Unit 2 Unit Outcomes

At the end of this unit, students will be able to:

 recognize concept of communication.
 differentiate the various methods of
communication.

COMMUNICATION  prepare business letters.

Introduction
Communication is very important for two basic reasons. Firstly, communication is
important for managerial tasks or duties such as planning, organizing, directing and
controlling. Secondly, communication relates an organization to the external
environment such as customers, suppliers, government offices, competitors, etc. The
purpose of this unit is to give a brief explanation of communication in organizational
and personal contexts. The major emphasis here will be on communication
effectiveness using different media.

Contents of the Unit

In order to be able to achieve the above objectives, you will learn the following topics:
• Definition of communication and business communication;
• Methods of communications
• Effective formats of business message
• Business report writing and business reports
• Other common reports and their heading
• Writing curriculum vitae

2.1 Definition of Communication and Business Communication

• What do you understand when we say communication?

Remember the definition of business you did learn in grade 11. When communication
is applied in business we say business communication. Therefore, in this context we
used business communication or simply communication interchangeably. The

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application of communication for administrative purposes is also called administrative

communication.

We can define communication or business communication as the

transmission of information and understanding through the use of
common symbols.

If mutual understanding does not result from the transmission of symbols, there is no
communication. These symbols may be letters, numbers, pictures, facial expressions,
reports, audio, video, and the like. Or communication occurs when an exchange of
messages results in shared meaning. In other words, for communication to exist, the
idea in the mind of the sender must be identical or at least similar to the idea in the
mind of the receiver. Otherwise, there is no communication.
In organizations, the flow of information can be considered like the flow of blood in the
human body. Every member of an organization is a link in the information chain. One
of your first priorities as an employee should be to make sure that you are sending
and receiving the messages required to help your group function effectively.
To be effective communicator in your organization or your life, you should constantly
ask the basic question of communications namely "WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?
WHY? HOW?"
• WHO are the senders/receivers of this communication?
• WHAT is the core thought- the key idea, the main point – of this
communication?
• WHAT relates the core thought to both the sender's and receiver’s purposes?
• WHERE does the message strengthen relationships between sender and
receiver?
• WHEN was the message sent and received (or when will it be sent and received)?
• WHY was the message (or why will it be) sent?
• HOW does the message use sources and information?
• HOW was the message (or how should it be) worded?
• HOW was the message (or how should it be) transmitted?

Activity: 1
• Why one should ask the WH (who, what, where, how) questions in
communication?
• Define communication using your own words.
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2.1.1 Importance of Communication

Success in an organization depends to a great degree upon the ability of the manager
to understand other people. Managers can understand their employees through proper
communication. Your ability to clearly write, listen, and speak determine also your
success in life wherever and whoever you will be. Employers require their employees to
have excellent communication skills in writing, speaking and listening. Getting
acceptance of policies, winning cooperation of others, getting ideas and instructions
clearly understood, and bringing about desired changes in performance also depend
upon efficient communication in an organization. To specifically state the importance
of communication in organizations, the followings points require special mention.
1. Communication facilitates efficient and smooth running of an organization.
Common causes of organizational inefficiency are related to poor communication.
But, effective communication enables an organization to secure cooperation
between persons and assures performance and achievement of objectives.

2. Communication brings higher productivity at minimum cost. Communication

is important to enhance the morale (willingness to work) of the employees. It also
helps for proper supervision to make employees interested in their work. These
functions in effect help an organization to increase productivity and to minimize
cost. Productivity is producing more and more output with the usage of less and
less resources (material, labour, capital and knowledge) in the organization. Poor
communication may cause accidents, resources wastage, low morale and in effect
low productivity.

3. Facilitate democratic management. Democratisation is becoming very popular in

most countries of the world. This has necessitated democratic style of leadership in
most organizations in the new millennium. Thus, communication enables
participation of members of the organization in decision making. This democratic
style of leadership promotes the support and understanding of superiors (bosses)
and subordinates and work towards their common objectives.

