of communications in
different situations and settings, effective business communication professionals understand
how to tailor messages for maximum results (Kankaanranta and Lu, 2013). The current report
based on Tesco PLC which is one of the most valuable retail brand in the United Kingdom.
This report will discuss about the various tools of communication which can be electronic
and traditional and its use in the business decision making.
Task 1
P1 Different types of business information, their sources and purposes
Information systems provide companies with internal and external benefits. Internally, they
help to streamline, focus and coordinate the activities of employees and different
organizational departments. In turn, companies benefit from having a more efficient
workforce, which allows them to focus more time and efforts on external affairs such as
marketing, sales and establishing a market presence. Tesco required that to determine such
information which helps to attain their targets in an effective manner.
Verbal information: The sharing of information between individuals by using speech.
Individuals working within a business need to effectively use verbal communication that
employs readily understood spoken words, as well as ensuring that the enunciation, stress and
tone of voice with which the words are expressed is appropriate.
Meetings: At the beginning of the meeting, an organizer uses verbal communication to state
the priorities of the meeting, the desired outcomes and the amount of time allowed to discuss
each topic (Hynes, 2012). By asking for additional input from participants, she ensures the
meeting remains relevant for everyone. The meeting organizer also ensures that every
participant gets a chance to speak without monopolizing the agenda.
Workshops: Workshop organizers use verbal communication to direct the activities of
participants. By providing clear instructions for group, the facilitator ensures a positive
development experience. For example, a leader describes the rules for participating a role-
playing exercises, talks about the scenario and determines how long the activity takes. Using

effective verbal communication, leaders guide participants in researching issues, solving
problems, negotiating solutions and making decisions.
Written information: Written communication allows businesses to communicate
developments, expectations and legalities to employees and contacts in the outside world.
Email Communication: Email is widely used as a form of business communication and
overall it is a highly effective communication tool. Email is inexpensive, only requiring an
Internet connection that is generally already present in the business. Although a printout of
emails is possible, emails often stay as soft copies because archiving and retrieving email
communications is easy to do (Kernbach,Eppler and Bresciani, 2015).
Annual report: The single source of getting information about any company whether it is the
past or present performance or for that matter, the future outlook, detailed financial
performance through the financial statements, corporate governance or CSR activities, all is
compiled in the Annual Report of the company. It helps in assessing the year's operations and
provides the company's view of the upcoming year and future prospects.
Task 2
P2 Present complex internal business information using three different methods
Mission and Vision statement: Companies, like Tesco, that enjoy long-term success, are
focused businesses. They have a core vision that remains constant while the business
strategies and practices continuously adapt to a changing world. In an increasingly
competitive global environment, without a clear vision a business will lack direction and may
not survive. Tesco has a seven-part business strategy to help it achieve its vision. A vision is
an aspirational view of where the business wants to be. It provides a benchmark for what the
business hopes to achieve (Smart, Witt and Scott, 2012). Tesco is a company built around
customers and colleagues. Its vision guides the direction of the organisation and the strategic
decisions it makes. Tesco’s vision is:
‘To be the most highly valued business by: the customers we serve, the communities in which
we operate, our loyal and committed colleagues and of course, our shareholders.’
Tesco’s vision has five elements which describes the sort of company it aspires to be. These
are to be:
 wanted and needed around the world

 a growing business, full of opportunities
 modern, innovative and full of ideas
 winners locally whilst applying our skills globally
 inspiring, earning trust and loyalty from customers, our colleagues and communities.
Goals and objectives:
 To grow the UK core
 To be an outstanding international retailer in stores and online
 To be as strong in everything we sell as we are in food
 To grow retail services in all our markets
 To put our responsibilities to the communities, serve at the heart of what we do
 To be a creator of highly valued brands
 To build our team so that we create more value
Task 3
P3 Produce corporate communications
Corporate Communications is a technique that involves all communication activities
generated by a company to achieve the planned objective (DeKay, 2012). Corporate
Communications is an important activity because it creates strong and appealing ideas, views,
and position on which a company can rely. Ultimately, it helps to grow your business.
Internal corporate communications are those messages that are conveyed to employees and
stakeholders that have an interest in the production side of the business. On the other hand,
external communications are those messages meant for the consumer of the goods or services
the company produces. Internal communications include:
 The company’s mission statement
 Employee manuals and handbooks
 Employee newsletters, e-newsletters and e-mails
 Information contained on the company intranet

 Trainings and seminars
 Unwritten communication such as corporate cultural norms
 Communication given to shareholders (who may also be consumers)
External forms of communication can include the following:
 Annual reports
 Websites
 Facebook, Twitter and other social media
 White papers, case studies, by-lined articles
 External newsletters and email blasts
 Mass media advertising and direct mail
 Blogs
 Brochures and printed sales materials
 Promotional items
P4 Evaluate the external corporate communications of an existing product or service
The communication that is occurred among the organisations is called the external
communication. Every organisation is required to maintain a relation with other organizations
or people with a view to achieving goals (Lauring, 2011). So, when a business organization
exchanges information with other business organizations, government offices, banks,
insurance companies, customers, suppliers, leaders and general people and so on, it is known
as external communication. External communication covers how a provider interacts with
those outside their own organization.
Public Relations: Although many companies focus on sales as a measure of business success,
public perception is just as important to the organization's bottom line. Communications are
one way to shape and define a corporation's image to the community, clients, and potential
investors. External communications such as newsletters, media stories and press releases let
the public know about the company workplace, philanthropic and environmental efforts, and

