Business Communication: Strategies for Overcoming COVID-19 Challenges

This presentation analyzes the challenges and barriers faced by organizations in business communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. It covers emotional, physical, interpersonal, and perceptual barriers, along with relevant communication theories such as interactional and linear communication. The presentation also highlights effective strategies for reducing these barriers, including providing safety equipment, implementing government guidelines, offering vaccinations, and utilizing digital platforms. The analysis recommends leveraging digital platforms for enhanced customer convenience and maintaining strong communication. The reflection emphasizes the importance of technology and positive behavior in maintaining customer relationships and improving organizational efficiency during global crises. The conclusion underscores the crucial role of communication in understanding customer needs and driving sales, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Business
Communication

INTRODUCTION
Business communication is a process where different types of data are shared between
employees and customers or between different levels of employees. In this process various types
of methods are utilized by company for increasing the interactions between employee and
customer for long time. Due to the use of good communication satisfaction level of top level
management and customers are effectively maintained towards lower level employees for long
time. This PPT will be prepared on the basis of analysing secondary data which includes
newspapers, magazines, journals and from other sources (Brown, Robson and Charity, 2020).
This report will be covered background of the chosen topic, communication theory, challenges
and barriers faced by organization during COVID in the aspect of business communication. It
also covers the effective strategies which is used by many organizations for reducing
communication barriers.
TASK
Common barriers and challenges which effects between effective communication
The difficulties which is many companies during COVID pandemic are explained below-
 Emotional barriers – It basically refers to the atmosphere and comfort which was
maintained by the firm for lower level employees. Therefore the atmosphere in work
place pays crucial role in the minds of the employees in both aspect whether it is positive
and negative. Due to this in COVID pandemic most of the workers believed that work
from office is not a good idea for doing the job. Due to this reason management of many
organizations implemented work from home facility for running the service activities
effectively.
 Physical barriers – It refers to those barriers which impact the communication between
more than one people. It includes noise which is created by various types of equipments
and others. The other problem which comes under physical barrier is that travelling of
customers are also increased which create negative impact on the sale of their product
(Cai, Wang and Zhang, 2020). But due to COVID mostly organizations used some
specific strategies for reducing physical interactions with customers. In this strategy firms
mostly focused on digital platforms for increasing the sale of their product.

 Interpersonal barriers – It means rising of conflict between employer and employee or
employee and customers due to having different ideas and opinions. Therefore in COVID
pandemic chances are easily increased for changing the habits of workers for fulfilling
roles and responsibilities in their job. Because due to conflict the communication between
all departmental level of employees are damaged. It leads to decrease the productivity of
employees in their service activities towards consumers for long time.
 Perceptual barriers – It basically refer to thinking of the particular person, employees
and customers towards the firm in various situations (Cheung, Pires, and Rosenberger III,
2020). It means that in COVID scenario due to implementation of lock down by the
government many companies forcibly reduced their operational and service activities.
The main reason for reducing their activities is to maintaining the safety of the employees
and customers. But due to using this strategy their services are run in very slow manner
which creates negativity in minds of consumers.
Communication theories
The theory which is useful for maintaining the risk in communication for long term are -
 Interactional communication – In this method the feedback and communication flow
between receiver and sender are done with two way channel (Faludi and Gilbert, 2019).
The main purpose of receiving feedback by company from the customers is to
determining lacks and problems in their service and product. The other important
highlight of this method is it is very simple and effective in positive manner. Therefore in
COVID management of many firms used this method for analysing the problems of
customers in fast manner and then , according to that deliver the products in time.
 Linear communication – It refers to sending the message by sender to the listener and
receiver in accurate and cleaner manner for better understanding. In this strategy sender is
the main source for distributing all types of information effectively. But the major
disadvantage in this communication is that at the time of transmitting message to
customer and employees regarding their product and service, lots of interference are
faced by sender in form of noise. Due to this chances are increased for decreasing the
productivity of company.