4. Communication binds people together. It introduces the sense of cooperation

and produces the will to work very hard. It helps to establish and disseminate
objectives of an organization that brings people with different interests together. It
serves as bondage to bring people together for common cause.
5. Communication facilitates management processes. Management is the process
of planning, organizing, directing and controlling. Such managerial processes can
be facilitated through effective communications.
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6. Communication is the basis for decision making. The quality of decisions in an

organization depends on the amount and quality of information, which is effected
through communication, available to managers. Effective communications is also
important to proper implementation of plans. Most plans are not implemented in
Ethiopia mainly due to poor communication.

Activity: 2

• What are the effects of poor communication systems in an organization?

• What are the effects of good communication systems in an organization?

2.1.2 Process of Communication

There are different models of the communication process. But, for our purpose, the
following diagram is used to explain the process. As shown in figure 2.1, the process of
communication can be broken down into basic elements. These are the communicator,
encoding, the message, the medium, decoding, the receiver, noise, and the feedback.
The following diagram shows communication process as a simplified model.

1 8 7
Sender Has an Idea Audience Sends Feedback Audience Reacts to
Message

2 6
Sender Encodes the idea NOISE Audience Decodes Message

3 4 5
Sender Produces Message Sender Transmits Message Audience Receives
Message

Figure 2.1 The communication process

By viewing communication as a process, such as the above, you can identify and
improve the skills that you need to be more successful.
1. The sender has an idea.
2. The sender encodes the idea as a message.
3. The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium.
4. The sender transmits the message through a channel.
5. The audience receives the message.

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6. The audience decodes the message.

7. The audience responds to the message.
8. The audience provides feedback.

The following process of communication is another model which can be seen from the
receiver, sender and medium of communication perspective with more elaboration.

Sender/Encoder Receiver/Decoder
Message: Verbal,
• Communication skills nonverbal • Communication, skills
attitudes and NOISE attitudes and experiences
experiences
Channels:
Formal, Informal • Mental abilities
NOISE
• Mental abilities Feedback: Verbal, non-
verbal

Figure 2.2 A model of the communication process

a. The communicator. The communicator is the person who intends to make contact
with the objective of passing information or idea to the other. Your teacher in front
of you is a communicator. However, communicators in an organization can be
managers, non-mangers, departments, or the organization itself. Managers
communicate with other managers, subordinates, supervisors, customers, and
parties outside the organization.
b. Encoding. Idea is abstract and intangible and its transmission requires the use of
certain symbols. Probably, you may use some code to communicate with your
friends somewhere and some place. A code in this case is a language known only by
you and your friend. The sender may used verbal, nonverbal or written means of
coding his message.
c. The message. The result of the encoding process is the message. The purpose of
the communicator is expressed in the form of messages. The messages can be either
verbal or nonverbal.
d. The medium. The medium is the carrier of the intended message. Communicators
provide information to their receivers by a variety of means. These include face-to-
face communication, telephone, short mobile messages (SMS), group meetings,
computers, memos, policy statements, reward systems, bulletin boards, production
schedules, company publications, and sales forecasts.
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e. Decoding. Decoding refers to the process by which receivers translate the message
into terms meaningful to them. If the message in the mind of the sender and the
message in the mind of the receiver are the same, then, understanding takes place.
Otherwise, there is no communication.
f. The receiver. Receiver is the person to whom the message is meant for or sent.
Communication requires a receiver who must be taken into account when a
communicator attempts to transmit information.
g. Noise. Noise is any element or condition that disturbs or interferes with effective
sending and receiving of information. Disturbances can occur at any point in the
communication process. The sender may use unclear symbols. The receiver may not
be ready to receive message. The telephone line may be noisy. The image in the
television screen may be vague. The memos may be poorly produced.
h. Feedback. Feedback enables the communicator to determine if the message has
been received and if it has produced the intended response. One-way
communication processes do not allow receiver-to-communicator feedback. Two-
way communication processes, however, do. Feedback may come in many ways.
Your teacher may ask questions regularly to measure your level of understanding.
Tests and examinations are given to measure level of understanding in the class.
Your teacher may observe your facial expressions as a feedback for adjusting
his/her teaching style. All these are examples of feedback mechanisms to the
communication process in the classrooms. In organizations, periodic reports,
performance reports, accounting reports, audit reports and the like serve as
feedback for managers to make adjustments in managing their organizations.

