Communication is among the most essential elements in the success of any business, be it large, small, local or international. There are numerous communication methods in existence today for business organizations, thanks to changes in technology. The effectiveness of an organization’s communication will be dependent on a number of factors. For example, it is important that the essence of the communication is established, and the communicant should know whom the message is intended for. The organization of the message, the style of communication, purpose and format of communication should be considered to ensure that communication is effective and realizes its objective; be it persuasion, passing information or informing.
When a person is writing a business communiqué, he or she should take into account such variables as the purpose, the audience and the type of leadership style in use by the business organization. This paper will try to analyze a number of business communiqués used to communicate the decision by staff of Riordan Manufacturing concerning the acquisition of JJJ Company to the various people within the business organization. The business communiqués that were applicable include a letter, memorandum, due diligence report, text message and facsimile. This paper will critically analyze the effectiveness of these methods in business communication.
Communiqué 1: Memorandum
In this business communiqué, the accounting manager, John Doe was able to convey the message to Dan Smith, the marketing manager. The message was that Riordan Manufacturing should not proceed with the question of acquisition. The communication was formal and from the way it was presented it is clear that the purpose had been sufficiently examined before the response was provided. The purpose of the message is clear from the contents of the memo. It is depicted in the communiqué that the accounting manager is providing feedback on some task that had been assigned to him and thus is giving a report concerning its viability.
The type of communiqué used for this case is appropriate. First, the communication is internal, therefore, making the memo appropriate. Secondly, the communicant and the recipient are both workers within the organization; therefore it won’t cause information leakage to outsiders. Taking into consideration such issues as leadership style in the organization as well as the audience in the communication process, a memo as well as an e-mail will be appropriate for communication. Memos are quite informal as compared to letters. This is because the sender and recipient both know each other personally and as concerns positions in the organization, the accounting manager and the marketing manager are both on the same level of hierarchy and thus the freedom to interact freely. An e-mail is also very flexible to fit in such a setting since it can either be informal or formal depending on how one structures it.
In this case, the intended audience is the marketing manager. Since she is on the same level of command in the organization as the sender of the message, the accounting manager, this form of communication is suitable for her. The two know each other personally and are both in the same organization; therefore not much formality is necessary. Besides, with regard to the style of leadership, both managers are said to be democratic in their leadership, therefore, no need for complex means of communication. I would recommend that the accounting manager should ignore certain contents of the memo such as the welcoming remarks as they are unnecessary since both the sender and the recipient are employees in the same business organization, Riordan Manufacturing.
The contents of the communiqué depict that the communication was ethical as it exercised honesty as well as credibility in its bid to persuade as its intended objective. The communication gave sound advice about JJJ Company’s financial situation in accordance with the information that had been given about the company. The information presented here is neither too much nor too little, just adequate. Only that, as the accounting manager, John was expected to provide the accounting figures to convey the message better. All in all, the memo was inclusive.
Communiqué 2: Letter
Though the message and the purpose of the communication was conveyed, it was not done in the best way possible. The purpose of the communication was to inform as well as persuade. Beth Wilson, the Staff Accountant, informed the Marketing Manager that it was unsound to have Riordan Manufacturing taking up JJJ Company in an acquisition and gave reasons for this through the use of accounting figures. This was a good place to start from, especially having the intention to persuade in mind. However, the sender failed to format the communiqué to appear as formal as a business letter is supposed to be.
Just as the sender suggests in the letter that a report would be most appropriate for the communication, I contend that it would serve the purpose much more effectively than the letter presented for this case. Considering this is communication from a junior employee to a senior one in the business organization, and the seriousness of the purpose of this communication; conveying a serious message concerning the acquisition of another company, the letter should have been much more formal than it is. A report would be clearer, has physical appeal and is more detailed. The figures as presented here are merely figures, but had they been in a report, it would be easy to relate to and also interpret the information without difficulty.
The recipient of the communication, Dana Smith who is the Marketing Manager as it has been said uses a democratic style of leadership, whereas the sender, Beth Wilson is accustomed to Laissez faire system. The Laissez faire style ensures that tasks are performed under organizational rules and regulations. This style is focused on procedures and policies are effected to the latter. In this case, chances are that the Staff Accountant presented the information using this method of communication since it is the organizational requirement that she presents correspondence in that format. The Marketing Manager’s democratic style too could have influenced the communicant’s choice of means of communication. This is a vertical type of communication within the organization and thus would require some degree of formality as compared to that existent between individuals on the same level.
I would recommend that if the sender of this message aims at persuading her audience she should consider using convincing phrases in the explanations as to why the acquisition should be halted. The letter is too plain as it only gives the facts on JJJ Company without explaining how these should influence one’s decision concerning the investment. In addition, I am of the opinion that a report would serve the purpose of communication this information in a much better way. Ethically, the information conveyed in the letter is not biased and is objective as far as business ethics are concerned. The information presented herein is too much for one to comprehend. There are too many figures as opposed to details that make the communication to lack clarity.
