CHAPTER 1& 2 - Business Communication

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 1
CHAPTER ONE- COMMUNICATION:

AN OVERVIEW
 1.1.Introducton
 1.2 Meaning of Communication
 1.3. Nature/Characteristics of Communication
 1.4 Role & Importance of Communication

Introduction
 Communication is perhaps as old as the human civilization. Its
origin can be traced to the growth of the human society.
 In the primitive stage of human society, people satisfied their
wants, which were limited to the basic needs for food, clothing
& shelter and by their own individual efforts.
 As group life developed, and human wants continued to
increase, forms of communication also developed, i.e., the signs
and symbols created language.
 Gradually, with the increase in population, emergence of
division of labor and specialization, and birth of exchange
economy human beings had to be in constant communication.
Cont’d
 For instance:
 The growth of business-industry and commerce shaped the
development of communication; and
 Science also entered the field and new forms of oral, written and
audio-visual communication developed.
 Gradually people were able to shape their attitudes, norms, values,
culture, religion, etc. through communication.
 Thus the development of communication is inseparable from the
development of human civilization.
 In the present day world of mass production, involving organizations
with large number of personnel with their social and cultural
diversifications, and complex industrial operations and influences,
communication is of vital need at every step in industrial and
commercial activities.
1.2 Meaning of Communication
 The term communication is derived from the Latin word
“Communis”, which means common.
 While others say the root of the word “communication” in
Latin is communicare, which means to share, or to make
common.
 Literally, to communicate means to tell, show, spread and

inform.
 Different writers define communication in different ways.

Cont’d
 When people are asked to define communication,
some define communication as :
– ….“the process of transferring ideas from one
person to another”. When you see this definition on
surface it seems sound. However, it is incorrect way of
defining communication.
 Why do you think it is so? Because the words
transferring and from one person to another
inaccurately imply that communication is like
pouring liquid from a pot to another pot.
Definitions given by some scholars:
 Hamilton and Parker (1987);
–  the process of people sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings with
each other in commonly understandable ways.
 Bovee and Thill (2000);
–  the process of sending and receiving messages. They
distinguished communication and effective communication. 
 According to Bovee and Thill,
– Effective communication occurs when individuals achieve a
shared understanding, stimulate others to take actions, and
encourage people to think in new ways.
– As communication is a much more complex factor in our present
world, not surprisingly, the problem of defining it as a subject of
study has also become increasingly difficult.
Cont’d
 For our purposes, however, we can define
communication as:
• “… the process by which people attempt to
share meaning (ideas, feeling, thought,
experience, knowledge, skill, etc.) for some
purpose through the transmission of
symbolic message in commonly
understandable ways.”

 Our working definition of communication
calls attention to the following five
essential points.
1. Communication is a process
2. Communication is purposeful
3. Communication involves people
4. Communication involves shared meaning
5. Communication is symbolic

1.3 Nature/Characteristics of
Communication
 As articulated by Gerald Miller, communication
has three basic characteristics: dynamism,
uniqueness and transactional nature.
 Dynamism  Communication a dynamic phenomenon without
beginning, without end, continually responding, and continually
changing.
 Uniqueness  No two communication events are a like because of
the change/dynamics in the sender, the audience, delivery, time
situation etc.
 Transactional Nature  Each communication transaction
involves reciprocal exchanges of feelings, meanings, ideas and
responses. Each person is affecting the other.

In other literatures the following points are
emphasized as basic characteristics of
communication:
 Communication is a Process
 Communication is Symbolic
 Communication is Contextual
 Communication is Purposive
 Communication is Two-Way
 Communication is Irreversible
 Communication is not a Panacea
1.4 ROLE & IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
 In order to show the importance of communication to
organization it is better to define what organization is.
 An organization is a group of people associated for
business, political, professional, religious, athletic, social,
or other purposes.
 Its activities require human beings to interact, react-
communicate.
 They exchange information, ideas, plans, make decisions,
rules, proposals, contracts and various agreements which
all of them cannot happen without communication.
 Communication is the life blood of every organization.