other image-related activities, all of which serve to strengthen the public relations efforts of a
company.
Communication with Channels: By communicating with customers through direct marketing
channels, distributors or business partners, companies enable sales and delivery of their goods
and services in ways that end up providing benefits for each party. Companies target partners
and suppliers with offers of reduce prices using communication mechanisms such as
brochures, functional specifications and selling guides (Keyton and et. al., 2013). Through
external communication documents such as requests for proposals or statements of work,
companies set up business relationships allowing them to prosper in a complex, global
marketplace.
P5 Explain the legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of business information
People typically associate business compliance with legal factors within a business,
businesses often also run on things they perceive to be ethical, for example WH Smith will
not sell adult magazines to anyone under the age of 16 even though they have no actual legal
age. This is what businesses perceive to be ethical and therefore are seen to be a better
company.
A legal factor is very simply something all businesses will have to abide by. For example,
Smith cannot sell on information about a customer without them giving permission to do so.
Data Protection Act 1998:This law was passed to replace the earlier 1984 law. It very simply
tightened up and made more clearly the previous law. It states what you can and cannot keep
as information for an individual, it clearly states that you are not allowed to keep information
on an individual without their consent and it is very plainly there to protect the consumer
(Mascle,2013).
I think this new law is a very good idea, it means that only information the consumer wants to
share is shared and they never have to share it.
This law thing may be very different, seeing for example what someone looks at weekly,
what someone buys weekly and how they go about buying their items means shops and other
companies can target the consumer’s specific requirements and make everything that the
consumer looks at more relevant.

Task 4
P6 Explain the operational issues in relation to the use of business information
Sensitive data is regularly faxed to the wrong number, visible on mislaid unencrypted
laptops, or unsecured on PCs sold off or discarded with hard drives still full of data. Failing
to protect data provokes serious trust and financial consequences for organisations across all
industries and borders (Kernbach, Eppler and Bresciani, 2015).
Collecting information: When collecting information about customers, try to find out what
your customers are buying, why they are buying, and how often they are buying. Include any
potential customers who have made enquiries about your goods or services.
Remember that customer information is confidential and must be stored securely. Create a
plan for how customer information is to be stored and share it with all staff. A simple way to
store customer information is to use an electronic spreadsheet. If you have more detailed
information, a customer relationship manager (CRM) database might be more suitable. A
CRM can help you analyse customer information to find purchasing trends and identify your
best customers.
Customer information is only useful if it's up to date. It's important to regularly check the
accuracy of your customers' information, and update it where necessary.
P7 Outline electronic and non-electronic methods for communicating business information.
Electronic Methods: As technology progresses, new communications are born and old
ones--many of which seemed new not so long ago--fade away. When you're trying to connect
with employees, colleagues, bosses, clients, customers, suppliers or any other business
contact, you may have more choices than you realize (Hynes, 2012). Whether for
interpersonal or marketing communications.
Social Networking Media: The capability and uses of social networking media continue to
evolve. Some maintain social networking represents a new frontier in marketing and business
networking. Companies promote events, communicate with customers, offer discounts and
draw attention to sales using social networking media.
Email: One of the older forms of electronic communication remains a staple of modern
business. Because of its versatility, email can be used for asking questions and getting
answers, holding mini-group conferences, making people aware of issues, passing along

documents, sharing information and much more. Most courts now admit email as evidence
and legal proof of contracts and transactions (Kankaanranta and Lu, 2011). From a marketing
standpoint, email has become a popular medium for sending messages to customers.
 Non-electronic communication: Review letters, memos and emails prepared by others
in the company. Look for patterns in business communication, like short, to-the-point
paragraphs and requests for further action. Pay special attention to the letters, memos
and other documents created by your boss and other members of the management
team.
 Encourage employees or students to comment and contribute to the bulletin boards
each week. business can allow individuals to post messages on the board or keep a
suggestion box handy. Take care to keep these lines of communication open.
Conclusion
As per the above mentioned report it has been concluded that, business communication plays
a prominent role in every business. This report explained about different types of business
information and its sources. Internal business communication at tactical, operational a
strategic level. It also develops a corporate communication in order to attaining
organizational goals and objectives.

References
Books and Journal
Kankaanranta, A. and Lu, W., 2013. The evolution of English as the business lingua franca:
Signs of convergence in Chinese and Finnish professional communication. Journal
of Business and Technical Communication. 27(3). pp.288-307.
Hynes, G.E., 2012. Improving employees’ interpersonal communication competencies: A
qualitative study. Business communication quarterly. 75(4). pp.466-475.
Kernbach, S., Eppler, M.J. and Bresciani, S., 2015. The use of visualization in the
communication of business strategies: An experimental evaluation. International
Journal of Business Communication. 52(2). pp.164-187.
Smart, K.L., Witt, C. and Scott, J.P., 2012. Toward learner-centered teaching: An inductive
approach. Business Communication Quarterly. 75(4). pp.392-403.
DeKay, S.H., 2012. Interpersonal communication in the workplace: A largely unexplored
region. Business Communication Quarterly. 75(4). pp.449-452.
Lauring, J., 2011. Intercultural organizational communication: The social organizing of
interaction in international encounters. The Journal of Business Communication
(1973). 48(3). pp.231-255.
Keyton, J., and et. al., 2013. Investigating verbal workplace communication behaviors. The
Journal of Business Communication (1973). 50(2). pp.152-169.
Mascle, D.D., 2013. Writing self-efficacy and written communication skills. Business
Communication Quarterly. 76(2). pp.216-225.