Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
Chapter 1
COMMUNICATION
Reference Materials
2
1.1 Situation
3
1.2 Definition of Communication
5
1.3
Essential
Components
in
the
Communication Process 8
1.4 Directions of Communication
9
(a) Vertical Communication
9
(b) Horizontal Communication
10
(c) Diagonal Communication
10
1.5 Channels and Media of Communication
12
1.6 Importance of Communication
16
1.7
General
Principles
1
of
Effective
Chapter 1 Communication
Communication
Student Materials
17
(a) Clarity
17
(b) Courtesy
18
(c) Conciseness
18
(d) Concreteness
18
(e) Completeness
19
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Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
Reference Materials
(a) Web-sites
The following web-sites are resource centres providing guidelines and reference
materials on Communication. Students are encouraged to browse through the
web-pages for useful learning materials.
1.
abi-2 (Choose Business Communication Quarterly; New York AND Business
Communications Review; Hinsdale)
http://www.lib.nthu.edu.tw/services/peri/journal/abi-2.htm
(b) Reference Books
The following books provide an in-depth treatment of business communication, giving a
vast amount of case studies and activities for illustrating key concepts and processes.
They also include a collection of sample letters and documents of different functions.
Students are recommended to refer to these books for the topics to be discussed in this
chapter.
1.
Bentley, Maree. Mary Munter’s Business Communication – Strategy and Skill.
Singapore: Prentice Hall, 1991.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Communication
Chapter 2 The Environment: Business Organizations and Channels
2.
Bovee, Courtland L., and John V. Thill. Business Communication Today. 6th ed.
New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000.
Part 1
Foundations of Business Communication
3.
Guffey, Mary Ellen. Business Communication: Process & Product. 3rd ed. New
York: South-Western College Publishing, 2000.
Unit 1
Communication Foundations
4.
Lehman, Carol M., William C. Himstreet, and Wayne Murlin Baty. Business
Communications. 11th ed. Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishing, 1996.
Part 1
Communication Foundations and Oral Communication
5.
Taylor, Shirley. Communication For Business – A Practical Approach. 2nd ed.
London: Pitman Publishing, 1993.
Part 1
Communication
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Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
Chapter 1
COMMUNICATION
This chapter introduces to students the meaning, directions and importance of
communication. It also discusses the components that make up the communication
process, and examines the channels and media of communication in business
contexts. The general principles of effective communication will also be examined
and illustrated. The use of other media such as letter, e-mail and fax will be
discussed in subsequent chapters.
1.1 Situation
This is a scene in an office. Amy has been assigned to work in different departments
in Sunshine Company. Today, she has to work in the Information Technology
Department. She is impressed by the sophisticated equipment installed in the office.
She sits at her desk and finds everything new to her. She then observes the following
events. First, the cleaning lady, Ah Kwan, keeps cursing people when she is cleaning
the pantry. She is rather annoyed, as people working late last night did not tidy up the
pantry and left garbage lying around. Second, the General Manager, Andy, passes a
file to his secretary, Mary, and asks her to send out some documents. He also leaves a
note to tell her to arrange for a meeting with the Sales Department. Third, the
messenger, Ricky, comes in and whistles to alert people of his presence. Fourth, Andy
waves to Mary at the door of his office and gestures that he would like to have a glass of
water. Mary acknowledges with the OK signal.
People communicate with one another by sending out messages that carry certain
meaning in the form of voice and image. The receivers then try to interpret the
meaning of these signals. Sometimes they interpret correctly and sometimes they do
not.
Can you tell your classmates about:
 your hobbies
 the place where you live
without saying anything or writing anything down?
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Chapter 1 Communication
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Group game: Message Express
Steps:
1.
Students are divided into groups and arranged to sit in separate lines facing
the white board.
2.
The first student of the line acts as the representative of the line.
3.
The representatives go to the teacher who shows them some information
written on a piece of paper. They are required to memorise the information,
but not allowed to read the information aloud.
4.
The representatives then go back to their seats.
5.
When the teacher says, ‘Start’, the representatives should tell the students
sitting behind them the information they have read. They are only allowed
to speak but not write. The listener cannot ask any questions. (Note: It is
important that questions should NOT be asked. Otherwise, communication
will not be one-way.)
6.
As soon as the listeners get the information, they become tellers and pass on
the information to the students sitting behind them in the line. They must
strictly obey the rules for tellers and listeners.
7.
The tellers cannot get back to the students sitting in the front even if they are
not sure of what they have heard.
8.
The teacher checks the time for each line to finish passing the information.
9.
When the students at the end of each line get the information, they write
down the information to ensure that they will not change it afterwards.
10. The students at the end of the line read out the information they have written
down.
11. The winner will be judged by the accuracy of the information and the time
taken to complete the process.
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Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
Answer the following questions after discussion:
1. What problems do listeners encounter?
2. What problems do tellers encounter?
3. How does the final information differ from the initial information?
4. What affect(s) the accuracy of the final information?
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1.2 Definition of Communication
There is no simple, generally accepted definition for the word ‘communication’.
Different users of the word may define it according to their interpretation. The
following definitions, for example, provide the views of some writers.
Communication is defined as:
1.
The process of exchanging information and meaning between or among individuals
through a common system of symbols, signs, and behaviour.
‘Lehman, Carol M., William C. Himstreet, and Wayne Murlin Baty.
11th ed. Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishing, 1996.’
2.
Business Communications.
The process of sharing by which messages produce responses.
‘Bentley, Maree. Mary Munter’s Business Communication – Strategy and Skill.
Prentice Hall, 1991.’
Singapore:
These two definitions share some common elements:

Process.

Information or message. This is something in the form of voice, symbol or
behaviour that carries meaning.

Flow. The information or message is transferred, whether by ‘sharing’ or
‘exchanging’.

Individuals. These are the persons involved in the process. The word
‘individuals’ is implied in the second definition. To ‘share’ information, someone
must have ‘given’ it while others have ‘taken’ it.
A process is made up of a connected series of actions or changes.
For the purpose of discussion, we may put the above elements together to form a simple
definition:
Communication is a process in which information flows from
one individual to one or more individuals.
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Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
In the latter parts of this section, this definition will be modified to give a clearer picture
of the process. Throughout the Kit, the discussion focuses on communication in the
business context. The person sending the information is called the sender. The
person(s) who receive(s) it is/are called the receiver(s). The sender first converts an
idea into meaningful information. Through different media such as a telephone or a
piece of paper, the sender passes the information in the form of voice or image signals
to the receiver. Upon receiving the signal, the receiver converts it back to information.
The basic components in a simple one-way communication model are: sender,
information (in certain form and sent through a medium) and receiver.
The following table shows some examples of the form of information and media:
Form of information
voice signals, image signals such as texts, graphics,
gestures, etc.
telephones, letters, memorandums, electronic devices,
etc.
Media
Fig 1.1
One-way Communication
Consider the case where a prospective buyer faxes an enquiry letter to a seller
requesting the price of some goods. The components of this one-way communication
process are:

the prospective buyer (sender)

the seller (receiver)

a request for the price of goods (information)

text (form of information)