Cont’d
 Communication is the glue that binds the organization
together.
 Communication skills are important because it is through
communication that you gain the information you need to
make successful decisions at work.
 The success of an organization depends on
communication skills of its employees. Researches
indicate that communication skills were rated
“extremely important
 Researches show that “inability to communicate” and
“poor communication skills” were the most
frequently mentioned reasons for not hiring a job
applicant.
 From this you can see that communication affects even
your personal life.
Importance of Communication at individual level
 Job Success- the keys to individual and organizational success are
technical ability and understanding of people. Effective
communication skills to listen, speak, and write complement
these two dimensions. Therefore enhance ones job success, a person
learn the art of human relations to effectively communicate
her/his ideas, experiences, thoughts, skills and feelings.
 Personal Satisfaction- communication skill can be a source of
personal satisfaction, particularly in the areas of art such as writing,
painting, etc.
 Meeting Social and Ethical obligations- with the help of
communication people continue adjusting profitably to themselves,
to other people, to the environment in which they live and work. It
is a means of winning respect and confidence from other people or
from the community at large.
 In addition, communication will contribute
to individuals in the following manner:
a) Helps in getting a desired job:-
b) Help in maintaining social relationships:-
c) Helps in getting on the job promotion:-
d) Helps in solving other’s problems:-

Importance of Communication at
Organization level
 Communication is essential
 in the coordination of resources and objectives.
 in management, the continuing process of achieving
order efficiently through intelligent decisions that
govern an organization.
 Communication is a linking process that enables each of the
basic functions of management to be carried. Effective
communication is therefore the “life blood” of every
organization.
 to sound management; your success as a manager- a
person who is in charge of coordinating the human and
non-human resources of an organization- greatly
depends upon your
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Complied to communicate
by Mwalimu Hachalu F effectively. 17
“The goal of business communication
is to create a shared understanding of
business situations that will enable
people to work successfully together.”

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS OF
COMMUNICATION TO ORGANIZATION
Internal communication External Communication:

 Setting goals and  Hiring the employees:-
Objectives:-  Dealing with customers:-
 Making and Implementing  Negotiating with suppliers
decision:- and financiers:-
 Appraisal:-  Informing the investors:-
 Manufacturing the  Interacting with
products:- Government.-
 Interaction between
employer & employee:-

 Therefore, effective communication will results in
 Steady Workflow: in organization if the message is completely conveyed and received it will
results in positive feedback of steady workflow.
 Problem Solutions: Effective business communication helps in providing solutions to any

problem. It helps in developing relationships which make easy to find solution if any problem
arises.
 Achieving Goals: Organizational goals can only be attained through effective business
communication.
 Enhance Productivity: It enhances productivity of both monetary and human capital in terms
of performance. People get clearer picture of what they have to give as output which increase
output in any organization.
 Global Market: You can overcome the challenges in global market only through effective
business communication. Developing right attitude is crucial to effective communication in
international markets.
 Decision making: Only through effective business communication one can make decision
making easy and timely for both customers and investors.
Communication in Management
 Communication is What Do Managers Do?
essential to each of  Management Functions (Different Scope at job
level)
the five basic
– Planning
functions of • Setting objectives and determining in
management. In advance exactly (?) how the objectives
order to plan, will be met.
• Monitor for Change and Anticipate or
organize, staff, React
direct and control, • PDCA – Plan – Do – Check - Act
managers must be – Organizing
able to communicate • Delegating and coordinating tasks
and allocating resources to achieve
with other persons- objectives.
and communicate – Leading
well. • Influencing employees to work
toward achieving objectives.
• Setting an Example (Shadow of the
Leader)
– Controlling
• Establishing and implementing
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Hachalu F to ensure that objectives are21
achieved.
The Systems Relationship among the Management Functions
Management
Planning Functions
Controlling Organizing
Management
Skills
Leading
End of 1 st
Chapter
Thank You
23
12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F

CHAPTER TWO: COMMUNICATION
PROCESSES
2.1. Elements of Communication

2.2. The process of communication
2.3. Barriers to Communication
2.4.Interpersonal Communications and

Teamwork
Elements of the Communication
Process
 Communication.
– An interpersonal process of sending and receiving
symbols with messages attached to them.
 The process of communication involves five key
elements:
– Sender - encoder
– Message
– Communication channel/medium
– Receiver - decoder
– Feedback.

Basic Communication Model

o Phases of the Communication Process:
– Transmission phase in which information is
shared by two or more people.
– Feedback phase in which a common
understanding is assured.

Transmission phase
 The process starts with a sender (an individual or
group) who wants to share information.
– Senders must decide what information to share and

puts the message into symbols or language
(encoding).
• Noise: anything harming the communication
process
– Once encoded the message is sent through a medium

to a receiver
Cont’d
 The receiver interprets or decodes the
message
– Encoding: the process of transferring the
information you want to communicate into a
form that can be sent and correctly decoded at
the other end
– Decoding: the process where the message is
interpreted for its content.

