Madhukar, R.K. 2009. Business Communication. 6th edition.

New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House

Extras: Objectives of Business Communication

Large organizations are described as networks of interdependent

relationships. The objectives, activities and inter-relationships of a business organization
necessitate communication to subserve its many diverse objectives.
Objectives of Communication
Inform Integrate
Educate Relate and Connect
Train Promote
Motivate Entertain
Facilitate Decision Making
Let us discuss the objectives of business communication.
INFORM. The first and foremost objective of any communication is to inform. In todays world,
information is power. Communication brings power through information. The dissemination of
information covers a wide range of areas, both internal and external. People within the
organization have to be kept informed about the organizational goals, objectives, procedures,
processes, systems, plans, priorities and strategies. Equally important is the objective of ensuring
effective external communication with customers, prospects, competitors, suppliers and the
public, about products, services, plans, happenings, events and achievements. The information
needs within the organization take on different nomenclatures market-related information,
product-related information, client-related information, employee information, executive
information and management information.
EDUCATE. Another objective of communication in an organization is to educate, i.e., to
disseminate knowledge and develop skills and attitudes among the people working in the
organization. There is also a need to familiarize them with the systems, procedures and processes.
This process of education may extend to customers as well. This may be done through product
literature, publicity, presentations and demonstrations.
Education is learning what you didnt even know you didnt know. Daniel J. Boorstin
TRAIN. Communication is an integral component of any training program. Business
organizations need to train people to achieve proficiency in specific skills. They have to provide
working knowledge and attitudinal inputs through training programs to employees at various

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hierarchical levels. Training sessions involve teaching, instruction, demonstration, practice and
discussion. The process of communication is integral to each of these.
MOTIVATE. People in any business organization have to be motivated to pursue goals and
achieve higher levels of performance. High levels of morale and motivation are a must to ensure
high levels of productivity and efficiency on a sustainable basis. Communication provides the
means to keep the motivation levels high. Talks, lectures, films, meetings, workshops and
nonverbal messages are among the means used to motivate people.
INTEGRATE. Large business organizations have different business units, departments and
territorial divisions. Each of them pursues different goals, sub-goals and target sections.
Communication provides the means for an integrated approach in pursuing organizational goals.
Effective communication is a must to ensure that people working in different functional and
geographical areas are integrated into well-knit teams that eschew working at cross-purposes and
continue to achieve organizational goals as envisaged. Communication binds together people
working for a common objective and helps team building.
RELATE and CONNECT. Good business relationships are a must for the continued success of
any business organization. It is communication that provides the means for building and
nurturing mutually beneficial relationships. These relationships are both internal and external.
They may be among and/or between employees, supervisory staff, top management, customers,
suppliers, other players, press and other media. As part of the larger community, progressive
organizations make it a point to relate themselves with the community at large. It demonstrates
that they are a sharing and caring organization. All this is achieved through well-organized
communication strategies.
PROMOTE. Promotional efforts are a must for any organization to fully achieve its objectives.
One of the Ps of marketing (the others being Product, Price and Placement), promotion relates to
various activities such as advertising, publicity, public relations and communication, which aim at
customer information, customer education, customer communication and customer retention. In
the marketing concept, the customer is said to move from stage to stage till the transaction is
completed. They move progressively from the state of awareness of the need for a product to the
knowledge of the product and thereafter to a state of product preference. The needs of the
customers develop into effective demand for products, resulting in the purchase of the product or
availing of the service. Promotional aspects of the service are particularly relevant in a service

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industry like banking or insurance, where the product, i.e., the service, cannot be readily seen.
Financial service providers essentially sell benefits. For this, they have to organize effective
promotional measures, which seek to inform, educate, persuade and actualize the clients/markets.
Communication constitutes the basic plank on which promotional strategies are built.
ENTERTAIN. Every business is not necessarily a serious business. Even serious businesses are
not serious all the time. Whatever may be the nature of business, there is a time for
entertainment. Communication facilitates entertainment. It facilitates social bonding and brings in
lighter moments that help in releasing tension, fostering camaraderie and getting rid of negative
feelings. Humour, when used effectively, can play a vital role in fostering positive behaviour in
business organizations. In the entertainment industry, communication has a much bigger role to
play. Communication can serve to achieve the objective of purposeful entertainment.
FACILITATE DECISION MAKING. Decision making constitutes an important function for any
business organization. Well thought out decisions, quickly taken, lead to better results. Such
decision making is spread across all the functional areas personnel, marketing, accounts,
production and maintenance.
The objectives of communication, it must be emphasized, are dynamic and ever-changing.
Depending upon the nature and functions of the organization, the range of people it deals with,
and the sensitivities involved, the process of communication assumes new dimensions. In order to
caution, counsel, persuade, clarify, elicit support, reprimand, organize, apprise, evaluate and
achieve numerous other objectives, people in organizations resort to communication. Business
organizations today function in an extremely dynamic context. Nothing ever remains the same for
long. There are mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, high employee turnover, low customer
loyalty, move towards corporate governance, outsour cing, paperless offices an d flexible work
hours. All these developments have had their impact on the conventional methods of
organizational communication.
The objectives of communication, both internal and external, thus cover multifarious facets of
organizational functioning. Within the organization, it covers varied functions suc h as planning,
directing, controlling, coordinating, reviewing, monitoring and staffing. It facilitates appropriate
feedback so vital for decision making and relationship building. Marketing, selling, goal-setting,
employee counselling, team-building, performance highlighting, image-building, morale-building

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and community orientation are all valid objectives which communication seeks to achieve in an
organizational context. Communication supports every business function.