Communiqué 3: Text Message
The underlying message in this type of communiqué is that the acquisition of JJJ Company should not proceed, however, this communication style did not communicate effectively. It is not the most appropriate means of communication for this type of setting. The issue at hand is a very serious business matter, the acquisition of another company; a very formal business setting and, therefore, all correspondence is supposed to be formal. Using a text message in this business environment shows the lack of seriousness in whoever is sending the communication. The message can easily be ignored and not acted upon as required. In addition, it fails to follow writing rules. The method should use a straight forward, a simple construction and use concrete terms. It fails to consider such important elements of communication as the audience, the style and purpose.
In the place of a text message, I would suggest a formal e-mail communication. This type of communication not only fulfills the purpose of the communication but also has the ability to convey the message with the intended tone and also shows a sense of professionalism. In general parlance, e-mail has been thought of as being a casual communication means; however, through the application of a number of good writing rules, it can be appropriate in a formal business environment like this one. The sender must briefly introduce themselves, use proper language that follows all rules of language such as grammar, capitalization and punctuation, avoid text symbols and indicate one’s name. These would make the communication to be friendly yet professional and clear as well.
This type of communication is not appropriate at all for its intended audience. It is communication from a Staff Accountant to the Sales Manager. This is a case of vertical communication within the organization and should have some sense of formality. It is unacceptable to use this kind of communication in such a formal business environment even if it was to a colleague on the same level in the workplace. To make it quite formal, I would recommend the use of proper language, no shortening of words, address the specific details, and logical construction. These would at least give the message some seriousness. However, I would recommend use of a more appropriate means such as e-mail.
The information shared on this communiqué is ethically sound in the decision on whether to acquire or not to acquire JJJ Company. Basing on the facts presented herein it would not be viable for Riordan Manufacturing to proceed with the acquisition. Since the information is internal, it is expected that it would remain so as the Company is still deliberating on the issue. Too little information has been communicated through this communication means. It does not give much detail and thus misses on clarity. It is no wonder that the sender has gone to state that more information will be shared via a phone call.
Communiqué 4: Due Diligence Report
The due diligence presentation used in this case is a detailed report, clearly formulated and serves the purpose in the business environment in an effective way. It outlines the nature of JJJ Company, detailing its financial instability, the problems it is experiencing and goes further to give a conclusive reason as to why the acquisition should not proceed. There’s no better way of communicating this kind of information, full of accounting figures and explanations than a formal report. The report is all inclusive and touches on nearly all aspects of JJJ Company that had been given.
The communication moves up the chain from the Staff Accountant to the Marketing Manager and from my evaluation this method is appropriate for the audience it is intended for. This is because it is generally formal and observes the chain of command. The language used is proper and straight forward, the style is consistent and constructed in a simple manner, and also employs concrete terms. These qualities make it appealing to the audience and thus persuasive enough. Beth, the Staff Accountant, ascribes to the Laissez Faire style of leadership that ensures all actions are in line with organizational policies and procedures. Dana, the Marketing Manager, on the other hand, is democratic in her leadership. Democracy treats all individuals as equals in the organization and allows them a chance at decision making. This style together with the Laissez Faire is influential in determining information flow within the organization.
Although the type of communication used for this case is appropriate, I would recommend that it should have a backing in the form of a letter explaining certain details not fully covered. In addition, it should include the accounting figures such as the sales numbers, Company expenses and what have you. These would help make it clearer than it is and thus communicate effectively. The information presented in this report is essential in helping the management together with the ad hoc committee decide on whether to proceed with the acquisition of JJJ Company or not. The due diligence presentation is all inclusive and on overall communicates the purpose it was intended.
Communiqué 5: Facsimile
The facsimile is a convenient communication tool in an organization, especially when targeting a large number of employees and also for purposes of keeping the communication internal. The intended communication was that Riordan Manufacturing should not proceed with the acquisition. It conveyed this clearly, highlighting the reasons for the same and was appealing enough in its purpose. A memo would still serve the same purpose a facsimile has served in this case. They are both effective for this kind of set up; communication to peers. Therefore, one could choose either of them to pass the information as none is superior to the other.
The information here is communicated to a large number of individuals. John, the Accounting Manager, intends to pass the information to the Ad hoc committee made up of his peers. The use of a facsimile is appropriate in this case. It is not too formal as he knows the other individuals at a personal level, and the method made each of the employees feel equal in position. The Accounting Manager as explained uses a democratic style of leadership, and this was captured as well by the method of communication; treating all as equals in the organization. It gives the communication the seriousness it deserves and makes all feel included in organizational decision making.
This communiqué is appropriate and communicates the ideas it is intended to communicate to the particular audience effectively and I feel it captures the real definition of a good communiqué. It does need further clarifications to capture all details however. These are, however, very minute details that can’t be emphasized on the facsimile, that’s why the Accounting Manager opts to inform the peers of the need to furnish them with a financial report. The information presented in the facsimile is factual and thus credible. It can be trusted upon when reaching a conclusion about the decision to either acquire JJJ Company or not. It does not report too much information nor too little as compared to other available communiqués.
References
Guffey, M. E., & Almonte, R. (2009). Essentials of Business Communication. Birchmount Road, Toronto: Cengage Learning.
L. T. University of Phoenix Material: Accounting Scenario. Appropriate information and how much information an accountant should provide to the audience. University of Phoenix, Phoenix.
Qayumi, H. (2010). Effective Business Communication. New York: Macmillan Publishers.