Feedback phase
– Feedback phase in which a common
understanding is assured.
– The receiver decides what the message means

and communicates it back to the sender.
– The original sender decodes the message and

makes sure that a common understanding has
been reached.
The Communication Process

The Basics of
Communication Process
A. Elements in Communication Process

B. Steps in Communication Process

Sender
– the person who transmits, spreads, or communicates a massage or
operates an electronic device
– is the one who conceives and initiates the message with the
purpose of informing, persuading, influencing, and changing the
attitude, opinion, or behavior of the receiver (audience listener).
– he /she decide the communication symbols, the channel, and the
time for sending the message after carefully considering the total
situation in which communication takes place.
– decides what message to send
– encodes it using symbols he or she assumes the receiver will
understand i.e., converts message to a signal
– sends message over communication channel to receiver

Ideas or Thoughts:
– the raw form of telling the ideas that the sender wants to share with
a receiver by changing them to messages using symbols. It is at
pre- writing or pre – speaking stage. It exists in the mind of the
sender (communicator)
– Encoding: is changing the raw idea from its mental form into
symbols, that is, patterns of words, gestures, pictorial forms or
signs (physical or sounds) of a specific visual /oral language.
– The sender must choose certain words or non verbal methods to

send an intentional message. This activity is called encoding.
– Message: is the information, written, spoke or nonverbal, which is

to be sent from one person to another.
o Medium: is the carrier of the message such as written words, in the
form of written communication, and spoken words and gestures in the
form of face-to-face discussion.
o Channel: is the carrier of the medium like a memo or a letter, which
carry the written words, and air, radio, telephone, television etc. that
carry the spoken words.
o Communication channels/media:
– Person's voice - E-mail
– Electronic device - Letter or memorandum
– Written medium - Videoconference
– Video medium - Face-to-face meeting
– Telephone - Internet chat rooms
 The words and channels that a communicator chooses to
deliver a message can make a tremendous difference in
how that message is received.
Information Richness of Communication
Media

Receiver:
– is the targeted audience of the message.
– is any person who notices and attaches some
meaning to a message.
– In the best of circumstances, a message reaches its
intended receiver with no problems.
– In the confusing and imperfect world of business,
however, several problems can occur.
The message may never get to the receiver.
It might be delivered but lie buried under a
mountain of papers on the recipients desk.
Even worse, a message intended for one receiver
12/15/2022 might be intercepted by another
Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F one. 37
Cont’d
– Receiver: the person getting the message.
• The receiver decodes (interprets) the

message, allowing the receiver to understand
the message.
• Responds to message by acting in a manner
consistent with that interpretation
• This is a critical point: failure to properly
decode the message can lead to a
misunderstanding.
 Decoding: is the act of translating symbols of

communication Complied
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by Mwalimu Hachalu F meanings; 38
Feedback loop
# is the loop that connects the receiver in the
communication process with the sender
# In communication, feed back plays an
important role:
# It helps the communicator know if there are
any corrections or changes to be made in the
proposed action.
# It also ensures that the receiver has received
the message and understood it as intended

2. THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION
 Communication involves participants (a sender &

a receiver), message to be sent ,a medium to carry
the communication signals & the environments in
which the message is sent & received.
 These elements act & interact in the six-step
process.
 Whether you are speaking or writing, listening or
reading, communication is more than a single act.
 Instead, it is a chain of events that can be broken
in to six steps.
Steps in Communication
Step 1 The sender has an idea
Step 2 Sender transforms idea into a message (encoding)
Step 3 Sender transmits the message
Step 4 Receiver gets the message

Step 5 Receiver interprets the message (decoding)
Step 6 Receiver sends feedback
o The process is repeated until both parties have finished
expressing themselves. To say a given communication is
effective each step Complied
12/15/2022 should be successful.
by Mwalimu Hachalu F 41
A) The Sender Has an Idea
– First, an internal or external stimulus prompts you to
send a message. This prompt may arrive in the form of
letters, memorandum, penciled note, electronic mail,
fax, telex, or even casual conversation in the hallway,
Regardless of the stimulus source; you will start
thinking of ideas for the message.
– The second requirement to send message is sufficient

motivation.
– It is important to remember, however, that a stimulus
alone may not be enough to trigger communication.

B) The Idea Becomes a Message
 After being stimulated & motivated to communicate, the
sender must decide how best to convey a message to the
specific receiver.
 The message is the information or core idea being
transmitted.
 It consists of both verbal (written or spoken) symbols &
nonverbal (unspoken) symbols.

