BASICS OF

COMMUNICATION
Business Communication – Dr. Garamvölgyi Judit
Communication

■ The root of the word “communication” in Latin is communicare, which means to share,
or to make common (Weekley, 1967). Communication is defined as the process of
understanding and sharing meaning (Pearson & Nelson, 2000).
■ Process: A process is a dynamic activity that is hard to describe because it changes
■ Understanding: “To understand is to perceive, to interpret, and to relate our perception and
interpretation to what we already know.”
■ Sharing: Sharing means doing something together with one or more people.
■ Meaning: is what we share through communication.
Eight Essential Components of Communication
1. Source - imagines, creates, and sends the message
2. Message - the stimulus or meaning produced by the source for the receiver or audience
3. Channel - the way in which a message or messages travel between source and receiver
4. Receiver - receives the message from the source, analyzing and interpreting the message in ways both intended
and unintended by the source
5. Feedback - When you respond to the source, intentionally or unintentionally. composed of messages the
receiver sends back to the source
6. Environment - the atmosphere, physical and psychological, where you send and receive messages
7. Context - the setting, scene, and expectations of the individuals involved
8. Interference - anything that blocks or changes the source’s intended meaning of the message
The Communication Process

The Communication Process

3
1 2 Sender
4 5
Sender selects Receiver Feedback
Sender has encodes channel, decodes returns to
idea
message transmits message sender
message
Types of communication

■ Intrapersonal Communication - involves one person; it is often called “self-talk

■ Interpersonal communication - normally involves two people, and can range from
intimate and very personal to formal and impersonal
■ Group communication - dynamic process where a small number of people engage in a
conversation
■ Public communication - one person speaks to a group of people
■ Mass communication - sending a single message to a group
Language

■ A system of symbols, words, and/or gestures used to

communicate meaning
■ Languages are living exchange systems of meaning, and
are bound by context
■ Main tool for verbal communication
Semantic triangle - the word (which is really nothing more
than a combination of four letters) refers to the thought, which
then refers to the thing itself
Messages

■ Messages carry far more than the literal meaning of each word.
■ Primary messages refer to the intentional content, both verbal and nonverbal. These are the
words or ways you choose to express yourself and communicate your message.
■ Secondary messages refer to the unintentional content, both verbal and nonverbal. Perceptions of
physical attractiveness, age, gender, or ethnicity or even simple mannerisms and patterns of
speech may unintentionally influence the message.
■ Auxiliary messages refer to the intentional and unintentional ways a primary message is
communicated, may include vocal inflection, gestures and posture, or rate of speech that influence
the interpretation or perception of your message.
Parts of a Message

1. Attention statement - is used to capture the attention of your audience.

2. Introduction - make a clear statement your topic, also the time to establish a
relationship with your audience, create common ground with the audience.
3. Body -present your message in detail, using any of a variety of organizational
structures
4. Conclusion - should provide the audience with a sense of closure by summarizing your
main points and relating them to the overall topic.
5. Residual message - a message or thought that stays with your audience well after the
communication is finished, is an important part of your message.
Principles of Verbal Communication

■ Language is a code, a collection of symbols, letters, or words with arbitrary meanings

that are arranged according to the rules of syntax and are used to communicate.
Language Has Rules
■ Syntactic rules govern the order of words in a sentence.
■ Semantic rules govern the meaning of words and how to interpret them. Semantics
considers what words mean, or are intended to mean, as opposed to their sound,
spelling, grammatical function.
■ Contextual rules govern meaning and word choice according to context and social
custom.
Language Is Arbitrary and Symbolic

Words have two types of meanings

■ denotative meaning is the common meaning, often found in the dictionary
■ connotative meaning is often not found in the dictionary but in the community of users
itself. It can involve an emotional association with a word, positive or negative, and can be
individual or collective, but is not universal.
With a common vocabulary in both denotative and connotative terms, effective
communication becomes a more distinct possibility. When we translate a message, we
transfer meaning from one vocabulary to another.
Capturing our ideas with words is a challenge when both conversational partners speak the same
language, but across languages, cultures, and generations the complexity multiplies exponentially.
Language Is Abstract

Abstract words refer to ideas or concepts; they have

no physical referents.

Concrete words are usually physical in form,

describing the experiences of the five senses,
tangible words referring to that which can be
measured and observed.
Undesirable results of poor
communication in business
■ Damaged relationships
■ Loss of productivity
■ Inefficiency and rework
■ Conflict
■ Missed opportunities
■ Schedule slippage (delays, missed deadlines)
■ Scope creep…or leap (gradual or sudden changes in an assignment that make it more
complex and difficult than it was originally understood to be)
■ Wasted resources
■ Unclear or unmet requirements
Language obstacles
■ Cliché is a once-clever word or phrase that has lost its impact through overuse. Clichés are
sometimes a symptom of lazy communication—the person using the cliché hasn’t bothered
to search for original words to convey the intended meaning. Clichés lose their impact
because readers and listeners tend to gloss over them, assuming their common meaning while
ignoring your specific use of them, they can be obstacles to successful communication.
■ Jargon is an occupation-specific language used by people in a given profession. Jargon does
not necessarily imply formal education, but instead focuses on the language people in a
profession use to communicate with each other. Whether or not to use jargon is often a
judgment call.
■ Slang is the use of existing or newly invented words to take the place of standard or
traditional words with the intent of adding an unconventional, nonstandard, humorous, or
rebellious effect. It differs from jargon in that it is used in informal contexts, among friends
or members of a certain age group, rather than by professionals in a certain industry.
emphasis in business communication is on clarity, and a slang word runs the risk of creating
misinterpretation, it is generally best to avoid slang.
Language obstacles