Activity: 3
• Identify and explain the basic elements of communication process and give
examples for each.
• What types of feedback do you use when you talk to your friends?

2.2 Methods of Communication

• Can you tell us the common methods of communication?
Classification of communication should be seen as an essential prerequisite of the
analysis of communication. We can classify communication by media, by direction
and by degree of formality.
2.2.1 Communication by Media
This classification divides communication into verbal (spoken), non-verbal (face, tone
of voice, physical presentation, gestures), written and numerical. The spoken
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word/verbal lacks the permanence of the written word. However, it is more rapid and
flexible in terms of adjusting to the circumstances. Moreover, the spoken word can be
supported by non-verbal communication such as body language. The non-verbal
communication such as body language will reinforce the spoken message. But,
written communication is formal, permanent and must be kept properly in the
organization.

Activity: 4
• Identify the different nonverbal languages that you use to communicate in your
locality.
• State the advantages of written communication.

2.2.2. Communication by Direction

The following figure shows the direction of communication in an organization.
The shape of any organization structure is similar to the shape of a pyramid as
shown in Figure 2.3. This is known as the hierarchy of management. In
terms of the hierarchy of management, the pyramid is divided into three levels;
namely, top management, middle management and operational management. Within
this structure, communications takes place. In this context, communication can be
downward, horizontal and one/two way communication. Downward
communication follows the authority-responsibility relationship in the organization
chart. It usually takes the form of giving instructions, directions, assigning duties, or

Top

Middle

Operational

Figure 2.3 Shape of an organization and the direction of communication

(note that the flow of message follows the direction of the arrows).
providing information to those delegated to perform a task. Upward communication
takes the form of reporting back results, making suggestions or perhaps
airing grievances and complaints (dissatisfactions).

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Horizontal communication: refers to contacts (formal or informal) between people at

the same level within the organization. It is usually coordinative in nature and usually
involves sharing information, resolving conflicts and solving problems across the
organization structure.

A further aspect of direction relation is whether communication is one way or two

ways. When there is no facility for a reply (feedback), it is called one-way
communication. An advertisement or information posted on a notice board is an
example of one-way communication. One-way communication within an organization
is associated with authoritarian (dictatorial) style of leadership. In the authoritarian or
dictatorial leadership style, the authority of the leader is being preserved
unchallenged. For simple communication, a one-way channel might prove satisfactory.
However, it carries with it the danger of being misunderstood. This is because there is
no facility for checking and it may cause dislike. Feedback built into two-way
communication is a feature of democratic leadership style. The facility for feedback is
important for ensuring that the message is fully understood and to enable
subordinates to contribute to the process of decision making. However, it is slower
than one-way communication.

Activity: 5

• Identify the organization chart of your school and mention the types of
communication in the organization in terms of direction by giving examples.

2.2.3 Communication by Degree of Formality

Communication can be classified as formal and informal. Formal communication is
arranged, approved or official. Informal communication is unofficial, unplanned
communication outside the organization's formal channels. Informal groups in an
organization use the informal channel for communication purpose. Informal groups
may be formed due to similarities in age, sex, language, ethnic background, interest,
family background and the like. It is a mistake to equate formal communication with
the written form and informal with the spoken and nonverbal forms. When a superior
warns or reprimands a subordinate by means of the spoken word, it is formal
communication. A joke in written form passed around the office is informal
communication.

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Activity: 6

• What is the difference between informal and formal channels of

communication? Are there informal groups in your class?
• What methods do organizations use a common means of communication?

2.3 Effective Formats of Business Messages

Business Communication involves various formats, or layouts, or written messages.
The following are discussed in this part of the material:
1. Business Letters and Business Letter Formats (2) form letters (3) Office Notes and
Message Forms, (4) Memorandum and (5) News Releases. Let us discuss one by one.

