Communication Flashcards
Whats communication?
Communication is about passing messages between people or organisations. Messages between a sender and receiver take place using a medium such as email or phone.
Whats one way communication?
One-way communication is when the receiver cannot respond to a message.
Whats two way communication?
Two-way communication is when the receiver can respond to a message. This allows confirmation the message has been both received and understood.
Whats internal communication?
internal communications happen within the business
Whats external communication?
external communications take place between the business and outside individuals or organisations
Whats vertical communication?
vertical communications are messages sent between staff belonging to different levels of the organisation hierarchy
Whats horizontal communication?
horizontal communications are messages sent between staff on the same level of the organisation hierarchy
What are formal communications?
formal communications are official messages sent by an organisation, eg a company memo, fax or report
What are informal communications?
informal communications are unofficial messages not formally approved by the business, eg everyday conversation or gossip between staff
Whats a channel of communication?
a channel of communication is the path taken by a message
Communication makes a big impact on business efficiency. Effective communication means?
customers enjoy a good relationship with the business, eg complaints are dealt with quickly and effectively
staff understand their roles and responsibilities, eg tasks and deadlines are understood and met
staff motivation improves when, for instance, managers listen and respond to suggestions
Why does there need to be a barrier in communication between management and staff?
A balance needs to be struck in communication between management and staff. Insufficient communication leaves staff ‘in the dark’ and is demotivating. Excessive communication leads to information overload, eg when staff find hundreds of messages arriving in their intray each day.
How do communications fail?
Communications fail when a message is unclear or the receiver does not understand technical jargon. Selecting the right medium is important. Messages may never be received if they are sent at the wrong time or to a junk email folder. The result is inefficiency and higher costs, as more resources are needed to achieve the same result.
How can communication be improved?
Training staff to select an appropriate medium and send clear, accurate, thorough messages will improve the quality of communications, especially if there is an opportunity for feedback. Staff training that emphasises the need to limit communications can help avoid the inefficiencies associated with information overload.
ICT stands for information communication technology. Businesses have gained significantly from advances in computing. How?
For instance, ICT enables:
home working and inexpensive call centres located overseas
automated stock ordering where items are reordered to ensure shelves are always full - less paper work reduces administration costs
e-commerce where products are traded and paid for on the internet
