Comprehensive Report: Business Communication Strategies at TESCO

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of business communication strategies, using TESCO as a case study. It begins with an introduction to business communication, defining its importance and the flow of information within an organization. The report then delves into different types of business information, their origins, and purposes, followed by a discussion on presenting complex internal business information using written documents, verbal presentations, and PowerPoint. It examines corporate communications for TESCO, both formal and those involving feedback, and explores external communications related to an existing product or service. The report also addresses legal and ethical issues in the use of business information, operational issues like backups and health and safety, and outlines electronic and non-electronic methods for communicating business information, considering various audiences. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, and the report includes references to support the analysis.

BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Different types of business information, where the information originates from and the
purpose of the information and analyse them.............................................................................1
P2 Present complex internal business information using written document, verbal presentation
and power point as appropriate in the context............................................................................2
P3. Produce corporate communications for TESCO...................................................................2
P4. External corporate communications of an existing product or service.................................3
P5. Legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of business information................................4
P6. The operational issues in relation to the use of business information..................................5
P7. Outline electronic and non-electronic methods for communicating business information,
using examples for different types of audience...........................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Business communication is the sharing of information between people within and outside
the organization that is performed for the commercial benefit of the organization. It can also be
defined as relaying of information within a business by its people. Business communication
involves constant flow of information. Feedback is integral part of business communication.
Organizations these days are very large and involve large number of people. There are various
levels of hierarchy in an organization (Barth and Lannen, 2011). Greater the number of levels,
the more difficult is the job of managing the organization. Communication here plays a very
important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the organization. Immediate
feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided. There should be
effective communication between superiors and subordinated in an organization, between
organization and society at large. Below report is based on a selected retail based organisation of
UK named TESCO with a clear demonstration of their adopted tactics of business
communication.
TASK 1
P1. Different types of business information, where the information originates from and the
purpose of the information and analyse them
 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.
 Written Information- Written communication involves any type of message that makes
use of the written word (Gray, 2010). Written communication is the most important and
the most effective of any mode of business communication.
 Multi-Media Information- Multimedia communication involves showing information in
multiple media formats. Images, video, audio and text all are part of multimedia
communication. A single instance of multimedia communication does not have to have
all four components.
 Web-Based Information- Web information system, or web-based information system, is
an information system that uses Internet web technologies to deliver information and
services, to users or other information systems/applications (Holliday, Hyde and
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Kullman, 2010). It is a software system whose main purpose is to publish and maintain
data by using hypertext-based principles.
P2 Present complex internal business information using written document, verbal presentation
and power point as appropriate in the context
Internal information is information which is only available to the business. This
information will be private and accurate. Internal information may take the form of sales figures,
personnel records, customer records, and financial documents such as trading, profit and loss
accounts and the balance sheet (Salmon and Young, 2011). When speaking to a group or your
team, make sure you speak loudly and clearly so everyone can understand you. Arrange for a
microphone if you are addressing a group in a large room.
 Sales figure is the overall sum of expenditures made by consumers of a product or set of
products within some time frame and/or economic region. A marketing analyst working
for a manufacturing business might look at overall recent sales figures within product
categories relevant to their company's product line to assess how confident consumers are
in spending within the present economic environment.
 Accurate records are an important part of good customer service. All organisations will
keep records of dealings with their customers (Berkhof and et.al., 2011). Customer
records can provide information about how best to market a company's services and also
help to ensure that the organisation runs smoothly.
 Financial documents, also known as financial statements, are used for reporting financial
information about a business, in a standardized format. Standard financial documents
include a balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow statement.
P3. Produce corporate communications for TESCO
Corporate communication is a management function or department, like marketing,
finance, or operations, dedicated to the dissemination of information to key constituencies, the
execution of corporate strategy and the development of messages for a variety of purposes for
inside and outside the organisation (Guffey and Loewy, 2010).
 Formal Communication: Formal communications within an organisation are those that
take place through well-known channels. For example, the expansion of policy at
UNISON comes from a formal procedure where it is dictated from the members upwards.
Members discuss policy issues in their branches. Delegates from the branches then meet
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at the Annual Conference and debate and agree policy. Formal communications would
also include all the paper-based and electronic communications that are available to
members as well as the meetings that take place. The expansion of policy at UNISON
comes from a formal procedure where it is dictated from the members upwards.
 Feedback: Static communication creates a vacuum. The speaker assumes the message is
received but has no feedback from the listener. This lack of feedback means the speaker
fails to modify the message to help the listener better understand the speaker's attitude
and position (Guffey and Loewy, 2010). When businesses fail to create open feedback
channels, they operate in a communication vacuum. Management and owners can't
improve their messages to employees, and workers aren't able to ask questions about
operations or make suggestions for business improvement.
P4. External corporate communications of an existing product or service
External communication is the transmission of information between a business and
another person or entity in the company's external environment. Examples of these people and
entities include customers, potential customers, suppliers, investors, shareholders, and society at
large. External communications are anything that a business has designed to publish outside
the company and it usually includes its corporate logo, branding details, strap-line, etc., (Barth
and Lannen, 2011). External business communication is any information the company distributes
to the public, either about the organization itself or their products and services. A well-thought
out communications plan not only defines the target audience, but also focuses on how to reach it
effectively. Because the goal of external communications is to promote the company and
increase revenue, external communications are an important part of an overall marketing plan.
External communication is any communicative effort specifically for people and
organizations operating outside of the business. While internal communications are specifically
for employees and management, external communications focus on spreading news and
information about the corporation to the public, customers, and company stakeholders. Common
examples of external business communications include direct mailings, financial records, press
releases, and newsletters (Guffey and Loewy, 2010). 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
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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.