Cont’d
 Whenever you compose a message, you need to consider:
– what content to include,
– how the receiver will interpret it, &
– how it may affect your relationship.
 To some extent, your choice of words also depends on your cultural
background. When you choose your words, you signal that you are a
member of a particular club and that you know the code. The nature of
your code-your language and vocabulary-imposes its own limits on
your message.
– For example, the language of a lawyer differs from that of an accountant or a
doctor, and the difference in their vocabularies affects their ability to recognize
and express ideas.
 Several things can go wrong when you’re formulating a message.
Typical problems involve:
– indecision about message content,
– lack of familiarity with the situation or the receiver,
– emotional conflicts, or
– difficulty in expressing
12/15/2022 ideas.
Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 44
Indecision about content
 Deciding what to say is the first difficulty in the
communication process. Many people make the mistake
of trying to convey everything they know about a
subject.
 When a message contains too much information, it is
difficult to absorb.
 Include only the information that is useful to the receiver,
& organize it in a way that encourages its acceptance.

Lack of familiarity with the situation or the receiver:
 Creating an effective message is difficult if you don’t know how it
will be used. If you don’t know the purpose of the report, it’s hard to
know what to say.
 Lack of familiarity with your audience is an equally serious handicap

you need to know something about the biases, education, age, status,
and style of the receiver in order to create an effective message.
 Decisions about the content, organization, style, and tone of your
message all depend, at least to some extent, on the relationship
between you and the audience. If you don’t know the audience, you
will be forced to make these decisions in the dark.

Emotional conflicts
 Another potential problem in developing the message
arises when the sender has conflicting emotions about the
subject or the audience.
– Let’s say you’ve been asked to recommend ways to improve the
organization of your department. You conclude that the best
approach is to combine two positions. But this solution will mean
eliminating the job of one of your close associates. As you prepare
your report, you find yourself apologizing for your
recommendation. Even though you believe your position is
justified, you cannot make a convincing case.
 Thus, in business communications try to maintain your
objectivity.
Difficulty of expressing ideas
 Most of us might think that to write and to speak are not so difficult.
We only learn that they do not come easy when we have to make
public speeches or when we area required to write an influential letter
on a particular matter.
– Lack of experience in writing or speaking;
– Some people have limited education or a lack of aptitude;
– Limited vocabulary or uncertain about questions of grammar,
punctuation, and style.
– Or perhaps they are simply frightened by the idea of writing
something or appearing before they lack expertise in using
language.
 Problems of this sort can be overcome, but only with some effort. The
important thing is to recognize the problem & take action. An
inability to put thoughts into words can be overcome through study &
practice.
C) The Message is Transmitted
 The third step in the communication process is physical
transmission of the message from sender to receiver.
– How will you send your message?

– Should one write or speak?
– What is the appropriate channel for any given message?
 The channel is the means used to convey the message.

 The forms of communication may be verbal, or nonverbal.
 Beyond that, you can convey a message by phone,
computer, face-to-face exchange, or other medium.
D) The Receiver Gets the Message
 Decoding is the process the receiver goes through

in trying to interpret the exact meaning of a
message.
 If all goes well, the message is interpreted

correctly. The receiver assigns the same basic
meaning to the words as the sender intended and
responds in the desired way.

Cont’d
 problems during the reception phase often have a
physical cause. Competing sights and sounds, an
uncomfortable chair, poor lighting or some other irritating
condition may distract the receiver.
 In some impairment, for example, or even a
headache, can interfere with reception of a
message. These annoyances don’t generally block
communication entirely, but they may reduce the
receiver’s concentration.
 Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is
simply lack of attention on the receiver’s part.

E) The Receiver Reacts & Gives Feedback to the Sender
 Feedback is the receiver’s response to a message.

It is the final link in the communication chain.
 However, the feedback response involves a
reversal of the communication process so that
the receiver now becomes the sender & the
sender becomes the receiver.
 The signal may take the form of a smile, a long
pause, a spoken comment, a written message, or
an action. Even a lack of response is, in a sense, a
form of response.
Cont’d
– Feedback plays an important role by indicating
significant communication barriers:
• differences in background,
• different interpretations of words,
and
• differing emotional reactions.

BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION

Cont’d
√ Due to innumerable human differences (like mentally,
physically, or emotionally) plus cultural, social &

environmental differences may cause problems in
conveying an intended message.
√ Various characteristics of the sender, receiver, &
communication situation can create barriers to effective

communication.

