Business Communication, Chapter 1

Meaning of communication

  

Communication is the  transfer of information from a sender to a receiver, with the information  being understood  by the  receiver. 

_Weihrich and  Koontz

According to Newstrom and Davis, "Communication is  the transfer of information from one person to another person. It is  a way of  reaching  others by transmitting ideas, facts, thoughts, feelings and values. 

Meaning of Business Communication

Business communication is a special branch of  general communication. When communication takes place  between two  or more parties concerning  business affairs, it is  known as business communication. 

In fact, communication is the  life-blood  of business and management process. No business can operate  even a day without communication.   

In the  opinion of  W.H. Meaning, "The  exchange  of ideas, news and  views in connection with the  business among  the  related parties is called business communication."

Elements of Business Communication

  

The success of  business communication depands on some  elements.  The  elements are discussed in short below:

1. Two or more  parties: Business communication must involve at least two parties. One  party acts as the sender of message and  another is the receiver  of that message.

2. Meaningful message: The second importent element of communication is message or information that the sender wants to communicate. The message  that a sender wants to send, should be meaningful to the receiver.

3. Business related information: Information that the  sender transmits should be  related to business. Similarly, the feedback from the receiver should also be business  based.

4. Media / Channel: Channel or  media  is a pre-requisite of  communication. Communication media  can be verbal  and nonverbal. The  verbal media may be  of  oral and written. Verbal media  of communication includes telephonic conversation, fax, newspaper, books, journals etc. On the other  hand, body language, facial expression etc. are the  media of non-verbal communication. 

5. Feedback: The final element  of communication is feedback. It  is the  response or reaction of the receiver regarding the sender's message. 

Essential  Requirement of Effective Communication

When both the sender  and the receiver perceive the meaning of communication almost in the same way, it is called effective communication. Effective communication requires  some  conditions or elements. These are discussed below:

1. Pre-thinking: Pre-thinking about  the message is an important quality of good communication. 

2. Specific objective: Communication occurs with specific objective. Therefore, the communicator must know the objective  of communication. 

3. Timeliness: