Business Communication Analysis Report: Factors, Models, and Media

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of business communication within an organizational context. It begins by defining business communication and highlighting its importance in various internal and external scenarios. The report then delves into different communication models, including the Shannon and Weaver Model and Berlo's Model, to illustrate the communication process and its potential pitfalls. It further explores various communication systems like written, oral, and email communication, discussing the factors influencing the choice of communication media. The report also emphasizes the significance of grammar, structure, and audience awareness in business communication. It examines different communication styles, such as assertive, passive-aggressive, and submissive styles, and provides insights into effective communication techniques, including active listening, questioning, and feedback. Finally, the report emphasizes the importance of proofreading and meeting deadlines in ensuring effective and professional business communication.

COMMUNICATE IN A BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1................................................................................................................................................1
1.2................................................................................................................................................1
1.3................................................................................................................................................2
1.4................................................................................................................................................2
1.5................................................................................................................................................2
1.6................................................................................................................................................2
1.7................................................................................................................................................3
1.8................................................................................................................................................3
1.9................................................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
2.1................................................................................................................................................3
2.2................................................................................................................................................4
2.3................................................................................................................................................4
2.4................................................................................................................................................4
2.5................................................................................................................................................5
2.6................................................................................................................................................5
2.7................................................................................................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
3.1................................................................................................................................................6
3.2................................................................................................................................................6
3.3................................................................................................................................................6
3.4................................................................................................................................................6
3.5................................................................................................................................................7
3.6................................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Business communication is that communication which promotes a product , service , or
organization and relays the information within a business or functions as an official statement
from a company (Chow and et. al., 2012). Communication skills are an important part of any
business and administration role. Under mention report discuss about factors which impact
choice of communication and some barriers.
TASK 1
1.1
Communication within a business is always purposeful whether it is to inform, to
persuade or to request action. It is a process that must be understood by both the sender and
receiver of the message in order to be successful.
Internal: Communication internally can be less formal due to familiarity between members of a
team if between colleagues (Bovee, Thill and Raina, 2016). However, it is typically informative
in nature,i.e. regarding sales processes, business requirements/needs, or performance.
External: This type of communication is varies largely on what the business wants/needs from
its external audience. In terms of investors, a company would be more honest with figures than it
would with customers/consumers, i.e. margin profits or company performance, in order to secure
money from individuals.
1.2
Two models are given below:
Shannon and Weaver Model Of Communication (1948)
This is one of the earliest models of communication and lays out the process of conversation to
evidence what could go wrong
from ‘source’ to ‘receiver’ as a message is ‘encoded’ and ‘decoded’ by two people
Berlo’s Model (1960) further alters Shannon and Weaver’s model –
Stressing relationship between the sender and receiver of messages by highlighting
communication skills and perceptions which allow people to encode and decode messages as
they do.
1.3
Different communication systems are:

Written communication- In the form of emails, letters, reports, memos and various
other documents.
Oral communication- This is either face-to-face or over the
telephone/videoconferencing etc.
Email- The email communication in organisations has become very common and is a
highly essential tool for sharing of information with one, hundreds as well as thousands of
employees (Guffey and Loewy, 2010).
1.4
When deciding which communication media to use it is important to consider what message you
are trying to get across/receive. For large amounts of information email is best choice as it is able
to hold a large amount of written text and some documentation. When looking to describe and to
discuss, telephone or face-to-face are better choices as they allow use of senses within
conversation i.e. tone (hearing), body language (visual), as well as ensuring understanding of
both parties due to quick feedback.
1.5
Business communications are important to the impressions made between internal and
external stakeholders as well as the messages expressed (Ongori and Migiro, 2010). The correct
use of grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling etc. in business communications gives
a good impression of the writer. A well-written document tells the reader that the writer is a
person who can be relied upon to do a good job. The advantages of using proper grammar in all
communications, is to give a professional approach.
1.6
When planning and structuring different communication media it is important to consider
how message you are offering will be taken in. The main factors to be taken into account are:
 What you want to accomplish (your objectives)
 Your goals or program of work
 Whom your communications will be addressed to (your audiences), as this affects type of
communication media.

