Thursday, 13 December 2012

Business

Unit Question: How and why organizations do communicate?
Subject: Business
Name: Sim Kuan Teng
Class: MYP 10 green
Teacher: Ms.Theresa


Communication
Communication is transfer of information from the sender to the receiver with the information being understand by both the sender and the receiver 


                             



Importance of communication
-improve customer relations
-bolster employee satisfaction
-build knowledge
-sharing throughout the organization
-enhance the firm's competitiveness
-develop plans for their achievement
-establish and disseminate goals of an organisation
-control performance
-select or develop of the organisation



Types of communication

Written communication

Written communication has great significance in today’s business world. It is an innovative activity of the mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy promotional materials for business development. Speech came before writing. But writing is more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech.
It includes letter, memos, report, notices, faxes and e-mails.

Advantages of written communication
- Helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization
- More precise and explicit
- Provides ready records and references
- Develops and enhances an organization’s image
- Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records 


Disadvantages of written communication
- If the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to clear their doubts, the response is not spontaneous.
- Time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate
- Encoding and sending of message takes time.
- Does not save upon the costs
- May create mountains of papers
- Requires great skills and competencies in language and vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organization’s reputation.



Oral communication 

Oral communication implies communication through mouth. It includes individuals conversing with each other, be it direct conversation or telephonic conversation. Speeches, presentations, discussions are all forms of oral communication. Oral communication is generally recommended when the communication matter is of temporary kind or where a direct interaction is required.  
It includes one to one communications, interviews, appraisal sessions, group meetings or team briefings.

Advantage of oral communication
- An essential for teamwork and group energy
- Promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among organizational employees
- Transfer private and confidential information
- Saves time
- Saves money
- Saves effort
- Fast and feedback can be received instantly
- Encourages motivation
- The message can be reinforced with the proper use of body language

Disadvantage of oral communication
- May not be sufficient as business communication is formal and very organized
- Less authentic than written communication as they are informal and not as organized as written communication
- May be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack essentials
- Not frequently used as legal records except in investigation work
- It may unsuitable for information which is technical in nature

Visual communication

Visual communication is communication through visual aid and is described as the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon.
It includes diagrams, pictures, charts, signs and pictorial representation of the message





Advantage of visual communication

- Easy to understand and retain the information

- May be more interesting than simple written communication


Disadvantage of visual communication
-It is not always clear and may be misinterpreted by the receiver


Communication Process
A communication process also is a Communications Management Process; it is a set of steps that are taken every time formal communications are undertaken in an organization.  A Communications Process is undertaken as part of Communications Management and helps to ensure that your stakeholders are kept regularly informed.

Sender of the message:

- Communication begins with the sender who has a thought or an idea which is the encoded in a way that can be understood by both the sender and the receiver



Transmission of message:

-The information is transmitted over a channel that links the sender with the receiver. The message may be oral, written or visual

Receiver of the message:
-The receiver has to be ready for the message so that it can be decoded. Accurate communication can only occur when both the sender and the receiver attach the samemeaning to the message

Feedback:
-We can never be sure whether or not a message has been effectively encoded, transmitted, decoded and understood until it is confirmed by feedback

It helps people to:
- Identify the messages that need to be sent
- Determine your target audience for communication
- Decide on your message format and timing
- Draft your message and gain approval where required
- Communicate your message, through communications events
- Gather feedback and improve your communication processes

Flow of Communication




External Communication 
External communication is how a business communicates with the general public. It is how they make the public aware of the products and services offered by the business. External communication requires a business image and a professional face.

Internal Communication
Internal communication is what attracts and retains skilled employees to your business and it is how the management of the business guides employees in reaching the goals of the business.





Downward Communication

Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a lower level is a downward communication. In other words, communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-related information to the employees at lower levels.


Horizontal Flow of Communication
Communication that flows to a higher level in an organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors.


Barriers to effective communication
1)Language- The sender or receiver of the messages may not be a good user of the language
2)Communication method- The method that used to communicate may not suit to the receiver.
3)Cultural differences- The receiver's explanation of the message may be different because difference in cultural experience have the different religion.
4)Emotional state- The sender or receiver may be sad or angry and it's hard to know their situation or hard to listen properly



Problem with the sender:
-The sender may use technical language or may use 'jargons' which are difficult to understand
-The sender may speak too quickly which makes it difficult to interpret what he is saying
-The sender initiates a wrong message

Problem with the medium:
-The message may be lost while transmitting
-A longer channel of communication will result in distortion of the message and it may lose its original meaning
-There is lots of physical disturbances in channel of communication used.

Problem with receiver:
-The receiver might not paying attention and thus message will lost its impact
-The sender might not be trusted by the receiver and may not act in the intended way
-The receiver may not have the necessary skills to understand the message

Problem with feedback:
-The feedback may be missing

Steps to overcoming barrier to communication
Sender:
-Message should be as brief as possible and to the point
-Language used should be understood by the receiver 
-Avoid using technical jargon 

Medium:
-Select appropriate channel for communication
-Should be free from distortions 
-Use the shortest possible channel in order to avoid distortion

Receiver:
-Feedback should be asked from the receiver
-Trust between the sender
-Pay attention 

Management
Management is an individual or a group of individuals that accept responsibilities to run an organisation.
 There have four basic function of management:   
 1)Planning
      2) Organizing
 3)Leading
    4)controlling


1)Planning-The manager first needs to decide which steps are necessary to accomplish that goal. These steps may include increasing advertising, inventory, and sales staff. These necessary steps are developed into a plan. When the plan is in place, the manager can follow it to accomplish the goal of improving company sales.

2)Organization- After a plan is in place, a manager needs to organize her team and materials according to her plan. Assigning work and granting authority are two important elements of organizing.

3)Leading- The manager needs to do more than just plan, organize, and staff his team to achieve a goal. Leading involves motivating, communicating, guiding, and encouraging. It requires the manager to coach, assist, and problem solve with employees.

4)Controlling- After the other elements are in place, a manager's job is not finished. He needs to continuously check results against goals and take any corrective actions necessary to make sure that his area's plans remain on track.



How and why organization do communicate?
People and organizations communicate with others for a variety of reasons - to inform, persuade, prevent misunderstandings, present a point of view or reduce barriers.Communications planning is simply a process to help you reach that goal.



Organizations need to communicate for some reasons:
1)To inform people-You may need to let interested parties know who you are, what you can do for them, what they can do to help you, or even just how to get in touch.

    2)To build understanding or change behavior-You may encourage others to think and cat.This can involve appealing to feelings, self-interest, or a person's imagination.

    3)To prevent misunderstandings-Even a small misunderstanding can create large problems for your organization. You can ensure good communication by putting yourself in your audience's position, paying attention to their needs and getting to know them.

    4)To present a point- To accomplish your goal.

    5)To lower barriers between groups and individuals-These barriers may range from information overload to suspicion and prejudice.

    Bibliography
     "Reference for Business." Communication in Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
    "Communication Process." Communication Process. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
    http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/comproc.htm

    "5 Barriers to Effective Communication." 5 Barriers to Effective Communication. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
    http://voices.yahoo.com/the-four-functions-management-foundation-all-538016.html?cat=3

    "Four Functions of Management." Suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.