Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Project report on
Technologies used for Internal and External Communication
Amit Agarwal
Raghav Singhal
Sagar Chawla
Tanuj Juneja
Zulfiquar Hadi
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Index
Communication 2
Barriers to communication 3
Internal communication & its technologies 4
Requirements for Effective Internal Communication 5
External communication & its technologies 6
Conclusion 8
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Communication:
It begins when one person sends a message to another with the intent of evoking a
response. It is, in fact the process of generating the idea to start a conversation,
encoding the message, transmitting it to the listener at other end via a suitable channel.
It is then decoded by the listener and feedback is given.
Encoding:
The sender desires to communicate to the receiver some idea, feeling, or intention.
Encoding is translating to the information into a format that will get the idea across.
Transmission channel/medium:
The channel is the medium through which the message is transmitted. Oral/Verbal
communication takes place in speeches, meetings, phone calls, or informal discussions.
Nonverbal communication is the communication without words.
Decoding:
Communication does not take place if the receiver’s senses fail to perceive the sender’s
message. Decoding is the receiver function of perceiving communication stimuli and
interpreting their meaning.
Feedback:
After the sender, or source, has encoded and transmitted the message and the receiver
and decoded it, the feelings, ideas, and intentions generated in the receiver are usually
communicated back to the sender.
Noise:
Noise is something that interferes, at any stage, with the communication process.
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Barriers to communication:
1. Frames of Reference: (Individual Perceptions)
A combination of past experiences and current expectations often leads two
people to perceive the same communication differently. Although each hears
the actual words accurately, s/he may catalogue those words according to his or
her individual perceptions, or frames of reference. Within organization, people
with different functions often have different frames of reference.
2. Semantics:
It refers to the meaning and use of words. This is especially true when people
from different cultures are trying to communicate.
3. Value Judgments:
Value judgments are a source of noise when a receiver evaluates the worth of a
sender’s message before the sender has finished transmitting it. Based on
receiver’s previous experience either with the sender or with similar types of
Communication
4. Selective Listening:
Value judgments, needs and expectations cause us to hear what we want to
hear. When a message conflicts with what a receiver believes or expects,
selective listening may cause the receiver to block out the information or distort
it to match preconceived notions.
4. Filtering:
Filtering is selective listening to reverse. We might call it selective sending”.
When senders convey only certain parts of the relevant information to receivers
they are said to be filtering the message.
5. Distrust:
A lack of trust on the part of either communicator is likely to evoke one or more
of the barriers. Senders may filter out important information if they distrust
receivers, and receivers may form value judgments, make inferences if they
distrust receivers. Distrust is some times caused by status difference.
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Internal communication & its technologies:
Internal communication may be defined as an exchange of facts ideas, opinions that
individuals or departments of an organisation relating to purely inside matters.
Information transmission of various pieces concerning what happens within an
organisation rather than its relationship with the others outside an organisation. This
implies the concept of internal communication. Thus internal or inside communication is
concerned which implies transmission and reception of information clearly, accurately
and speedily.
It is a communication of indoor management. The outside people or external to the
organisation are not concerned with it. In corporate management there is Doctrine of
Indoor Management. This allows all those external parties who deal with the company
to assume that the employees of the company have observed the provisions of articles
in the management of affairs and communication. In other words they are not bound to
enquire into the regularity of internal matters. An outsider or external is not expected to
see that the company carries out its internal affairs of management.
In general, inside communication means giving and receiving information by all
hierarchical levels. It includes vertical communication covering downward
communication, upward communication, horizontal communication and diagonal
communication. It includes communication flowing at any intermediate level as well as
at operating level, or top management level, because internal communication is indeed
required by all who work together in an organisation to accomplish common goal.
Downward Communication
It is used by managers to assign goals: provide job instructions; inform about policies,
procedures, and practices; provide performance feedback; point out problems. Down
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ward communication can take many forms; speeches, memos, company newsletters,
bulletin board and policy and procedure manuals.
Upward Communication
It provides managers with information about current problems, updates on employees’
progress towards goals, suggestion for improvement, proposals for innovations,
employees’ grievance, and feedback about employee attitudes.
Horizontal Communication
It takes place among peers and can cut across departments and work groups. These
lateral communications benefit the organization by more efficiently providing support,
coordination and information than could vertical channels.
Internal communication may either be oral or written. Oral or verbal communication
may be face to face conversion; telephones, meetings, conferences, group discussions,
personal instructions, lecturers, interviews; counselling, public address system,
grapevine, gossip tumour social affairs etc. Written internal communication may be
through orders, memos, letters, house organs, bulletin boards, posters, information
racks, manuals, handbooks, annual reports, grievance, union publications. The main
methods of internal communication available in a modern office are messenger service,
internal mail service, and mechanical devices. Leffin Well and Robinson have suggested
three general forms of inter‐communication. They are
(1) Notices that certain things have been done.