2.3.1 Business Letter's Common Components

This topic briefly explains the mechanical and physical details of business letters. All
of the components are discussed in the following.
a. Heading. The heading contains the writer's address and the date of the letter. The
writer's name is not included and only a date is needed in headings on letterhead
stationery.
b. Inside Address. The inside address shows the name and address of the recipient of
the letter. This information helps prevent confusion. In the inside address, include
the appropriate title of respect of the recipient; and copy the name of the company
exactly as that company writes it. When you do have the names of individuals,
remember to address them appropriately as Mrs., Ms., Mr., Dr., Ato., W/o., W/t.,
and so on.
c. Salutation. Salutation is equivalent to good morning or good afternoon or good
evening of oral communication. The salutation directly addresses the recipient of
the letter and is followed by a colon (except when a friendly, familiar, sociable tone
is intended, in which case a comma is used). Note that in the simplified letter
format, the salutation line is eliminated altogether.
d. Subject or Reference Line. In some cases, the subject line replaces the salutation
or is included with it. The subject line announces the main business of the letter. It
should be brief but explanatory.
e. Body of the Letter. The actual message of the letter is contained in the body of the
letter which is placed between the salutation and the complimentary close. It
contains several paragraph texts. But in business, the body should be very short
even sometimes one sentence is acceptable.

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f. Complimentary closing. The "Sincerely yours" element of the business letter is

called the complimentary closing. Other common ones are "Sincerely yours,"
"Cordially," "Respectfully," or "Respectfully yours." Note that only the first letter is
capitalized, and it is always followed by a comma.
g. Signature Block. Usually, you type your name four lines below the complimentary
close, and sign your name in between. If you are a woman and want to make your
marital status clear, use Miss, Ms., or Mrs., W/t., W/o., in parentheses before the
typed version of your first name. Whenever possible, include your title.
h. End Notations. Just below the signature block are often several abbreviations or
phrases that have important functions.
1. Initials. The initials that are all in capital letters are those of the writer of the
letter, and the ones in lower case letters just after the colon are those of the
typist.
2. Enclosures. To make sure that the recipient knows that items accompany the
letter in the same envelope, use such indications as "Enclosure," "Encl.,"
"Enclosures (2)." For example, if you send a curriculum vitae and writing
sample with your application letter, you'd do this: "Encl.: CV and Writing
Sample." If the enclosure is lost, the recipient will know.
3. Copies. If you send copies of a letter to others, indicate this fact among the
end notations also. If, for example, you were upset by a local merchant's
handling of your repair problems and were sending a copy of your letter to the
organization, you'd write this: "cc: ABC Business Bureau."
4. Following Pages. If your letter is longer than one page, the heading at the top
of subsequent pages can be handled in one of the following ways:
If you use letterhead stationery, remember not to use it for subsequent pages.
However, you must use blank paper of the same quality, weight, and texture as the
letterhead paper.

Activity: 7
• Go to the secretary or typist of your school and identify the parts of the
letter from any letter sent by your school to any organization such as
Education Bureau.
• Observe one of the letters posted on the notice board of your school. Draw
its structure and identify its common parts?

Business Letter Formats

If you are writing a business letter, select one of the common formats. These include
the block letter, the semi-block letter, the alternative block letter, and the simplified
letter.

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Which one of these formats to use depends on the ones commonly used in the
organization or the situation in which we are writing. Use the simplified letter if you
lack the name of an individual or department to write to.

The Block format: In the block format, paragraphs are unindented. All letter
elements are flush with the left margin.

Modified block: In this style of letters, paragraphs are unindented. The return
address, reference line, date, complimentary closing, and signature block are right of
centre. The remaining elements are flush with the left margin.

Semi-block: Paragraphs are indented usually an equivalent of five spaces. The return
address, reference line, date, complimentary closing, and signature block are right of
centre. The remaining elements are flush with the left margin.

Simplified: Paragraphs are unindented. The salutation and complimentary closing are
omitted. All elements are flush with the left margin.

The following pictures show what a one-page business letter should look like. There
are three accepted styles. The horizontal lines represent lines of type.

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Modified Block Style Block Style

Semi block Style

Figure 2.4 Styles of business letters

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(a)
KIP Publisher
P.O.Box 579
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

Ref. No ******
January 15, 2002

ZLM Business Group (b)

P.O.Box 1234
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

Dear Sirs: (c)

We are interested in the purchase of the following items:

1. Personal computer latest product;
2. Floppy diskette;
3. Television set; (d)
4. Table for the computer;.

Kindly let us have your quotation indicating the price, terms of payment, delivery time
etc.

