B U S I N E S S

C O M M U N I C A T I O N
STUDY II

Suggested Readings:
1.
2.
3.
4.

BCBCBCBC-

Dr. Anjali Ghanekar

K.K. Sinha
Murphy
Lesikar

C O N T E N T S
Page
2

Components of Communication

Communication Process

Principles
Questions

This study note is only Suggestive and not exhaustive. Student MUST drive
his/her own way through attempting any answer; reproducing points as is
will not count for points / credits.

PRELUDE
In many ways, the history of human civilization chronicles the increasing centrality of
communication. Communication establishes relationships and makes human
organization and cooperation possible. Whether you recognize it or not, you have no
choice but to communicate. If you try to avoid communicating by not replying to
messages, you are nevertheless sending a message, but it may not be the one you
want or intend. When you dont say yes, you may be saying no by defaultand vice
versa. The only choice you can make about communication is whether you are going
to attempt to communicate effectively.
COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Context
Every message whether oral or written begins with context. Context includes the
below mentioned aspects. These aspects have their own conventions for processing
& communicating information. This helps PLAN, DESIGN & COMMUNICATE
message successfully.
a. Corporate Culture
Culture is the lens through which one views the world. It is central to: What you see,
how you make sense of what you see and how you express yourself. Corporate
Culture refers to organizations values, beliefs and behaviour.
b. Styles
c. Color
d. Numbers
e. Figures
f. Stimuli
i. External
ii. Internal
2. Sender-Encoder
Responsibility : To Determine purpose of the message. Analyze the point of view /
expectation of the audience / receiver. Choose the medium to get the message
(symbol) across.
3. Message
4. Medium
5. Reciever-Decoder
Responsibility : Analyze the senders background and values to comprehend the
message. Decode the message.
RULE OF FIVE
Keith Davis has set the Rule of five for Receivers:
Receive
Understand
Accept
Use
Feedback

6. Feedback
7. Noise
COMMUNICATION MODELS / COMMUNICATION PROCESS
[A] Laswells Model

Who

Says what

I n what manner

To whom

With what effect

Figure Id: 1
Eg: Newspaper
[II] Shamon & Weaver (SMCR) Model
Engineers @ Bell Laboratories : Western Electric

NOI SE

Sender
encode

NOI SE

Channel
Message

Receiver
decode

Figure Id: 2
Eg: Telephone Conversation
[III] Weiners Addition
Cybernetics process model based on built-in monitoring of environment & modifying
components of overall system.

Sender
encode

Channel
Message

Receiver
decode

Feedback

Figure Id: 3
[IV] Osgood & Dance
Message

Sender

Receiver

Receiver

Message

[V] Schramms Model

Sender

Sender

Figure Id:4

Message

Figure Id:5

Receiver

[VI] Integrated Model

Common frame of reference
Semantic Gap / Noise
Channel
Message

Sender
encode

Receiver
decode

Feedback

Figure Id:6
Source : Web
+ Communication Skill for Effective Management
by Dr. Anjali Ghanekar
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
[I] Tips
1. Be sure of what you want to communicate & why. Be certain of your
objectives.
2. Be clear in the use of language.
3. Watch how much you communicate
4. Use adequate medium
5. Provide right climate
6. Listen alternatively
7. Watch out for unintentional communication
8. Remember that communication is a two-way process. Consider feedback/
9. Be sure that actions do not contradict your communication
10. Provide communication training.
Source: Collection of extracts from suggested readings
[II] Principles of effective communication
1. Completeness
2. Conciseness
3. Consideration
4. Concreteness
5. Clarity
6. Courtesy

7. Correctness
Source: Collection of extracts from suggested readings

[III] The Seven "C's" Of Effective Management

The following are the seven "C's" of effective managerial communication.
1.Credibility: When communicating with employees or others, your audience must
be willing to believe you. Repetitive mistakes or factual errors in trying to persuade or
inform others will cause listeners to eventually question everything you say.
2. Context: You must back up your words with action and lead by example. "Do as I
say but not as I do" doesn't sit well with your subordinates. Employees will defy policy
statements that are consistently ignored or abused by leaders.
3. Content: Managers should not assume that their audience is aware of the
significance or importance of a message. Explain why it is significant. How does
compliance with a stated initiative impact your organization's bottom line?
4. Continuity: A fundamental rule of communication is that messages be passed
along through at least three channels to be effective. Repetition contributes to
understanding, retention, learning and acceptance.
5. Consistency: Repetition with slight variation is necessary, but you must keep the
facts and the story consistent with each communication. If facts change, credibility
will deteriorate.
6. Channels: Communication in today's technological environment has the potential
to be more successful than at any previous time. Your messages can travel via e-mail,
newsletters and memos. The challenge is understanding that some channels have
different effects on different audiences.
7. Clarity: Put the message in simple terms. Words must mean nearly the same
thing to all involved. Introduce complex issues with simplicity and clarity.
Planning Models
Seven C's of Effective Communication
1. Command attention.
Drama, with its fascinating characters and exciting plots, can attract and hold the
listeners attention throughout many episodes. Drama also can direct attention to a
social message by making it stand out from all the other information a listener
receives in the course of a day, by demonstrating how the message is relevant and
useful to listeners, by showing that it is compatible with listeners beliefs, and by
making it attractive.
2. Cater to the heart and the head.
Emotional involvement is every bit as important as information when it comes to
attracting an audience and motivating listeners to change. An emotional response
will increase the time and energy a listener spends thinking about the message.