(2) Orders to do certain things, requests for advice and information,
notice of happening.
(3) Reports of progress on different phases of work.
Requirements for Effective Internal Communication:
Lynn Townsend, set forth the following eight requirements for effective internal
communication.
1. Internal communication must be recognized as an essential tool of
management. It is a way to achieve corporate objectives, build
teamwork, and motive: It can make managers become better leaders.
This requirement recognises that, employee attitudes and resulting
performance are improved by effective communication.
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2. Employees must be well informed concerning their mutual interests in
company success. Management's position on issues needs to be known
and employees should be persuaded to take actions that will best serve
mutual interests and goals.
3. Individual managers must actively support the corporate communication
efforts; Managers must develop teamwork among them and work
cooperatively with the corporate office. Management has responsibilities
to create a climate conducive to communication and to maintain a flow
through open channels.
4. Great emphasis must be placed on communication and measurement
Communication cannot be left to chance. There must be a plan who
communicates that how to whom, for what purpose and to what effect.
5. Top management must establish a communication climate other divisions
and departments will reflect this climate.
6. A long‐term investment in professional talent and communication
programming must be made Programming and qualified people cost
money, but it is well spent.
7. Management must recognise its responsibility 'to listen as well as to
speak. If the boss is not a good listener, those who report to him will soon
stop trying to communicate.
8. Management must recognise the desire of employees to help their
company and the power of communication to tap this great potential.
Employees are willing to help and communication can turn this desire
into action.
External communication & its technologies:
Any communication to or from outside the organisation can be defined as external
communication. There is no denying the fact that every organisation irrespective of its
nature of functioning has to have communication links or network outside the
organisation or outside the organisation structure. The bigger the enterprise is the more
elaborate the external communication system must be the such organisations, the
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greater is the likelihood of expensive and time wasting, 'mistakes called through lack of
external' communication. It would not be out of way to emphasise that the above
channels of communication work within the organisation. But in real world situation,
every organisation is also linked with the outside parties in the form of suppliers,
customers, government, departments, financial institutions, holding and, subsidiary
companies creditors, debenture holders, registrar of companies and other body
corporates etc. Under all circumstances, it should be kept in mind that for the effective
running of the organisation an uninterrupted communication channel external to the
organisation be maintained to keep the organisation alive and active.
External communication is equally important as internal communication to provide a
link between the employees and the shareholders and other third parties. As a matter
of fact, external communication is considered as lifeblood of the modern business.
External communication can be arranged by oral or verbal communication as well as
through written media. Telex, television, telephone, tele‐printer, transmitters, STD, ISD,
and other modern sophisticated communication technologies can be used for external
communication. Written media like letters, circulars, Jl1emos, notices, legal notices,
newspapers, magazines, manuals, periodical reports, pamphlets etc., are also used
towards external communication. External correspondence is mostly in written form
except in extraordinary circumstances resorting to telecommunication services.
Communication is characterised as two way process, continuing process and is a social
process. Two or more people are involved in the process. A modern business
organisation is a complex organisation not only of individuals or group of individuals
within the organisation but to interact with outside individuals and groups.
An efficient management needs to become aware of the importance of external
communication, information exchange and use of feedback. Most problems associated
with outside matters are due to lack of adequate communication. Adequate external
communication shall be recognised, sought, and used. Problems of pollution,
technological unemployment, problem of congestion, housing, medical, crime, family
planning, problem of population, natural resources, dangerous effects of industrial
wastes, fumes, dust, effects of chemical fertilizers on human health, ecological balance,
and a host of many other subject matters, fall within the orbit of external matters of
social responsibility.
A very important function of the management is to have multi‐media approach to
'communicate with various cross sections of the society, by maintaining an. effective
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and honest information exchange. Within the organisation employees communicate in
different directions. Outside the organisation a system of communication should keep
several people informed. It is utmost necessary to build attitudes, develop rapport,
create confidence, win goodwill, morale support and influence, mutual understanding
by keeping them well informed. There are many broad areas outside the organisation
about which information should be communicated.
Conclusion:
• Developing a communication strategy and its implementation in an efficient and
effective manner is quite beneficial for an organization.
• You need to be transparent about your goals and values.
• Consistency has to be maintained.
• You need to adopt comprehensive & persuasive methods for that.
• All this needs a long term focus.
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