Effective strategies used for reducing barriers in communication
 Firstly, it is necessary for TESCO management that they must provide quality and safety
equipments to workers for increasing their work efficiency in long run (Gölgeci,
Karakas, and Tatoglu, 2019). It includes mask gloves and others and it is also essential
for increase physical interaction with customers in the stores or at time of delivering
product to users in home. In this way communication are easily enhanced at maximum
level between consumer and producer without any fear of COVID.
 Secondly, management of TESCO must effectively implement the government safety
guidelines in workplace area between workers for running their operational and service
activities smoothly. In this way employees feels that they are safe in organization for
completing the task in time according to their job. Due to using this strategy emotional
barriers are also reduced effectively.
 Thirdly, TESCO must provide vaccination doses to all categories of employees of
workers without any type of discrimination (Miller, Wiklund and Yu, 2020). Due to this
positive image of the company are easily increased in front of their employees and
customers. In this way potentiality and ability of workers are also increased for handling
any type of difficult situations easily.
 The main important strategy for reducing the communication barrier is use of digital
platforms for engaging the employees of various departments. In context to TESCO, due
to COVID management started to monitors the performance of employees through online
mode or meeting on monthly basis. In this way employees intra-personal skills are
effectively developed which is essential for applying new ideas at the time of serving
services and products to users.
Recommendation
From the analysis of above information the strategy which is suggested for TESCO is that
use of digital platforms effectively. Because in this method the convenience of the customers are
enhanced at maximum level for availing the services and product in low time and from any
location. When firm used the various technology then the communication are strongly
maintained with consumers in long term. The other important fact is that in today's time in any
situation mostly consumers like to buy the product through online mode in busy time. Digital

platforms also helps to run the services activities of firm in fast manner. Due to this positive
word of mouth are effectively spread by customers towards organization for long time.
Reflection on communicating during global pandemic and the potential issues
From the analysis of above information I understand that in which way COVID pandemic
effects the performance and service activities of organization. Because delivering best service
and product to customers is a essential aspect for firm for enhancing their revenue in long term. I
also understand that in which way different type of strategies are used by the organizations for
tackling the difficult situations easily and also maintaining customer satisfaction level. For
company consumer and employee is the most valuable asset for running their activities
successfully and maintain effective communication at global level.
In my opinion the improvement which is essential for organization and their employees
are use of updated technology and maintain good behaviour with employees. When firm
improved all these elements then work efficiency and productivity of workers developed
effectively. Due to this task, responsibilities and roles of employees are finished in time in any
situation. With help of updated equipments the lower level workers easily received the accurate
and reliable information about their job roles form senior level management and officer. In this
way workers are able to facilitate right information to consumers about their product in long run.
In final suggestion I want to say that as I mentioned above technology is highly effective
action for keeping good relationship with customers for long time. Because with help of
technology feedback of customers are timely received and analysed by employees. Then
according to that firm will take particular actions for fixing the problems of users permanently.
In this way communication with customers are properly connected internationally for long time.
Positive behaviour is also important from employee side for gaining effective response from
users in long period.

CONCLUSION
From the evaluation of above information it is concluded that Communication plays the
crucial role in aspect of business whether it is nationally or internationally. Because with help of
communication firm easily understand that which type of product and services are like to buy
from customers. Then according to that the product are finally developed by the firm and in this
way the sale of their product are increased at various locations. Due to maintain good
communication with consumers they believe that company give the solution in quick and fast
manner if they face any type of problem.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brown, D. M., Robson, A. and Charity, I., 2020. International Masters’ student perspectives of
team business simulations. The International Journal of Management Education, 18(3)
p.100268.
Cai, Y. J., Wang, Y. and Zhang, J., 2020. Enhancing e-platform business by customer service
systems: a multi-methodological case study on Ali Wangwang instant message’s
impacts on TaoBao. Annals of Operations Research, 291(1) pp.59-81.
Cheung, M. L., Pires, G. and Rosenberger III, P. J., 2020. Exploring synergetic effects of social-
media communication and distribution strategy on consumer-based Brand equity. Asian
Journal of Business Research, 10(1) pp.126-149.
Faludi, J. and Gilbert, C., 2019. Best practices for teaching green invention: Interviews on
design, engineering, and business education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 234
pp.1246-1261.
Gölgeci, I., Karakas, F. and Tatoglu, E., 2019. Understanding demand and supply paradoxes and
their role in business-to-business firms. Industrial Marketing Management, 76 pp.169-
180.
Miller, D., Wiklund, J. and Yu, W., 2020. Mental health in the family business: A conceptual
model and a research agenda. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 44(1) pp.55-80.
Neamţu, D. M., Hapenciuc, C. V. and Bejinaru, R., 2019. The impact of digitalization on
business sector development in the knowledge economy. In Proceedings of the
international conference on business excellence (Vol. 13, No. 1 pp. 479-491).
O'Dowd, R., 2018. From telecollaboration to virtual exchange: State-of-the-art and the role of
UNICollaboration in moving forward. Research-publishing. net, 1 pp.1-23.
Sorour, M. K., Boadu, M. and Soobaroyen, T., 2021. The role of corporate social responsibility
in organisational identity communication, co-creation and orientation. Journal of
Business Ethics, 173(1). pp.89-108.