 TESCO is required to discuss the purpose of this publication and some analysis as to the
thinking around its design and delivery.
 Evaluation means considering several options to argue for and against something and
come to a conclusion about the value, worth, success, importance or impact that this has
had and in this case for TESCO (Kankanhalli, Tan and Wei, 2005).
P5. Legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of business information
Business ethics are moral principles concerning acceptable and unacceptable behaviour
by businesses. Codes of practice exist in organisations to maintain business ethics on:
 Use of email
 Internet
 Whistle-blowing
 Organisational policies Information ownership
Use of email
Many organisations today have a code of practice on the correct use of email.
Internet
Many companies also have a code of practice on the use of the internet and what their employees
can and cannot use the internet for. There are also codes of practice which govern selling on the
internet, which many businesses adhere to.
Whistle-blowing
This is an employee who raises a concern about a business practice - either to management
within the company or to an outside organisation (e.g. the press) The concern may relate to
fraud, crime, danger or any other serious risk that could impact on customers, colleagues or any
other stakeholder or the organisation's reputation (Knollmann, 2011). Whistle-blowers may
receive legal protection through the Public Interest Disclosure Act, but the offence being
reported must constitute a deliberate attempt to break the law.
Organisational policies
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Organisations may have many policies to ensure that their businesses practices with regard to
information can be done more ethically. This could be anything from how they manage
information to ensuring marketing and other business practices are fair and just.
Information ownership
If you create information in your day-to-day work, then you should be responsible for it, e.g.
annual report (Nickerson, 2015). If you create it you are the information owner. If you own
information, you have to protect the information's confidentiality and act with integrity when
anything has to be altered with regard to the information.
P6. The operational issues in relation to the use of business information
Backups is one of the operation issues as most businesses have developed programs
constantly to try to minimise the risk of losing vital information stored on IT servers. This
involves producing backups of information stored on the servers. Some companies back up
constantly and some less frequently (Stanimirovic, 2015). For example if the Facebook user
decide to leave Facebook they will keep your profile just in case you choose to become a
member again. Like for photos and wall post. When a user comes back they do not have to go
the same procedure of signing in but they can just activate their account as all their information
will be backed up so they can just continue.
Health and safety is also one of operational system and so are business continuance plans
and costs. Business continuance plans are the steps that a company puts into place to make sure it
is capable of surviving a worst-case scenario. Facebook being completely free means it has any
business continuance plans and costs.
P7. Outline electronic and non-electronic methods for communicating business information,
using examples for different types of audience
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 (Kankanhalli, Tan and Wei, 2005). Whether for interpersonal or
marketing communications, electronic media are critical to getting business done efficiently and
cost-effectively.
Mobile Devices
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Although communication with mobile devices may be less formal than other forms of
communication, people are increasingly turning to text messages and short emails using cell
phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Text messaging in particular has strong appeal, as
anyone with a cell phone has texting capability (Coombs, 2014). PDAs with Internet capability
have changed the way email works, often turning it into a means of keeping in touch via short,
quick messages--much like a text message but with use of a different connection type. As a
result, not only do business associates communicate with one another via mobile devices, but
many companies have begun marketing to customers through mass text messages.
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 (Stanimirovic, 2015). Recruiters and salespeople often seek key
contacts through social media sites. For example, recruiters may search for a chief financial
officer (CFO) candidate by sifting through and connecting with CFOs who are listed on business
social networking sites. This gives them a new way to reach people without having to get past
secretaries or working hard to get private home phone numbers.
Non-electronic communication is the distribution of a message usually in the form of:
Letters, Flow Charts, Invoices and even Verbal communication between employees. These
methods of communication are becoming less popular, however they provide alternatives to
electronic communication.
Face-to-Face
It is the most efficient form of communication between anyone. It allows both parties to express
what do they want to say and responding to each other (Brink and Costigan, 2015). It also
enables both parties to exchanges hard copies as well. The target audience is pretty much wide
Memorandum
It is used for internal communication between the departments within an organisation. The target
audience can be the employees within the organisation.
Letter
It must be of high standards of communication. It must be clear with the information and should
have introduction, details, and how should the reader respond to the letter. It may give rise to the
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legal liability (Nickerson, 2015). It can be formal or informal, specialised or simple, impartial or
emotional, and/or reasoned or strongly advising. The audience can be anyone as long as they
have literacy skill
CONCLUSION
One of the major problems faced by the employers relating to interpersonal problems is
communication. This problem of communication can be solved by trying to understand the
communication process first and afterwards trying to improve it. This would provide the
managers with a skill for communicating more effectively. Identifying the relevant barriers to
communication is always the vital first step in order to minimise the impact that they may have.
It's not always easy and often takes a lot of determination. But making an effort to remove the
obstacles - tangible and intangible - that stand in our way can be the key to building relationships
that really work.
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REFERENCES
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Workplace and AACSB-Accredited Business Programs Aligned?. Academy of
Management Learning & Education. 14(2). pp.205-221.
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Sage Publications.
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Learning.
Holliday, A., Hyde, M. and Kullman, J., 2010. Intercultural communication: An advanced
resource book for students. Routledge.
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knowledge repositories: an empirical investigation. MIS quarterly. pp.113-143.
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Salmon, P. and Young, B., 2011. Creativity in clinical communication: from communication
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Stanimirovic, D., 2015. A Framework for Information and Communication Technology Induced
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