BUSN20017: Developing Communication Competency Reflective Essay

This essay is a reflective analysis of effective business communication, focusing on organizational and interpersonal communication skills. It explores key concepts learned from weeks one to ten of a business communication course, including the communication process, non-verbal communication, professional and academic writing, presentations, intercultural communication, team building, and organizational dynamics. The essay also includes a literature review of organizational communication, discussing formal and informal communication channels and their impact on workplace engagement and employee motivation. Furthermore, it considers the role of interpersonal and non-verbal communication in the corporate world and how developing these skills can contribute to future career aspirations. The reflection incorporates personal insights and future goals, emphasizing the importance of mutual understanding, conflict resolution, and cultural awareness in professional communication. Desklib provides resources for students, including similar essays and past papers.

Running head: EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Effective business communication
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Effective communication is one of the most vital tools in any business. For instance, it is the
responsibility of the employers to communicate their business decisions and policies to the employees
and likewise, it is the responsibility of the employees to keep the management in the loop about their
activities and progress. Effective communication in business would not just help in improving social
relationships in business but would also improve the overall productivity of the company, leading to an
increase in performance (Hussain, 2013). The purpose of this essay is to analyze the concepts of
organizational communication, interpersonal communication and other aspects of business
communication. The essay highlights the importance of interpersonal communication skills, non
verbal communication and organizational communication.
In my line of work, it is the communication process that can help me in fulfilling my objectives
and achieving my goals and targets. The communication process may be defined as a two way process
where the message is conveyed from one part to another in the form of opinions, thoughts, feelings or
even non verbal communication methods. Communication, thus, results in a kind of shared understanding
between two or more individuals (Barnlund, 2017). Effective professional communication would be
when the message that is conveyed by an individual is understood in the intended manner by the
individual to whom it was communicated. For instance, I would have to master the art of professional and
academic communication which is usually in written formats so as to succeed in my line of work. This
would include emails, resumes, cover letters and other channels of formal communication. Being able to
draw up such effective formal written communication would help me convey my point of view to my
audience, without chances of misinterpretation. Similarly, as far as academic condition is concerned, I
should be able to write effective letters and academic essays, which demonstrate high levels of critical
analysis and understanding of relevant issues (Rittmaster & Piccionelli 2018). I believe that any form of
academic writing needs to be precise, crisp and with proper sentence structures. I also should be able to
critique existing literature, so as to gain better understanding of what prevalent literature opines on
matters of concern. In my current line of work, I would also be required to present formal presentations

2EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
which would further establish my viewpoint. Knowledge of formal presentations would enable me to
communicate my viewpoint effectively and also ensure that the message is conveyed to my listeners
properly.
Organizational communication refers to all the verbal and nonverbal, formal and informal
communication that takes place within an organization. In organizational communication, the channel
also plays a crucial role in determining how the receiver would perceive the message (Dima &
Vladutescu, 2013). I think that in my line of work, the critical factor which determines the effectiveness
of communication is mutual understanding between the two parties. This is most important for nonverbal
communication as well. In order to ensure that the message is effectively conveyed to the sender and
vice versa, there has to be some form of mutual agreement between the parties concerned. As far as
understanding is concerned, it refers to promoting effectual team communication as well. There are
various stages in team development and building, and between all the members of a team, there should be
clear lines of communication which would facilitate a flow of information. As such, the concepts of
intercultural communication must also be studied. In the workplace, I will encounter a number of
people belonging to different cultures. Each culture on the other hand has different opinions and values on
how communication should be carried out. Knowledge of intercultural communication would help me
understand the various communication approaches that can help me build favorable social relationships in
the workplace. This is also another aspect of interpersonal communication, which refers to the verbal
and nonverbal communication between two or more people. Development of interpersonal
communication skills would help me avoid chances of miscommunication and would allow effective flow
of communication between me and those I interact with.
A literature review of organization communication would have to be conducted, so as to gain
better insight into the concept. According to Jiang and Probst (2014), organization communication may
be defined as the flow of communication within an organization. These authors have opined that
organization communication is the only solution in an era of instability and insecurity in the job

3EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
environment. In fact, as the research shows, a number of companies have incurred losses owing to flawed
communication systems. According to Manuti et al. (2015), there are essentially two types of
communication in the workplace – formal and informal. In the case of formal communication, the
information is conveyed from the sender to the receiver through formal communication channels,
following the hierarchy of organizational structure. It follows the lines of authority established in an
organization (Pearson, 2017). The main advantages of formal communication are the allocation of
responsibility and fixation of the duties and responsibilities of various aspects of the organization
structure. It also successfully maintains the authority relationship within an organization. However, as
Calabro and Mussolino (2013) argue, formal communication can often be cumbersome and time
consuming. It may even lead to a distortion of information and confusion. Song et al. (2015), on the other
hand, argues that informal means of communication are more popular within an organization. Informal
communication entails all those channels of communication which do not belong to the formal systems
established by the organization. As a matter of fact, informal communication is largely dependent on the
social relationships that are developed in an organization. Unlike formal communication, informal
communication arises out of the personal and individual needs of the members of an organization. Such
informal communication is usually oral or transmitted in the form of non verbal channels like glances or
gestures.
Falkheimer (2014) argues that there are various aspects of organizational communication that
must be taken into account. It usually flows in two ways. On one hand, it may flow in the downward
direction from the employers to the employees in the form of policies, charts and other such documents. It
may also flow upward from the employees, through the management and to the employers, and would be
usually be in the form of requests and complaints. Organizational communication also entails horizontal
communication, where both the employers and the employees collaborate to discuss and share knowledge
on common issues and interests, share information and resolve problems. Nehrer and Sandin (2017) argue
that the main functions of organizational communication are leading, problem solving, rationalizing,

4EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
compliance gaining and conflict management. It is only through formal communication channels that it
would be possible for leaders within an organization to effectively provide instructions to their
subordinates. Similarly, formal and informal communication both would facilitate effective and hassle
free resolutions for conflicts within the workplace.
Schullery (2013) argues that effective organizational communication is the most integral aspect
within a business since it can facilitate workplace engagement. Effective organizational communication is
thus the foundation of employee motivation within an organization. Through formal and informal means
of communication, employees can find out about the interests and concerns of their employees and work
on them. Similarly, information acquired through these means could be used to form important business
related decisions. Also, as Bargiela-Chiappini, Nickerson and Planken (2013) state, communication can
help in shaping the attitudes of the employees in the workplace. An individual who is better informed
would have a more positive approach towards working as compared to others. It must be realized that no
business would be able to survive in isolation. For instance, effective communication would enable the
employers to impose better degree of control over their employees. Employees are likely to have
complaints and grievances and failure to address these could adversely affect the quality of work at an
organization (Mishra, Boynton & Mishra, 2014). According to Meyer (2014), however, the cultural
differences and barriers within an organization can stand as an obstacle in the path to effective business
communication. Culture refers to the way people communicate, share knowledge, interact and make
decisions within an organization. A person’s decisions and course of action would be determined by the
cultural values that he or she holds. As a result, the communication channels and mediums within an
organization would also be affected by the cultural values and traditions of the various members
(Samovar et al., 2015).
In five years’ time, I will have completed my education and would be working in an
organization of my choice. According to me, the corporate world is based on two extremely important
aspects, namely interpersonal communication and non verbal communication. Interpersonal

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communication would refer to the way people exchange information, meanings and feelings through
various verbal and non verbal means. This refers to face to face communication. I have come to realize
that interpersonal communication is not just about the content of the message that is communicated.
Instead, it refers to the way the message is communicated and entails facial expressions, voice tone, body
language and gesture (Berger, 2014). I have noticed that sometimes what I speak is grossly misinterpreted
which leads to miscommunication and conflicts. This is probably due to faulty interpersonal
communication skills on my part. However, since I have plans to work in the corporate field in the long
run, I would have to work on improving my interpersonal communication skills. For example, it would
help me develop better social relationships in the future. If I am to stick to my profession, I will have to
develop healthy social relationships with my colleagues and my superiors. That would be possible only
through interpersonal communication skills. Moreover, I have learned that listening is just as important
when it comes to communication in business. Unless I am able to listen and understand the points of
views of others, I would not be able to communicate my viewpoint with clarity. Such smooth
interpersonal communication would also ensure that I am better equipped to deal with conflicts in the
workplace. In short, interpersonal communication is a continuous process. The psychology behind
interpersonal communication is such that when a person is in the presence of another, he becomes
conscious and aware of the other’s presence. Thus, consciously or subconsciously, there is an exchange of
non verbal and verbal messages (Manning, 2014).
This further brings me to non verbal communication, which is something all of us exhibit on a
daily basis. In a professional environment where I hope to work in the future, non verbal means of
communication cannot be avoided. Gestures and signs or other forms of non verbal communication are
often involuntary and cannot be controlled. As a result, such non verbal communication may even land a
person in trouble. Non verbal communication may take place through wordless cues lie visual cues,
physical appearance, voice tone or paralanguage, posture, touch and body language (Pesina & Solonchak,
2014). No form of verbal communication can occur without any form of non verbal communication. A

6EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
study of a person’s body language and gesture can aid the communication process. For example, in
business, an understanding of a person’s non verbal cues would provide insight into what the person is
actually intending to say. This also reduces chances of miscommunication and confusion owing to
misinterpretation. The physical appearance of a person, the way he is dressed, the body language of the
person, facial expressions which reveal hidden expressions and the tone of voice of a person can be
extremely beneficial as far as organizational communications are concerned (Mandal, 2014).
To conclude, it can be said that effective communication in business is dependent on a number of
factors, the seamlessness of the communication process, the channels of communication used (formal or
informal), verbal and non verbal communication (body language, gesture, appearance and so on), the
message that is conveyed and the way it is conveyed. In the above essay, the all encompassing concept of
communication and the dynamic process it involves has been explained. Apart from that, I have also been
able to reflect on nonverbal communication and interpersonal communication as the two most important
aspects of communication in the workplace.

7EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
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