The major barriers of communication include the following:
1. Channel selection 4. Perception of reality
2. Physical barriers A. Abstracting:
a. Noise: B. Inferring:
C. Making frozen evaluation
b. Time & Distance:
5. Attitudes & Opinions
3. Semantics
a) Interpretations of a. Emotional state:
words: b. Favorable/unfavorable information:
b) Bypassed instructions: c. Closed mind:

c) Denotations, d. Status consciousness
d) Connotations, &
e. Credibility:
e) Euphoniums:
: 6. Information overload
1. Channel selection:
 All the media have their relative merits and

limitations i.e., an unsuitable medium may act as
a barrier.
– Consider, for example, a superior who uses a written

memo to let you know about the recent denial of a
promotion. The more effective channel in this case
might have been face-to-face meeting in which you
can ask questions.
2. Physical barriers: these include noise, and
time & distance.
a. Noise:
 Anything that interferes with communication & distorts or
blocks the message is noise.
 The word “noise” is also used to refer to all kinds of physical
interference:
− like illegible handwriting,
− smudged copies of duplicated types cript,
− poor telephone connections,
− use of jargons (terms that have a precise meaning among
specialists, but are unfamiliar to others),
− distraction that prevents the receiver from paying attention,
− a worn printer ribbon that makes a document hard to read,
− loud noise of machines in factories,
− ear-splitting in telephone communication, etc.
b. Time & Distance:
– There is a kind of communication gap between

persons working in different shifts of a factory.
– In such cases the distance between the

transmitter and the receiver becomes a barrier.
 Can you imagine how difficult it would be to send

an urgent message to a business partner living
in England if it had to be done through postal
mail?
3. Semantics
 Semantics refer to the different uses & meanings of words
and symbols.
 Words and symbols may not have similar uses and
meanings for different individuals from different cultural
group, language and living style so it may create some
barrier in the communication process.
 Semantic barriers include:
a) Interpretations of words:
b) Bypassed instructions:
c) Denotations,
d) Connotations, &
e) Euphoniums:
a) Interpretations of words:
 Words are capable communicating a variety of meanings. It
is quite possible that the receiver do not assign the same
meaning to a word as the sender has intended
– The knowledge each have about a subject or
word affects the meaning we attach to it.
– Individuals have their own network of words &
meanings

b)Bypassed instructions:
 Example: An office manager handed to a new assistant a
letter, with the instruction “Take it to our store room and
burn it” In the office manager’s mind (and in the firm’s
jargon) the word “burn” meant to make a copy on a
photocopier. As the letter was extremely important, she
wanted an extra copy. However, the confused employee
afraid to ask questions burned the letter and thus destroyed
the original existing copy!
 To avoid communication errors of bypassing, when you give
instructions or discuss issues, be sure your words & sentences will
convey the intended meaning to the recipient.
 Also, when you are the recipient of unclear instruction, before acting
on it, ask questions to determine the sender intended meaning.
c) Denotations, Connotations, & Euphoniums:
 Many of us have at some time been surprised that

a remark intended as a complement, or joke was
interpreted by the receiver as an insult.
 A statement intended as a good deed can be
distorted in to something self-serving.
 Some of these communication problems may
occur because words have both denotative and
connotative meanings, and the sender has not
considered the receiver’s probable interpretation
and reactions. Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F
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Denotations:
 The denotative meaning is the meaning on which most
people will probably agree. It often is the dictionary
definition.
 The word informs the receiver & it names objects, people,

or events without indicating positive or negative qualities.
− Such words are car, desk, book, house, water conveys

denotative meaning, provided, of course, that the
communicators understand the English language

Connotations:
 connotative meanings that arouse qualitative
judgments & personal reactions.
 Some words have favorable connotations in some
contexts but unfavorable meanings in other instances.
 The communicators’ different backgrounds &
interests also affect the connotative meanings for
words.
− On hearing that a particular person is ‘cool’ members
of one generation may take it to mean the person is
fun to be with, while members of earlier generation
may believe it means that the individual is
unemotional & insensitive.
Euphemisms:
 Euphemisms are mild, innovative expressions with
which most people do not have negative associations.
 Tactful writer & speakers use euphemisms whenever
possible to replace words that might have blunt, painful,
lowly, or distasteful connotations.
 Expressions like the following have obvious
connotative advantage:
 maintenance worker or staff member instead of
janitor,
 slender instead of skinny;
 restroom instead of toilet.
 Instead of saying an employee was fired, laid off,
terminated, or a victim of reorganization or staff
12/15/2022cutbacks. Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 66
4. Perception of reality:
 People perceive reality in different ways. No two persons
perceive reality in identical manners.
 Reality is not a fixed concept; it is complex, infinite and
continually changing.
 Besides, each human being has limited sensory
perceptions-touch, sight, hearings, smell, and taste and
each person’s mental filter are unique.
 We make various abstractions, inferences and evaluation

of the world around us.
A. Abstracting:
 Abstracting is the process of focusing on some details &
omitting others. In countless instances, abstracting is
necessary and desirable.
– in both written and oral communications you will be
limited somewhat by time, expense, space. and
purpose.
 You will need to select facts that are pertinent to
accomplish your purpose and to omit the rest. Precise
writing is nothing but the art of abstracting i.e., selecting
differently from the infinite details in reality.

B. Inferring:
 What we directly see, hear, feel, taste, smell or can immediately verify
and confirm & constitutes a fact.
 But the statements that go beyond the facts and the conclusions
based on facts are called inferences. They are conclusions made by
reasoning from evidences or premises.
 For business & professional persons inferences are essential &
desirable in analyzing materials, solving problems, & planning.
Systems analysts, marketing specialists, advertisers, architects,
engineers, and designers are all required to draw inferences after they
have gathered as much factual data as possible.
 As intelligent communicator we must avoid faulty inferences. We

must realize that inferences may be incorrect & unreliable & may
cause miscommunication. We need to anticipate risks before acting
on the inferences. Before acting on any of these inferences, the
manager should get more
12/15/2022 facts.
C. Making frozen evaluation:
 Another drawback of effective perception is the frozen evaluation- the
stereotyped, static impression that ignores significant differences or
changes.
 Stereotyping is the tendency to attribute characteristics of an individual

on the basis of an assessment of the group to which the individual
belongs. It is often based on faulty inferences.
 In all, we should remember to avoid frozen evaluation made on the

basis of what was true for one (for a group) at one time.
 Changes occur in everything i.e., we may have significant differences

today when compared with characteristics yesterday or some time ago.

5. Attitudes & Opinions:
A. Emotional state:
 a person’s ability to encode/decode a message can become
impaired when a person is feeling strong emotions.
 For instance:
– when you are angry, it is harder to consider the other person’s
viewpoint & to choose words carefully.
– a person who is elated at receiving good news might not pay
close attention to some one else’s words or body language. Some
one who is angry might pay attention but misinterpret a message
in light of her/his anger.

B. Favorable or Unfavorable information:
 Rejecting, distorting, & avoiding are three common undesirable,
negative ways receivers react to information they consider
unfavorable.
 For example,
– if a change in the policy of an organization proves advantageous to
employees, they welcome it as good;
– if it is contrary to their beliefs or benefits, they may reject, or resent the
company and their boss, perhaps falsely accusing them of being unfair.
• Or they may instead, distort, the meaning and misinterpret the true
purpose of the policy change.
• Or they may avoid the message, situation or people by putting of

acceptance hoping that the delay will some how prevent the change &
12/15/2022 protect them. Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 72
C. Closed mind:
√ The closed-minded person is one of the most difficult to
communicate with.
√ Closed – minded people stubbornly reject, distort or avoid a

viewpoint before they know the facts.
√ The closed minded person says in essence: “my mind is made

up” “Don’t bother me with facts” “I want what I want”.
√ Typically this person has only inadequate and mainly incorrect

knowledge of the subject. Yet she/he refuses to consider any
new facts. Even from an expert who has made a long, careful
study of the problem and the proposed change.

D. Status consciousness:
 People in the upper areas of organization’s hierarchy, those who
have more status & power, may be hesitant to listen to those
individuals lower in the hierarchy, feeling for example, that people of
lower status & power do not possess any useful information.
 By the same token, people of lower status & power may be reluctant
to share information because they believe that people with higher
status & power will not listen.
– Subordinates are afraid of communicating any unpleasant information to

their managers.
– The subordinates also find it difficult to offer proposals for the

