Chapter 1

Business
Communication
Foundations
Business Communication

The process of establishing a

common understanding
between or among people
within a business environment.
 The Importance of
Communicating Effectively
• Getting jobs you want
• Gaining promotions
• Providing leadership
• Being productive on the job
• Relating positively to others
• Assuring success of your
organization
 Internal and External
Communication

• Internal
– Day-to-day exchange among
employees
• External
– Flows between an organization and
the entities with which it interacts
Business Communication is
Transactional

Give-and-take relationship
between sender and receiver
in order to establish a
common understanding
 Goals of Business
Communication
1. Receiver understanding

2. Receiver response

3. Favorable relationship

4. Organizational goodwill
Internal Communication
Patterns

• Vertical

• Horizontal

• Network
 Formal Communication

• Is business related
• May be written or oral
• Is planned by the organization
• Flows in all directions
• Is essential for effective
operation of the business
 Informal Communication
• Referred to as “the Grapevine”
• May be either business or
personal
• Is not planned by the
organization
• Flows in all directions
• Develops and maintains positive
human relationships
 Serial Communication

• Chain of three or more people

• Messages usually changed as
passed
• Receivers should
– Take notes
– Repeat the message
 Office Politics

The competitive
environment that
exists within the
corporate culture
Communication Process Model

© Krizan, Merrier, Logan, Schneiter, Business Communication, 7ed., Southwestern

 Sender’s Role

• Selecting the type of message

• Analyzing the receiver
• Using the you-viewpoint
• Encouraging feedback
• Removing communication
barriers
 Receiver’s Role
• Listening or reading carefully
• Being open to different types of
senders and to new ideas
• Making notes when necessary
• Providing appropriate feedback
to the sender
• Asking questions to clarify the
message
 Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication

• Verbal – uses words

• Nonverbal - does not

use words
Message Channels

• Written

• Oral

• Nonverbal
The You-Viewpoint

The sender gives

primary consideration
to the receiver’s point
of view when
composing and
sending messages.
Analyzing the Receiver
• Knowledge

• Interests

• Attitudes

• Emotional Reaction
 Feedback

• The sender’s role includes

providing for feedback
– Ask directly or indirectly for a
response
– Assist the receiver in giving the
response
Communication Barriers

Any factors that

interfere with the
success of the
communication
process
 Communication Barriers in
Word Choice

• Denotative versus connotative

meaning

• Idioms

• Implications and inferences

 More Communication
Barriers

• Grammar, sentence structure,

punctuation, and spelling
• Type of message
• Appearance of the message
• Appearance of the sender
 More Communication
Barriers

• Environmental factors
• Receiver’s capability
• Ineffective listening skills
• Other barriers