■ Sexist language uses gender as a discriminating factor. Referring to adult women as “girls” or
using the word “man” to refer to humankind are examples of sexist language.
■ Racist language discriminates against members of a given race or ethnic group. While it may
be obvious that racial and ethnic slurs have no place in business communication, there can also
be issues with more subtle references to “those people” or “you know how they are”.
Mentioning racial and ethnic groups should be done with the same respect you would desire if
someone else were referring to groups you belong to.
■ Euphemism involves substituting/using an acceptable word for an offensive, controversial,
or unacceptable one that conveys the same or similar meaning. The problem is that the
audience still knows what the expression means and understands that the writer or speaker is
choosing a euphemism for the purpose of sounding more educated or genteel. Euphemistic
words are not always disrespectful, there are scenarios when it is the accepted form.
Language obstacles
■ Doublespeak is the deliberate use of words to disguise, obscure, or change meaning.
Doublespeak is often present in bureaucratic communication, where it can serve to cast a
person or an organization in a less unfavorable light than plain language would do.
Doublespeak can be quite dangerous when it is used deliberately to obscure meaning and the
listener cannot anticipate or predict consequences based on the (in)effective communication.
If the meaning was successfully hidden from the audience, one might argue that the
doublespeak was in fact effective. Learn to recognize doublespeak by what it does not
communicate as well as what it communicates.
Each of these seven barriers to communication contributes to misunderstanding and
miscommunication, intentionally or unintentionally. If you recognize one of them, you can
address it right away. You can redirect a question and get to essential meaning, rather than
leaving with a misunderstanding that impacts the relationship. In business communication, our
goal of clear and concise communication remains constant, but we can never forget that trust is
the foundation for effective communication.
Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is the process Fluid

of conveying a message without the use
of words. It can include gestures and Fast
facial expressions, tone of voice, timing,
Can Add to or Replace Verbal Communication
posture and where you stand as you
communicate. It can help or hinder the Universal (some part)
clear understanding of your message, but
it doesn’t reveal (and can even mask) Confusing and Contextual
what you are really thinking. Nonverbal
communication is far from simple, and its Intentional or Unintentional
complexity makes our study and our
understanding a worthy but challenging Communicate Feelings and Attitudes
goal.
More believed

Key in the Speaker/Audience Relationship

Types of Nonverbal Communication

Physical Body
Space Time
characteristics movements

Touch Paralanguage Artifacts Environment

Space

Proxemics - the study of the human use of space

and distance in communication (Hall, E. T.,
1963).
■ Territory - means the space you claim as
your own, are responsible for, or are willing
to defend.
■ Personal space, or the “bubble” of space
surrounding each individual.
Time

Chronemics is the study of how we refer to and perceive time. The value of speed is highly
prized in some societies.
Across cultures the value of time may vary. Some Mexican American friends may invite
you to a barbecue at 8 p.m., but when you arrive you are the first guest, because it is
understood that the gathering actually doesn’t start until after 9 p.m. Similarly in France, an
8 p.m. party invitation would be understood to indicate you should arrive around 8:30, but
in Sweden 8 p.m. means 8 p.m., and latecomers may not be welcome.
Hall
■ Monochronic time means doing one thing at a time
■ Polychronic time parallel processing
Body Movements

Kinesics - the study of body movements. Four distinct ways of body movements that complement,
repeat, regulate, or replace your verbal messages.
■ Complement - Body movements can complement the verbal message by reinforcing the main
idea. Verbal and nonverbal messages reinforce each other.
■ Repeating - can also reinforce the message
■ Regulate conversations – nodding, holding up hand
■ Substitute or replace verbal messages - facial features communicate to others our feelings, but our
body movements often reveal how intensely we experience those feelings.
■ Hand and arm movements, leg movements, facial expression, eye contact and blinking, stance and
posture.
 Touch

Term Definition or example Touch in communication interaction is called

Functional- Medical examination, haptics.
Professional Touch physical therapy, sports
William Seiler and Meliss Beall identify five
coach, music teacher
distinct types of touch, from impersonal to
Social-Polite Touch Handshake intimate.
Friendship-Warmth Hug
Touch
Love-Intimacy Touch Kiss between family
members or romantic
partners
Sexual-Arousal Sexual caressing and
Touch intercourse
Paralanguage
Paralanguage involves verbal and nonverbal aspects of speech that influence meaning,
including tone, intensity, pausing, and even silence.

Rate • We speak faster when we are excited or scared

Volume • We speak louder when we are angry

Pitch • We use a higher pitch with children

Silences / pauses • Silence has meaning, pauses indicate importance

Artifacts
Artifacts are forms of decorative ornamentation that are chosen to represent self-concept. They
can include rings and tattoos but may also include brand names and logos. From clothes to cars,
watches, briefcases, purses, and even eyeglasses, what we choose to surround ourselves with
communicates something about our sense of self. They may project gender, role or position,
class or status, personality, and group membership or affiliation. Paying attention to a
customer’s artifacts can give you a sense of the self they want to communicate and may allow
you to more accurately adapt your message to meet their needs.
Physical Characteristics

We often make judgments about a person’s personality or behavior based on physical

characteristics, those judgments are often inaccurate.
■ Age
■ Height
■ Eye colour
■ Hair colour
■ Weight
Regardless of your eye or hair color, or even how tall you are, being comfortable with yourself is
an important part of your presentation. Act naturally and consider aspects of your presentation
you can control in order to maximize a positive image for the audience
Environment

Environment involves the physical and psychological

aspects of the communication context. The perception of
one’s environment influences one’s reaction to it. It is an
important part of the dynamic communication process.