improvement of the organization, for such proposals are not usually
12/15/2022encouraged. Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 74
E. Credibility:
 A sender’s credibility plays an important role in how a
message is received & understood.
 People react more favorably when a communicator has
credibility – when they respect, trust, & believe in the
communicator.
 If the receiver does not consider the sender trustworthy or
knowledgeable about the subject being communicated,
she/he will most likely be reluctant even to listen to the
message.
 Likewise, a sender may limit/withhold what she/he
communicates to a receiver who is not considered
trustworthy.
6. Information overload:
 Refers to the condition of having too much information to
process. The implication is that individuals can effectively
process only certain amount of information.
 An example would be:
– if your professor gave you too much information, too quickly,
concerning a term paper’s requirements or
– if a manager gave an employee too much information at one time
about a report’s requirements.
 In either situation, the receiver probably does not receive
the entire message.
 Managers need to be aware of potential for information
overload & to make appropriate adjustments.
2.4 GUIDELINES TO OVERCOME
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
 There are six factors or themes that contribute to

effective communication.
1. Fostering an open communication climate.
2. Committing to ethical communication
3. Understanding the difficulties involved in intercultural
communication.
4. Adopting an audience-centered approach
5. Using technology wisely and responsibly to obtain and share
information.
6. Creating and processing messages effectively and efficiently.

1. Fostering an open communication climate
 The following are the measures that can be taken to create an open
communication climate:
a) Modify the number of organizational levels
- reduce the number of levels in the organizations
structure.
– The fewer the links in the communication chain, the
less likely the misunderstandings will occur.
– a flat structure (having fewer levels) and a wide span
of control are likely to introduce distortion than a tall
structure and a narrow span of control.
b) Facilitate feedback
2. Committing to ethical communication
 Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in
every sense and is not deceptive in any way. In order to maintain ethical
communication follow the guidelines below:
a) Recognize ethical choices
– Every company has responsibilities to various groups- customers, shareholders,
suppliers, neighbors, the community and the nation. What’s right for one group may
be wrong for another. Moreover as we attempt to satisfy the needs of one group, we
may be presented with an option that seems right on the surface but some how feels
wrong.
b) Make ethical choices
– Look at the consequences of the decision and opt for the solution that provides the
greatest good to the greatest number of people, and one that we can live with.
c) Motivate ethical choices
– Organizations can foster ethical behavior:
• by helping top managers become more sensitive communicators
• by using ethics audits
• by rewarding ethical actions
3. Understanding the difficulties involved
in intercultural communication
– More and more businesses are crossing national
boundaries to compete on a global scale and the
make up of the global and domestic work force
is changing rapidly.
– Global companies must understand:

• the laws, customs and business practices of many
countries, and they must deal with business
associates and employees.

4. Adopting an audience-centered approach
to communication
 means keeping the audience in mind all times
when communicating.
 Since audience is taken care of, every possible step
is taken to get the message across in a way that is
meaningful to the audience.
 Empathizing with and being sensitive to the
audience’s feelings is the best way to overcome
such communication barriers as differences in
perception and emotional interference.
5. Using technology wisely and responsibly
to obtain and share information
 In today’s world, information moves through an

array of media at the speed of a neural impulse.
 When used wisely and responsibly, technology

helps to improve the effectiveness of business
communication.

6. Creating and processing messages effectively and efficiently
 The sixth guideline is to plan messages, generate ideas,
organize the thoughts, and turn the words into effective
business messages.
 In order to create messages effectively and efficiently,
consider the following issues:
a) Learn about the audience
– We need to know something about the biases, education, age, status
and style of the receiver
b) Adapt the message to the audience
– Decisions about the content, organization, style, and tone of the
message depend on the relationship between the sender and the
audience.

Cont’d
c) Develop and connect ideas
 Include only the information that is useful to the audience, and
organize it in such a way that encourages its acceptance. To make
message memorable;
– Use telling statistics.
– Use words that evoke a physical, sensory impression.
– Tie the message to the audience’s frame of reference.
– Keep messages as brief and as clean as possible.
– Highlighting and summarizing key points.
d) Reduce the number of messages
– Organizations save time and money by sending only necessary
messages.
– By holding down the number of messages, organizations will
maximize the benefits of their communication activities.
Cont’d
e) Choose the correct channel and medium
 The careful choice of channel and medium helps focus the audience’s
attention on message.
 The choice of a communication channel and medium depends on the:
 Message
 Audience
 Need for speed
 Situation
f) Strengthen the communication skills

 Recognizing the importance of efficient communication, many companies
today:
 train employees in communication skills.
 offer seminars and workshops on handling common oral communication
situations (such as dealing with customers, managing subordinates, and getting
along with co-workers),
 training in computers Complied
12/15/2022 and otherbyelectronic means Fof communication.
Mwalimu Hachalu 85
Communication Skills for Managers
Managers as Senders
– Send clear and complete messages.
– Encode messages in symbols the receiver
understands.
– Select a medium appropriate for the
– Avoid filtering (holding back information) and
distortion as the message passes through other
workers.
– Ensure a feedback mechanism is included
– Provide accurate information to avoid rumors.