Furthermore, decisions that are reached logically are strengthened if the decision is
also emotionally rewarding. Drama has the ability to involve listeners in a range of
emotional experiences as well as to provide them with information to help them to
improve their lives.
3. Clarify the message.
Messages must be clearly understood in order to be effective. Drama allows the
message to be presented by various characters in language and in situations that the
audience can understand and readily recall. By demonstrating the message, rolemodel characters make the message much clearer than any abstract description.
4. Communicate a benefit.
Listeners will be more likely to risk trying a new behaviour if they believe it has real
advantages. Through role modeling by the various characters, drama can
demonstrate to listeners the benefits to be gained from a change in their life styles. It
can quickly illustrate the consequences, both good and bad, of various behaviors.
5. Create trust.
As listeners become personally and emotionally involved with role-model characters
in the drama, they come to see the characters as real people whom they can trust
and rely upon. If the drama features experienced, knowledgeable characters who can
relate to listeners lives, then listeners will trust the message that they are delivering.
6. Call to action.
People need encouragement to discuss new ideas, to make difficult decisions, and to
attempt a new behavior. Characters in dramas have the power to inspire and
motivate listeners to try a new behaviour and to advocate it to their families and
friends.
7. Be consistent.
Because a detailed Writers Brief guides the creation of serial drama for development,
the drama always delivers the message to the listening audience in a consistent,
appropriate, and relevant manner no matter how many characters restate the
message in how many different ways. Consistent repetition of the message helps
listeners to understand new ideas, to learn how to perform a new behaviour, and to
rehearse
mentally
how
they
might
act.
Source: Esta de Fossard, Population Communication Services, Center for Communication
Programs, The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health: November 1998, pages 4-5.

[IV] The Four Cs of Communications

By Andraea Dawson-Shepherd, Director, Hedron Consulting Ltd
The 4 Cs capability, credibility, consciousness & confidence.
Capability means not just being personally good at crafting, writing and presenting
messages but also a strategic thinker, with the ability to explain how their
suggestions will influence what people do, feel and think. To be listened to, the
internal communicator must understand the detail within the organizations business
plan and how it affects each function and their business division. They can then
engage senior people from across all functions in commercially useful conversation,
discussing how their teams/staff feel, think and behave, together with the impact of
the plan upon the business performance and how changes can be made. Internal

communicators need to understand what constitutes effective management and how

to achieve it.
Credibility understand enough about each area of the business, including the
finance directors area. You need be able to have a decent conversation with
functional leaders and have the knowledge to advise them on what internal
communication can and cannot achieve for them. You should also be able to inform
them on what staff issues they need to address in order to achieve the sort of
attitudes and behaviors that they seek. An MBA is a good backgrounder for any
internal communicator.
Consciousness be aware of the politics and where you fit in. Do not let it limit you
skim across it. One good thing about ICs lower-than-desired status is that few will
view it as a threat, so ducking and diving your way through the politics is easier. Base
your IC structure model on the reality of the structure in which you operate. Hedron
uses a simple matrix to help communication teams decide on the best structure for
their organisation, which is based on the organisation structure, the style of
management, the power structure of the organisation and the personal style of
internal communications most senior boss or champion. In general, it does not
matter which function IC is within it should just ensure that it is within the most
powerful and credible one. Then IC can have some freedom to operate.
Confidence you have to be able to be confident with senior people and find ways
in which you can add value to their ability, particularly in the area of instilling the
desired attitudes and behaviors in their staff. If you are a good speechwriter, you can
be an ace confidante for the CEO by preparing her/his internal speeches. If your
capability (as defined above) is good, then you can stand out by showing the depth of
your understanding of the business. Speak up, put forward the employee
perspective, but do so in business terms. Ask for resources and do not be afraid to
say, Yes of course, I/we can do it, but it will have to come out of your budget as ours
is already utilized.
QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Describe the process of communication and identify its key components.

Elaborate the communication process and explain its essential elements.
Discuss general principles of effective communication.
Explain with apt diagrams the Communication Models
Write short notes on
a. Rule of five
b. Lasswell Model
c. Important Cs of Communication or 7 Cs of communication
**Thank you for a patient reading**