fax (medium)
In a two-way communication, the receiver sends feedback, i.e. responding information,
to the sender. On receiving the feedback from the receiver, the sender may send
further information to the receiver.
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Chapter 1 Communication
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Fig 1.2
Two-way Communication
At different stages of the communication process, ‘noises’ from the external
environment will affect the flow of information. A noise is anything that interrupts the
transmission of information, for example, voices or images from other sources that
distract the attention of the sender or receiver, resulting in a distortion of the information.
A cough made by the speaker that disrupts a conversation and some typographical errors
in a letter or an e-mail message are noises. Such a cough and errors harm the
reliability of the sender. Noises also include the unpleasant feeling of the receiver
when the sender uses an inappropriate way to send the information, for example,
scolding a person in a public area.
Fig 1.3
Two-way Communication with Noises
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Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
1.3 Essential Components in the Communication
Process
The communication process can be further subdivided into the following stages or
components:
An Idea to Communicate
For communication to take place, the sender should have an idea to communicate.
Encoding of Information
Encoding information means converting the idea into words (voice signals) or gestures
(image signals) or other forms (written, visual, graphics, etc.) that will convey meaning.
The senders should consider the needs of the receivers and use words with meanings
that both the senders and receivers can recognise; otherwise misunderstanding may
occur. The senders should note the receivers’ communication skills, attitudes,
background, experience and culture before choosing the form for the information.
Transmission of Information
Different media such as letter, memo, e-mail, fax and telephone can be used to send
information. The senders need to choose the appropriate medium carefully.
Decoding of Information
When the receivers get the information, they will decode it, i.e. translate the information
from signals such as words, gestures or other forms into meanings. Effective
communication takes place only when the receivers successfully decode the
information.
.
Interpretation of Implicit/Explicit Meanings
Information always carries implicit and explicit meanings. When the receivers decode
information, they should be aware of both. For example, when the General Manager
of a company issues a memorandum to inform the staff of the company’s policy on
punctuality, members of staff who are always late to work regard the memorandum not
merely as a reminder of company policy but also as an initial warning.
Feedback
Feedback is the verbal and non-verbal response of the receiver. It is a vital part of the
communication process and helps the sender to know whether the information has been
received and understood. Feedback needs to go through the same stages of encoding,
transmission and decoding of information.
If necessary, senders may give further feedback to the receivers in a process with the
same stages, i.e. encoding, transmitting and decoding.
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Chapter 1 Communication
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Practice 1.1 (Grade B)
Put the six components of the communication process into the diagram in the proper
order.
1.4
Directions of Communication
Information flows in different directions within an organisation:
(a) Vertical Communication
This refers to the information flowing directly through the chain of command, i.e. the
formal channel for the flow of official information. It can be further divided into two
types.
(i)
Downward flow - This refers to the flow of information from supervisors to
subordinates, e.g. A to B to C, D to E to F, etc. (see Fig 1.4).
Example: The Personnel Officer asks Amy to send a parcel to the UK. After
preparing the parcel, Amy asks the messenger to take it to the post office.
(ii) Upward flow - This refers to the flow of information from subordinates to
supervisors, e.g. J to H to G, C to B to A, etc. (see Fig 1.4).
Example: Amy submits a progress report to her supervisor on the recruitment
exercise.
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Chapter 1 Communication
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(b) Horizontal Communication
This refers to the flow of information among positions at the same level, e.g. B to E, F
to J, etc. (see Fig 1.4).
Example: Amy, Susan and another clerk are discussing the updating of the mailing lists
of customers.
(C) Diagonal Communication
This refers to the flow of information among positions of different levels in different
departments, e.g. D to B, J to E, etc. (see Fig 1.4).
Example: The Accounting Manager wants to discuss the job applications with the
Personnel Manager but she is not in. He then goes to Amy’s desk, leaves the
file of short-listed applicants and asks Amy to pass it to the Personnel
Manager.
Note: Since the capital letters I and O, and the numerals 1 and O are very similar in shape
respectively, it is quite common to discard these letters to avoid confusion. For example, the
letters I and O are not usually used in the seating arrangement of a cinema.
Department 1
Department 2
Department 3
Position A
Position D
Position G
Position B
Position E
Position H
Position C
Position F
Position J
ｊ
Horizontal communication
Communicatio
n
Diagonal communication
Vertical communication
Fig 1.4
Directions of Communication withincation
an Organisation
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Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
Practice 1.2 (Grade B)
Identify the directions of communication for Amy’s conversation in Situations (1) to (4)
below and then fill in the blanks (Refer to V03 Directions of Communication).
Organisation Chart of Sunshine Company
(1) The communication between Amy and the Personnel Officer belongs to
_____________ communication.
(2) The communication between Amy and the _____________ belongs to ________
communication.
(3) The communication between Amy
______________________________.
and
the
____________
belongs
to
(4) The communication between Amy
______________________________.
and
the
____________
belongs
to
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Chapter 1 Communication
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Follow-up game for ‘Group game: Message Express’ (p 4)
(a)
1. Repeat Steps 1 to 4 on p 4.
2. Do the same for steps 5 to 7 except allowing the ‘listeners’ to ask questions
about what they have heard.
3. Repeat Steps 8 to 11.
(b)
1. Discuss the characteristics of the communication in ‘Group game: Message
Express’ (p 4).
2. What type of communication is the follow-up game?
3. What is the difference between the information gathered in the group game
and the follow-up game?
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1.5 Channels and Media of Communication
List the types of media you usually use for communicating with your
friends in your spare time. Identify the form in which your message is
encoded in each case.
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Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
Christmas is coming and Sunshine Company is organising a Christmas Party. Amy is
assigned to be a helper with the liaison and co-ordination work and she uses various
media to contact different parties. The media she is using include letter, memorandum,
e-mail, fax, meeting, telephone call and face-to-face conversation. Fig 1.5 lists some
types of communication channels and media.
Note:
This symbol
This
Fig 1.5
represents channels.
symbol represents media.
Types of Communication Channels and Media
Channels refer to the forms of communication, e.g. written and oral communication.
Media are the means for carrying the information, e.g. letters and memorandums.
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Chapter 1 Communication
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Practice 1.3 (Grade B)
In the following pictures, name the media of business communication.
1.
2.
_____________________
____________________
3.
4.
To: admarilynw@cookware.com.hk (Accounts Department)
From: cdlauraf@cookware.com.hk (Credit Control)
Subject: Overdue account no. 654386543
cc:
Date: 17 May 20-Attachment: c:\overdue\654386543.doc
____________________________________________
It has recently come to my attention that…
_____________________
____________________
5.
6.
MEMO
To:
Senior Purchasing Clerk
From:
Purchasing Manager
Date:
26 February 20--
Subject:
Outstanding bill with stationery suppliers
I have just received this request from…
_____________________
_____________________
7.
8.
Mr Granville Tan
Accounts Department
Pearl of Asia Jewellery Supplies
213 San Po Kong Road
Wong Tai Sin
Kowloon
_____________________
Dear Mr Tan
_____________________
Further to your letter which I
received this morning …
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Chapter 1 Communication
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Written communication includes letters and memorandums.
Communication using machines or computers includes faxes, e-mail
messages and video conferencing.
Oral communication includes
meetings and telephone calls. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages
of each of the above categories.
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Chapter 1 Communication
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Assignment 1.1 (Grade C)
Form groups of five students and discuss the assigned situations A to E below.
each situation, write the answer to include the following:

all possible communication media for the situation

the most appropriate media for the situation

reasons for the chosen media
For
(You may refer to the advantages and disadvantages discussed above.)
Situations
A. Your hair dryer is broken. You know your neighbour, Tom, has a spare one. How
will you borrow the hair dryer from him?
B. Some of your primary schoolmates are going to arrange an informal gathering.
They ask you to contact one of the schoolmates, Jenny. How will you do so?
C. You want to buy a computer. You look it up in a computer magazine and find a
company offering attractive discounts. How will you approach the company?
D. You are going to hold a birthday party for your mother and you need to invite a
relative who is deaf-and-dumb. How will you contact her?
E. Your teacher is going to get married. You want to pass on the good news. How
will you contact your classmate who is now living in the UK?
1.6 Importance of Communication
Communication is considered extremely important as it is a basic and vital element to
any human encounter throughout the entire society.
A Close Link in Our Daily Lives
Communication is crucial to our daily lives. In general, the common forms of
communication are written and verbal including letters, memorandums, rules, contracts,
reports, newsletters, speeches and conversations in meetings. Depending on their
purposes and functions, these communication forms have their specific features and
layouts.
 17 
Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
The Key to a Successful Job
Communication skills are basic skills required by all kinds of jobs, for example,
communication with co-workers, supervisors, partners, clients, etc. The more contacts
or more complicated management responsibilities the jobs have, the more time is
needed for communication.
The Base for a Future Career
In today’s commercial world, good communication is crucial, especially in service
industries. Good communication not only brings in more new customers, but also
retains the existing customers. To survive and expand the share in highly competitive
markets, firms invest heavily in human capital. Therefore, it is a must to equip oneself
with excellent skills of communication for building up a career.
Personal Development
Communication is an art. Ideas can be expressed in a number of ways. Thorough
considerations are needed for choosing the right channel and media, formulating the
content of the conversation and documents, and using the appropriate words and tones.
Acquiring skills of effective communication should be considered a lifelong learning
objective for personal development.
Effective communication requires clarity,
courtesy, conciseness, concreteness and completeness in the transfer of information.
(An explanation of the general principles of effective communication is given in Section
1.7. Refer to Video V01 Communication for an illustration of these principles.)
1.7 General Principles of Effective Communication
To enhance the effectiveness of business communication, five principles should be
considered: clarity, courtesy, conciseness, concreteness and completeness.
(a) Clarity
One of the objectives of communication is to express clearly what one intends to tell.
A clear message is easy to understand. To achieve clarity, avoid using high-sounding
words and indirect sentences. Use simple words and active-voice as far as possible.
For example, the sentence
‘You are reminded that the staff should be advised of the severe consequences
of ignoring the safety measures in the workshop.’
should be rephrased as
‘Please advise your staff to observe the safety measures in the workshop.’
 18 
Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
(b) Courtesy
Being polite can earn the respect of the message recipients. Frustrated and provoked
people are tempted to respond bluntly. This, however, will lead to further discontent of
the audience and hurt the goodwill of the company. One way to be courteous is to
adopt a positive tone. For example, the following allegation in a letter:
‘You have failed to settle your debts for over two weeks. When will you make your
payment?’
can be re-structured in a more tactful way:
‘We have not received your payment for over two weeks. We believe it is just an
oversight. Please settle your account within seven days of this letter.’
Another way to be polite is to reply promptly. If it takes more time to prepare a formal
reply, send a brief note to inform the recipient that something is being done. Most
people are willing to wait as long as they know their requests are being entertained.
(c) Conciseness
By eliminating unnecessary words, sentences and paragraphs, the writer can save the
reader the time and trouble in reading them. Cut any excess words and simplify the
structure of the sentences. The following examples show how conciseness can be
achieved:
(i) ‘The boxes we are sending you are oval in shape, red in colour and eight in
number.’ (a sentence with excess words)
‘We are sending you eight oval boxes in red.’ (a concise sentence)
(ii) ‘The working group will conduct a thorough investigation on the matter with a
view to finding the reasons for the delay in the schedule.’ (a sentence with
overused prepositions)
‘The working group will investigate the delay thoroughly.’ (a concise sentence)
(d) Concreteness
Effective communication results from the correct use of words that carry the meaning of
a message. These words vary in their level of abstraction. Abstract words express
concepts, qualities and characteristics, for example, love, hatred, intelligence and beauty.
The meaning of these words is subject to individual interpretation. Concrete words
stand for things in the material world, for example, desk, cattle, red and cough, that one
can see and feel. As these words are direct and precise, their meaning can be
conveyed objectively. Sometimes abstract words/concepts such as productivity,
guarantee and profit, are involved in business communication. Concreteness in
communication refers to the use of concrete words to define abstract words so as to
convey their meaning in the most effective way. For example, the abstract concept of
productivity may be expressed in terms of the number of units produced per man-hour
where the number of units and man-hour are concrete words.
 19 
Chapter 1 Communication
Student Materials
(e) Completeness
Completeness refers to the consideration of the major communication barriers and the
vital factors of effective communication. Some examples of the aspects to consider are
as follows:

purpose of communication: informative, persuasive, making a request

background of the recipient: relationship with the sender, knowledge,
experience

content: details arranged in logical sequence

tone: urgent, serious, friendly
Telephone Calls - an illustration for effective communication
The following are some examples of how the principles of effective communication can be
applied when handling telephone calls.
(a) Nature of Telephone Calls
As a medium commonly used in communication, the telephone requires instant and quick
responses. Since the caller and the other party do not see each other, communication can
only be effective by using the correct words in the appropriate intonation and style, especially
in exchanging views and abstract concepts. (Concreteness)
The person who makes or receives calls on the telephone in fact represents the company.
Therefore, the proper manner should be used in handling telephone calls. (Courtesy)
(b)
Effective Telephoning Techniques
Before making telephone calls, the caller should jot down the points to communicate in the
conversation to avoid oversights and omissions. To seek information over the phone, the
caller may first list the questions and elicit the answers by the phone as far as possible.
Both the caller and the receiver should have pencils and message pads for taking notes.
(Completeness)
In making or receiving telephone calls, the caller and receiver should use polite greetings and
speak clearly in a cheerful and helpful tone. Pleasantries may sometimes be used. They
should never lose their temper or show impatience. Their voices should always be decisive,
confident and interested. They should close the call courteously, thanking the other party
for their time and help. (Courtesy and clarity)
After the conversation, the caller and receiver should transcribe the scribbled notes while the
memory is still fresh.
(c)
The Role of the Call-taker
When the specific person being called is not available to answer the call, the caller may leave
a message. The call-taker should write the key points and details such as name, date,
contact telephone number and address legibly and accurately. He/She may request
clarification of tricky spellings. It is also important for the call-taker to supply his/her name
and job title in taking the call as no one likes to deal with people trying to hide their identity.
In writing the message, the call-taker should keep the message short and simple, including
only those necessary details. (Conciseness)
An example of a message is given in Fig 1.6.
 20 
Chapter 1 Communication
Note the time
for receiving
the call.
Student Materials
Show urgency
of the call.
Specify the
receiver.
URGENT
Yes
No
Mr W K Wong
Visitor and Telephone Message for __________________________
3:05 pm
Time: _____________________
Enter the
correct date of
the call.
23-11-20 - Date:_________________
Give title and
name of the caller.
When you were out
Kathy Lui
Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss_________________________________________
of ____________________________________________________
Templeton Food Store
9306 7126
Telephone Number ______________________________________
Telephoned

Write the numbers
clearly.
Will phone later
Called in
Will come back later
Returned your call
Wants to see you
Wants you to phone
Enter the name of
the company.
‘Tick’ the
appropriate box of
the Checklist.

Would like to supply 100 kg of frozen mutton at the price of
Message: __________________________________________
HK$50 /kg. Please confirm..
__________________________________________________
Write a clear
message and
provide essential
details to guide the
follow up action.
__________________________________________________
Mr C L Poon
Taken by: _________________________________________
Fig 1.6
Telephone Message
 21 
Give the name of
the call-taker for
clarification of
queries.