Communication Skills For Managers
 Managers as Receivers
– Pay attention to what is sent as a message.
– Be a good listener: don’t interrupt.
– Ask questions to clarify your understanding.
– Be empathetic: try to understand what the sender feels.
– Understand linguistic styles: different people speak
differently.
– Speed, tone, pausing all impact communication.
• This is particularly true across cultures and managers should
expect and plan for this.

2.4.Interpersonal
Communications and
Teamwork
CH-2 CONT’D

Together Everyone Achieves
More

Introduction
• Teams are often at the core of participative management, the
effort to involve employees in the company’s decision making.
• Collaboration—working together to meet complex challenges—
has become a core job responsibility for workforce today.
– A team is a unit of two or more people who share a mission
and the responsibility for working to achieve a common goal.
– Committees are formal teams that usually have a long life

span and can become a permanent part of the organizational
structure.
– Cross-functional, problem-solving teams and task forces, pulling

and then assemble together people from a variety of departments
who have different areas of expertise and responsibility.

• A successful team can provide a number of
advantages:
 Increased information and knowledge.
 Increased diversity of views.
 Increased acceptance of a solution.
 Higher performance levels.
 Working in teams can unleash new levels of creativity and

energy in workers who share a sense of purpose and
mutual accountability.
 Effective teams can be better than top-performing

individuals at solving complex problems.
Cont’d
• Potential disadvantages of teamwork:
– Groupthink
• Pressures to conform with accepted norms of behavior.
• Groupthink occurs when peer pressures cause individual team

members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions.
– Hidden agendas
• Private, counter-productive motives, such as a desire to take
control of the group, to undermine someone else on the team,
or to pursue a business goal that runs counter to the team’s
mission.
– Cost
• Aligning schedules, arranging meetings, and coordinating
individual parts of a project can eat up a lot of time and money.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMS
• The most effective teams have:

– a clear objective and shared sense of purpose,
– a strong sense of trust,
– communicate openly and honestly,
– reach decisions by consensus,
– think creatively, and
– know how to resolve conflict.
• Teams that have these attributes can focus their
time and energy on their work, without being
disrupted by destructive conflicts.
Cont’d
• In contrast, teams that lack one or more of these attributes
can get bogged down in conflict or waste time and
resources pursuing unclear goals.
• Two of the most common reasons cited for unsuccessful
teamwork are a lack of trust and poor communication.
• A lack of trust can result from team members being
suspicious of one another’s motives or ability to
contribute.
• Communication breakdowns are most likely to occur
when teams operate across cultures, countries, or time
zones.


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12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 1

CHAPTER ONE- COMMUNICATION:

 1.2 Meaning of Communication

 1.3. Nature/Characteristics of Communication

 1.4 Role & Importance of Communication

 Literally, to communicate means to tell, show, spread and

 Different writers define communication in different ways.

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a) Helps in getting a desired job:-

b) Help in maintaining social relationships:-

c) Helps in getting on the job promotion:-

d) Helps in solving other’s problems:-

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 18

Internal communication External Communication:

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 Problem Solutions: Effective business communication helps in providing solutions to any

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F

2.1. Elements of Communication

2.3. Barriers to Communication

2.4.Interpersonal Communications and

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 25

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– Transmission phase in which information is

shared by two or more people.

– Feedback phase in which a common

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 27

– Senders must decide what information to share and

– Once encoded the message is sent through a medium

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 29

– The receiver decides what the message means

– The original sender decodes the message and

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 31

A. Elements in Communication Process

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– The sender must choose certain words or non verbal methods to

– Message: is the information, written, spoke or nonverbal, which is

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 36

• The receiver decodes (interprets) the

 Decoding: is the act of translating symbols of

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 39

 Communication involves participants (a sender &

Step 4 Receiver gets the message

– The second requirement to send message is sufficient

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 42

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 Lack of familiarity with your audience is an equally serious handicap

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 46

– How will you send your message?

 The channel is the means used to convey the message.

 Decoding is the process the receiver goes through

 If all goes well, the message is interpreted

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 50

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 Feedback is the receiver’s response to a message.

12/15/2022 Complied by Mwalimu Hachalu F 53