1.7
Get feedback from receiver- Don’t just ask, ‘Do you Understand?’. They will more
often than not say ‘yes’ because they see things in the way they want to understand it (Teece,
2010).
Difference in perception- Over the phone and particularly over email it can be difficult
to ensure that the receiver has understood a message as intended, furthermore, they can disagree
on certain elements and so it is important to address these ideas to ensure understanding between
both parties.
1.8
Berlo’s theory of communication takes into account the importance of senses, and
therefore body language as viewed by a receiver, in the deliverance of a message. It can be
argued that the ‘interference’ of Schramm’s model could include such things as body language.
The face can express many different emotions, smiling shows individual is friendly and non-
threatening, whereas raised eyebrows show confusion! Eye contact is also an important part of
body language.
1.9
Proof-reading is very important for business communication. There are many proof-
reading techniques used in business: key examples include peer review,software review, and
self-evaluation. Mistakes and imperfections in any kind of work convey carelessness, and in the
workplace, takes are even higher: A piece that is ridden with spelling, punctuation and
grammatical errors is difficult to read and undermines the credibility and authority you probably
have worked hard to achieve (Teece, 2015).
TASK 2
2.1
In addition to audience and context, every communication task you face as a working
engineer will have a purpose. Audiences vary. They can be small or large. Purpose and audience
helps determine your strategy. If your purpose or audience is unclear, clarify it as best you can,
possibly by asking others. Any audience can be seen as including both more specialized and less
specialized members, all the more so when it is ill defined.

2.2
Communication media refers to the means of delivering and receiving data or
information. In telecommunication, these means are transmission and storage tools or channels
for data storage and transmission. Different media are employed for transmitting data from one
computer terminal to the central computer or to other computer systems inside some kind of
network (Roth, 2014).
There are two forms of communication media:
Analog: Includes conventional radio, telephonic and television transmissions
Digital: Computer-mediated communication, computer networking and telegraphy
2.3
Letters are commonly used to present official business information to other businesses, to
individuals or to outside business stakeholders. Memos are usually an internal written
communication format used to convey information to managers and employees. Use a standard
business letter format and template. The most widely used format for business letters is "block
style," where the text of the entire letter is justified left. The text is single spaced, except for
double spaces between paragraphs.
2.4
Written communication can take the form of legal documents or manuals. Written
communication allows businesses to communicate developments, expectations and legalities to
employees and contacts in the outside world (Li, Lai and Wang, 2010).
Practices related to written communication given below:
CLEAR PURPOSE
The well-known saying, “Time is money,” is well-known because it’s true. Nobody – especially
a business person – wants his time wasted, so be sure your purpose is clear and that what you
write is worth taking the time to read.
AWARENESS OF AUDIENCE
Know the audience you are writing to. It makes a difference whether you are communicating
with a customer service representative, a long-time co-worker, or a potential new client. Beware
of phrases and expressions that could be misunderstood or offensive.
CLARITY AND CONCISENESS

There is a time and a place for creative figures of speech and poetic turns of phrase, but rarely is
a business letter that time or place.
2.5
The Assertive Style
Assertive communication is born of high self-esteem. It is the healthiest and most effective style
of communication - the sweet spot between being too aggressive and too passive (Crews and
Stitt-Gohdes, 2012).
The Passive-Aggressive Style
This is a style in which people appear passive on the surface, but are actually acting out their
anger in indirect or behind-the-scenes ways.
The Submissive Style
This style is about pleasing other people and avoiding conflict. A submissive person behaves as
if other peoples' needs are more important, and other people have more rights and more to
contribute.
2.6
IT is necessary that communication should be proper and clear and in the written the
grammar should be proper. To communicate effectively you need to get your point across and
relay information clearly. Informal verbal communication has its place to build personal
relationships and to be able to better read the other person's body language. It is essential for
small business owners and managers to develop effective written communication skills and to
encourage the same in all employees.
2.7
Being able to meet your deadlines, and deliver on what you have promised is an integral
part of any job. It is so easy for a project to slide off the rails before it has even really started
properly. Agree to a reasonable deadline (Trkman, 2010). This is extremely important. NEVER
promise to complete a project by a certain date, if you know upfront that the deadline is not
achievable. If you are working in a team, ensure that everybody in the team, is aware of the
deadline, and that they are also aware of the fact that it’s imperative that the project is completed
in the set amount of time.

TASK 3
3.1
When communicating in a work environment, the nature is to communicate factually, in
concisely and in an easily digestible style. If you are communicated non-verbally, e.g. letter, the
information needs to be relevant, accurate and be presented professionally. Knowing what is
trying to be achieved from a conversation is essential for a successful conversation. You have to
make sure in a business environment that the information that you a portraying or that is being
portrayed to you is accurate (Bhatia and Bremner, 2012). If not, important decisions could be
made erroneously and maybe unnecessary costs could occur.
3.2
"Communication has not taken place until the person(s) being communicated with has
understood the message as the sender intended." In other words, an appropriate choice of
language for your audience is required. The communication should be at a pitched at a level that
will be understood by your audience e.g. if you were talking to a customer you wouldn't be using
the usual jargon or abbreviations that would to your colleagues in the office.
3.3
When you are trying to reinforce messages, your body language and tone of voice will
help this. Your tone of voice needs to be moderate to low and the speed of what you are talking
needs to be slow enough in order for it to be clear and easy to understand. When communicating
verbally, your body language will be assessed. Keep your posture high with your shoulders back,
give direct, solid eye contact and smile.
3.4
Communication is the act of transferring information from one person to another. If you
do this verbally, it will usually be as a face to face conversation or over the phone. When
speaking to a customer over the phone I use question techniques as way of confirming that
information has passed through successfully (De Jonge, 2011). Using questioning techniques is a
positive way of engaging the recipient as you are enquiring their input building a positive
response from them. Skilful questioning can be matched with active listening from yourself so
you are both engaging what the other is saying.

3.5
It is important that we confirm that what we have been communicating has been
understood. A way of judging this when having a face to face conversation would be by
observing the person's body language as you speak and by questioning throughout (Guffey and
Loewy, 2010). With all forms of communication, at the end almost like a conclusion, you could
sum up overall what has just been discussed as a clarification of understanding.
3.6
Sometimes when questioning and answering over the phone, information can be
misinterpreted due to the speaker’s nerves. You should always appear confident when you
speak by speaking clearly and speaking with a smile. Smiling can change the tone of your voice
to make you sound friendly and welcoming whereas if you are frowning you may seem like you
are fed up and that you don’t really want to be having that particular conversation. As a result,
that could lead to your company losing their customer morale (Teece, 2010). When speaking
to a customer it is important that you are following your companies’ policies and standards.
For example, present yourself formally and speaking formally as well. This presents yourself and
your company as being professional to your client.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from given report that communication plays an important role in business.
Effective workplace communication is important in companies with workplace diversity. It
productivity to increase, errors to decrease and operations to run smoother.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
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Bovee, C.L., Thill, J.V. and Raina, R.L., 2016. Business communication today. Pearson
Education India.
Chow, A.T. and et. al., 2012.Computer readable medium with embedded instructions for
providing communication services between a broadband network and an enterprise
wireless communication platform within a residential or business environment. U.S.
Patent 8,155,155.
Crews, T.B. and Stitt-Gohdes, W.L., 2012. Incorporating Facebook and Twitter in a service-
learning project in a business communication course. Business Communication
Quarterly. 75(1). pp.76-79.
De Jonge, A., 2011. Transnational corporations and international law: accountability in the
global business environment. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Guffey, M.E. and Loewy, D., 2010. Business communication: Process and product. Cengage
Learning.
Li, D., Lai, F. and Wang, J., 2010. E-business assimilation in China's international trade firms:
The technology-organization-environment framework. Journal of Global Information
Management (JGIM). 18(1). pp.39-65.
Ongori, H. and Migiro, S.O., 2010. Information and communication technologies adoption in
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Roth, S., 2014. The things that go without saying: on performative differences between business
value communication and communication on business values.International Journal of
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Teece, D.J., 2010. Business models, business strategy and innovation. Long range
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Teece, D.J., 2010. Business models, business strategy and innovation. Long range
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Trkman, P., 2010. The critical success factors of business process management. International
journal of information management. 30(2). pp.125-134.