Yours faithfully, (e)

(f)
Sosina Tesfaye (g)
Purchasing Manager
tp/BW (h)
Enc. Terms and conditions of payment

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Activity: 8

• Identify the components of business letter indicated by the given numbers

in the letter.

Principles of Business Letter Writing

Writing business letters and memos differs in certain important ways from writing
reports. Keep the following advice in mind when you write and especially when you
revise your business letters or memos.
a. State the main business, purpose, or subject matter right away. Let the
reader know from the very first sentence what your letter is about. Remember
that when business people open a letter, their first concern is to know what the
letter is about, what its purpose is, and why they must spend their time reading
it.
b. If you are responding to a letter, identify that letter by its subject and date
in the first paragraph or sentence. Busy recipients who write many letters
themselves may not remember their letters to you. To avoid such problems, you
must identify the date and subject of the letter to which you respond.
c. Keep the paragraphs of most business letters short. The paragraphs of
business letters tend to be short, some only a sentence long. Business letters are
not read the same way as articles, reports, or books. Usually, they are read
rapidly. Big, wide, crowded paragraphs over ten lines, which require much
concentration, may not be read carefully — or read at all.
d. Classify the contents of your letter. When you "compartmentalize" the
contents of a business letter, you place each different segment of the discussion
each different topic of the letter — in its own paragraph.
e. List or itemize whenever possible in a business letter. Listing spreads out the
text of the letter, making it easier to pick up the important points rapidly. Lists
can be handled in several ways such as using bullets.
f. Find positive ways to express bad news in your business letters. Often,
business letters must communicate bad news. Bad news can be conveyed in a
tactful way. Doing so reduces the chances that business relations with the
recipient of the bad news will end.
g. Focus on the recipient's needs, purposes, or interests instead of your own.
Avoid a self-centred letter focusing on your own concerns rather than those of the
recipient.

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Activity: 9

• Compose a business letter to the school administrator stating that the

quality of chalk delivered to your school is very poor.

2.3.2 Form Letters

Identical or nearly identical messages, based on a master draft and send to more than
one person, are called form letters. The number of copies to be mailed depends upon
the task and the budget for each message.

Dear Sirs:

This is to introduce ________________________________ who is a student in our school.

He/she is assigned to make practical study on ______________________________ in your
organization/company.
We thank you in advance for any assistance extended to him/her.

Sincerely,

Mohammed Yimer
Director, Menilik II Preparatory School

2.3.3 Office Notes and Message Forms

Perhaps the least formal kind of written business message is a brief note of
information requiring no permanent record. Although informal, such notes speed up
communication within the same organization. They may be typed or handwritten
(legibly); they may be printed forms that the sender merely completes. Annex C at the
end of this unit shows an example for interoffice message form.

2.3.4 Memoranda
Memorandums or memoranda or memos are structured more formally than are notes.
A memo has basically a four-part heading:

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TO: (receiver's name)

FROM: (Sender's name)
SUBJECT: (Message core thought or file reference)
DATE: (month, day, year, even the time of day when appropriate to the message)
Sample memo is given below for better understanding about its nature.

To: Students taking business education

From: Teachers of the course
Subject: Examination on General Business Education
Date: June 20, 2012

Please note that there will be mid-examination on the course General Business
Education on June 20, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. in the school hall.

Activity: 10

• Compose a memo on behalf of your teacher to the Director of your school

asking for arrangement of transportation service to your trip to visit one of
the Factories/ Colleges in your locality.
• Read a Newspaper and identify the major news in the issue and identify the
essence of the content.

2.3.5 News Releases

Another business communication format is that of the news release intended for most
media transmission by radio/TV broadcasts, newspaper stories, and magazine
articles.

2.4 Business Report Writing and Business Reports

The discussion in this part of the textbook deals with business reporting. Business
reporting is one of the many components of written communication. Business
reporting is one of the most critical stages of many events in the business world.

2.4.1 Main Parts of a Report

A report can be largely divided into the following parts: 1. Cover, 2.Title page, 3.
Summary of the report, 4. Table of contents, 5. Introduction to the report, 6. Main
body of the report, 7. Conclusions, 8. Recommendations, 9. Annex, appendices and
references. Let us look at each of the parts in brief and see how to present them so
that we have an effective report.

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1. Cover: The cover is the first encounter with the report and has to be eye-
catching. The cover also serves to enhance the image of the organisation. In case
of reports prepared by students, the cover page and the title page is usually the
same.
2. Title Page: The title should be precise and convey the main objective of the
study or the project. This page could also include subtitles, which gives more
information about the project.
3. Summary: This is the most important part of the report. The summary should
contain the main point of the report. The entire information carried in the report
must be conveyed in its essence.
4. Table of Contents: This section gives the broad contents of the report and the
flow of information in the report. The arrangement of topics and the flow of
information should be logical. The arrangement of topics is logical if ideas
naturally follow each other.
5. Introduction: This section should give the background information on the
report. It should give an explanation as to why the particular study or project is
undertaken. It should also give the prevailing facts at that point of time.
6. Main Body of the Report: This discusses the project in depth. This will include
the steps taken for the research/report, the actual research carried out and the
data collected and used for the study.
7. Conclusion: This section must give the results of the report. This should be very
objective. This section must contain only the conclusions and not the
recommendation as the user might like to decide for him/her based on the
conclusions of the report.
8. Recommendation: This section is to be included if specific recommendations
are asked for. The author/report writer can give out his/her opinion and must
suggest the specific course of action to be taken to act on this report.
9. References and Appendices: These are put up at the end of the report if they
are required.

Activity: 11

• Identify and briefly explain the components of business report.

• Form a group consisting of three to five members and elect a group leader.
Go to the library and identify any report on any subject matter preferably
business. Using the report as a reference, identify the main parts of the
report by stating the page numbers.

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2.5 Other Common Reports and their Headings

In any organization there are different business reports depending on the nature, size,
product lines and available manpower in the organization. However, for this purpose
we shall see the most common reports and their recommended headings of common
reports.

2.5.1 Meeting Reports

There are many meetings of management, committees, board of directors and the like
in any organization. The meetings of such committees must be documented and the
possible headings are stated as follows:
1. Group/date/place of meeting;
2. Chart of follow-up actions and persons responsible by date;
3. Those present and those absent in the meeting from the meeting respectively;
4. Agenda items (topics of discussions);
5. Discussion of each agenda item in terms of background, discussion, action
plan;
6. Next meeting and proposed agenda.

2.5.2 Progress Reports

Different tasks or projects may be assigned to persons, departments, task forces,
groups and committees. The progress of the task or project should be reported to
management. This report is normally known as Progress Reports and the content of
progress report is as shown below.
1. Projects completed including final against plan (data) and learning to be
shared.
2. Projects in process including status against plan (data) and issues/concerns
and recommendations/implications.

2.5.3 Trip Reports

Managers and employees may organize some trips to actually see and observe the
operations, physical settings; activities and operations of an organization for further
understanding. Such trips must be reported to management of the organization. The
headings of trip reports include date of trip/destination; purpose of the trip,
background; details such as Who? What? Findings/results, implications, conclusions/
recommendations, follow up, and attachments (other documents to be included as
part of the main reports that can be referred).

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Activity: 12

• Organize any short trip with your teacher and prepare trip reports in-group
consisting of three to five members. You can visit any project started at or
nearby or laboratory of your school.

2.6 Writing Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Your CV is the description of your self. Your curriculum vitae (CV), or resume, is one
of your first selling tools. Keep it short, simple and to the point. A CV should contain
(1) Personal details such as (a) Full name, (b) Address, (c) Phone, (d) Fax, (e) e-mail, (f)
Date of birth, (2) Qualifications, (3) work experience. Items from (a) to (f) are simple
but item 2 requires special mention.

Qualifications: State your qualifications by starting with the most recent such as
course level achieved and when it took place, name of institution.
Work experience: Starting with the most recent/most relevant, first include your job
title, start and finish dates.
Skills: Highlight specific skills, knowledge or attributes starting with most
impressive/most relevant to the particular job application.
Achievements: This is where you can include activities over and above job experience
and study that show constructive use of your spare time. You can include things like
positions held on committees, charity work, public speaking, competitions etc.
Hobbies and Interests: Use this section to show that you have interests outside the
job.
Referees and References. Referees are considered more important these days than
letters of reference, although it is good to have both. Always ask for a reference after
having worked for someone, even if it is only a few days or in a voluntary capacity.

