Unit 9 Flashcards
What are the types of communication in a business?
1) Internal communication.
2) External communication.
What is External communication?
Communication with people outside of the business. Such as: selling goods and services, dealing with complaints, ordering stock etc.
What is internal communication?
Employees communicating with each other as colleagues, subordinates and managers. This is done to exchange information and giving instructions along with day to day discussions.
Requirements for effective communication?
1) Message sent with correct medium.
2) Sent to and received by the right person.
3) Receiver understands the message.
4) Receiver provides feedback.
Methods of communication in a business?
1) Electronic,
2) Written,
3) Visual,
4) Oral.
Forms of written communication?
1) Letter.
2) Memorandum.
3) Agenda.
4) Minutes of meeting.
5) Job description.
6) Purchase order.
7) Invoice.
8) Company magazine.
Benefits of electronic communication?
1) Quick.
2) May involve permanent record.
3) Can be sent to many people at the same time.
4) Can be used to create a more interesting message.
Disadvantages of electronic communication?
1) Not everyone has access to required equipment.
2) Software can be expensive.
3) No personal contact.
4) Risk of unwanted people receiving the message.
Advantages of visual communication?
1) Can simplify complex data.
2) Creates interest and grabs attention of receivers.
Advantage and disadvantage of: Letter
Adv: Written record, confidential
Dis: Postage costs.
Advantage and disadvantage of: Memorandum
Adv: Written record.
Dis: Only used for internal communication.
Advantage and disadvantage of: Email and text messaging.
Adv: Written record.
Dis: Cost of equipment, might not be confidential.
Advantage and disadvantage of: telephone.
Adv: Discussions.
Dis: Expensive, not face to face.
Advantage and disadvantage of: meeting
Adv: Everyone gets same message, allows discussion.
Dis: Time consuming, may be expensive, no written records.
Advantage and disadvantage of: interview
Adv: Confidential, allows discussion.
Dis: Time consuming, no written records.
Advantage and disadvantage of: video conferencing
Adv: Reduces travel cost, allows feedback and discussion
Dis: Cost of equipment, time zone problems.
Advantage and disadvantage of: Chart / diagram
Adv: Information easier to understand.
Dis: Possible loss of detail
Methods of reducing communication barriers:
1) Appropriate language.
2) Appropriate medium.
3) Physical barriers need to be removed.
4) Keep channel of communication short.
5) Management must help build trust and respect between employees.
6) Sender must always insist on receiving feedback.
Benefits of effective communication?
1) Reducing risks of mistakes
2) Enabling faster decision making
3) Enabling quicker responses to market changes
4) Improving coordination between departments
5) Improving morale
6) Improving customer relationships
Benefits of oral communication?
1) Personal contact between sender and receiver.
2) Allows for immediate feedback.
3) Language can be used and altered to needs of receiver.
Limitations of oral communication?
1) No permanent record.
2) Receiver might not listen.
3) Receiver may not understand the information correctly due to noise.
Benefits of written communication?
1) Permanent record.
2) Can be viewed by receiver more than once.
3) Can be sent to multiple people.
4) Message cannot be fabricated.
Disadvantages of written communication?
1) No personal contact.
2) Feedback is slower.
3) Receiver may not understand if the language is too complex.
4) Time-consuming for both sender and receiver.
Explain benefit of effective communication: Reducing risks of mistakes
If the receiver understands the message, there will be less mistakes.
Explain benefit of effective communication: Enabling faster decision making
If there are less number of people who need to receive the message, it will speed up the decision making process.
Explain benefit of effective communication: Enabling quicker responses to market changes
If it takes longer for the business to send information, it will not allow the business to react quickly to changes and opportunities.
Explain benefit of effective communication: Improving coordination between departments
Decisions taken by one department often impact other departments. With more communication, there can be better decisions which benefit all departments.
Explain benefit of effective communication: Improving morale
If workforce knows the activities of the workplace, they will want to take part in discussions and meetings.
Explain benefit of effective communication: Improving customer relationships
Keeping customers informed about changes will make the customer want to continue endeavors with the business
Factors for choosing communication method?
1) Message urgency
2) Length and complexity of message.
3) How many people receive message.
4) How far receiver is from sender.
5) How important it is for all the receivers to receive the message at the same time.
6) Cost of media
7) How important it is to have a written document
8) If the message requires discussion
9) How confidential the message is
Explain factor of choosing communication method: message urgency.
If message is urgent, face to face conversation is better.
Explain factor of choosing communication method: How confidential the message is
Confidential messages are best sent with letters.
Explain factor of choosing communication method: The length and complexity of message
Written and permanent methods are better, as the receiver can read the information until they understand.
Explain factor of choosing communication method: How many people need to receive message
If message needs to be sent to a lot of people, emails and letters may be used.
Explain factor of choosing communication method:If the message requires discussion
Meetings, telephone call and video conferences are good for discussions.
Explain factor of choosing communication method: How far away receiver is from sender
Methods vary on distance and factors like urgency.
Explain factor of choosing communication method: How important it is for all the receivers to receive the message at the same time
Meetings and emails can be used.
Explain factor of choosing communication method: Cost of media
Letters are more expensive, emails, texts, require equipment and regular payment to service providers.
Explain factor of choosing communication method: How important it is to have a written document
Method must be written one.
How many communication barriers can occur?
1) Problems with channel of communication.
2) Problems with senders and receivers.
3) Problems with physical environment.
Causes of communication barriers
1) Problems with channel.
2) Problems between sender and receivers.
3) Problems with physical environment.
Explain Cause of communication barriers: Problems with channel.
a. Wrong medium.
b. Language may be too complex.
c. Too much information.
d. Channel is too long.
Explain Cause of communication barriers: Problems between sender and receivers.
a. Lack of trust and respect.
b. Demotivated employees.
c. Poorly disciplined employees.
Explain Cause of communication barriers: Problems with physical environment.
a. Too much noise.
b, Distance between receiver and sender in face to face communication.
Effects of communication barriers.
1) Tasks are not completed properly, reduces productivity and increases waste.
2) Level of employee motivation falls, less productivity.
3) Higher risk of accidents in the workplace.
4) Recruitment and selection problems.
5) Poor sales.
6) Damage to business reputation.
Define: Communication media
Methods used to communicate a message.
Define: Feedback
Receiver’s response to a message.
Define: Effective communication
Information passed down between two or more people or groups.
Define: Two way communication
The receiver is allowed to respond to the message and the sender can also listen to the response.
Define: Oral communication
Communication by speech in which can be done casually, one the phone or in meetings.
Define: Written communication
Written forms of communication that are permanent.
Define: Electronic communication
Communication done using an electronic media. Such as email.
Define: Visual communication
Things like graphs, videos and photographs that allow one to take in information visually.
Explain the use of written communication method: letter.
Used for formal communication between employees, shareholders and customers.
Explain the use of written communication method: memorandum.
Only used inside the business.
Explain the use of written communication method: agenda
An order to conduct a meeting.
Explain the use of written communication method: job description
Written statement of what an employee’s job includes.
Explain the use of written communication method: minutes of meeting
Written record of what was discussed in a meeting.
Explain the use of written communication method: purchase order.
Official document which is sent to suppliers to request the delivery of raw materials.
Explain the use of written communication method: invoice.
Official form of statement given to the customer requesting payment for goods the business has supplied.
Explain the use of written communication method: company magazine.
Many businesses produce magazine for their employee or customers which may include information about the business’s products.