2.6.1 Writing your CV

Writing perfect CV requires some experience and creativity. But, it must be true
because potential employers may ask your referees to check the accuracy of the
information stated in the document. See Annex A at this end of this unit for sample
CV for writing your CV.

2.6.2 Writing Your Cover Letter

A cover letter is a vital part of your job application. Many employers make their first
selection on this basis. It should be a clear, comprehensive and concise account
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proving why you are the best person for the job. You should use it well to complement
your CV. See Annex B to see for sample cover letter.

Activity: 13

• Prepare your CV and write an application or cover letter to an organization

that has advertised for a vacant position close to your school.
• What types of questions do employers normally ask during employment
interview? Discuss this in class.

2.7 Preparing for an Interview

An interview can be a disturbing experience. However, considered presentation and
preparation is half the work done before you even get there. Here are some points on
how to make the procedure run smoothly.
Appearance: Employers want to see signs of an organised personality. Therefore,
choose a smart tidy outfit that you feel comfortable wearing. It is usually wise to make
a mistake on the side of caution and dress conservatively.
Preparation: Before the interview, try and find out the basics about the company. You
can do this by checking to see if they have a web site (not common in Ethiopia),
looking in the library where there are usually a number of research publications on
companies (still limited even at university level), or asking if there is written
information available on the company or organisation.
On arrival
• Double-check the address. Plot out your route the night before.
• Arrive early. Give yourself plenty of time to find a taxi or bus and get into the
building without rushing.

Interview guidelines
• Do not sit until you are offered a chair.
• Smile, be attractive and listen carefully.
• Maintain eye contact when you talk.
• Do not interrupt over the interview.

Activity: 14

• Explain briefly the preparations for job interview.

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Summary

Communication is the transmission of information and understanding through the

use of communication symbols. These symbols may be letters, numbers,
pictures, facial expressions, and the like. The role of communication is to
facilitate internal functions and relate the organization with the external
environmental elements such as customers, suppliers, government, lenders and
the like.
For effective communications, communicators should ask the basic questions of
communication such as who, what, where, when, why and how. On the other
hand, the basic elements of communication process are the communicator,
encoding, the message, the medium, the receiver, decoding noise and feedback
Communication may be classified by media such as verbal, non-verbal, written
and numerical, by direction such as downward, upward, horizontal, diagonal,
one-way or two way, by degree of formality as formal and informal
communication. Business report is very important for business decisions. The
main parts of the business report are cover, title page, summary, table of
contents, introduction, main body of the report, conclusions, recommendation
and references and appendices.
The formats of business messages are business letters, form letters, office notes
and messages, memorandum and news release. The main components of
business letter includes heading, inside address, salutation, subject line, body of
the letter, complimentary closing, signature block, end notations, initials,
enclosures, copies.
Curriculum vitae are the descriptions of oneself. Curriculum vitae should contain
personal details, qualifications and work experiences. Curriculum vitae may be
prepared based on the requirements of employers. Applicants for vacancy
should prepare themselves for interview including their dressing,. and for the
interview the interviewee should follow the procedures of appearance
,preparation, on arrival and interview guidelines .

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Review Questions
Part I. Choose the best answer from the given alternatives.
1. Which one of the following is not an element in the communication process?
a. Sender c. Noise e. none of the above
b. Receiver d. Feedback
2. The communication between the school director and your business teacher is an
example of
a. Upward communication c. Horizontal communication e. B and C
b. Downward communication d. a and b.

3. The policies, instructions and orders that flow from Woreda Education Bureau to your
school is an example of
a. Upward communication
b. Downward communication
c. Horizontal communication
d. a and b.
e. b and c
4. The suggestions that students and teachers give to the school administration is an
example of
a. Upward communication
b. Downward communication
C. Horizontal communication
d. a and b
e. b and c
5. The description of oneself is
a. Curriculum Vitae
b. Interview
c. News Release
d. Form Letter
e. None

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Part II. Define and explain the following terms.

a. Communication k. Nonverbal communication
b. Receiver l. Downward communication
c. Communicator m. Upward communication
d. Medium n. Horizontal communication
e. Encoding o. Diagonal communication
f. Message p. One-way communication
g. Decoding q. Two-way communication
h. Noise r. Formal communication
i. Feedback s. Informal communication
j. Body language t. Referee

Part III. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the basic questions that a communicator should ask before starting
communication?
2. Explain the importance of communication in an organization.
3. Explain the elements of communication using communication process model.
4. What types of messages are communicated using downward communication?
5. Explain the difference between one-way and two-communication methods.
6. What is the difference between formal and informal communication channels?
7. What are the major components of business reports?
8. Outline the major components of minutes of a meeting.
9. What are the physical components of business letters?
10. What are the main purposes of form letters?
11. Outline the content of curriculum vitae.
12. What is cover letter? What things should be considered in writing business letters?

PART IV GROUP WORK

Form group of ten students and write short note whether there exists good or poor
communication b/n teachers and students in the learning and teaching processes in the
school and discus it with the school principal.

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Annex A: Sample CV

CURRICULUM VITAE
1. PERSONAL DETAILS
• Name: ************************
• Date of Birth: DD/MM/YYYY
• Sex: *****
• Marital Status: *****
• Nationality: Ethiopian
• Address: P.O.Box *******
Tel *********
E-mail: ********
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. EDUCATION
1998-2000- Diploma in Purchasing and supply Management, Addis Ababa
Commercial College, Addis Ababa

3. WORK EXPERIENCE
2000-2001 Assistant purchaser, ABC Trading, Addis Ababa
2001- present Purchasing Clerk, ABC Trading, Addis Ababa

4. SKILLS
Computer skills in word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint

5. ACHIEVEMENT
I served as observer during kebele election during 2000 election.

6. HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

Listening music, reading books on romantic areas, visiting historical cites
and writing short stories for radio programs.

7. REFERENCES
• Workie Tolosa, Lecturer, Addis Ababa University, School of Commerce,
tel. **********
• Mohamed Kebede , Lecturer, Addis Ababa University, School of Commerce,
tel. **********
• Bogale Mengistu, Addis Ababa University, School of Commerce,
tel. **********

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Other testimonials and credentials will be furnished on request.

Annex B: Sample Cover Letter

February 20, 2011

Sosina Tesfaye
P.O.Box ****
Tel. ********* Off.
Mobile *********
Addis Ababa
E-mail: *************

Manager, Human Resources and Administration

KIP PLC.
Addis Ababa

Dear sir/Madam:

I am writing this letter in response to your advertisement on the ″The Daily Monitor″,
dated 8th February, 2011 for the post of Procurement Officer.
I graduated from the Addis Ababa University, College of Commerce, majoring in
Purchasing and supply Management.

Since my graduation, I have been working as assistant buyer and purchasing clerk in
one of the business organizations in Ethiopia.
I have also good experience in working as data entry personnel in one of business
organizations dealing in export-import business. Recently, I am also working as freelance
writer in one of national newspapers in the areas of purchasing ethics.

Copies of my academic credentials, curriculum vitae and three references are enclosed.
Could you, therefore, consider my application for the position of Procurement Officer? I
would be pleased to appear for an interview or test at your earliest convenience.

Hoping to hear from you at the earliest, I remain,

Yours faithfully,

Sosina Tesfaye

Enclosure: Copies of my academic credentials, curriculum vitae and three references are
enclosed.
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Annex C. An Interoffice Messages to Speed Administrative Action.

Date ___________________
Refer to __________________________________________________________

Indicate by check mark:

• RUSH – immediate action required.
• Your comments, pleased.
• Please note and see me about this at ___________.
• Please answer, sending me copy of your reply.
• Please prepare reply for my signature.
• To be signed.
• For your information.
• Please note and file.
• Please note and send to main files.
• Please note, initial, and return to me.

1. ________________________ 3. ____________________________
2. _________________________ 4. ____________________________

Remarks
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Signed
_______________________

68 General Business Education Grade 12