Business Communication
Business communication is defined as the process through which information and messages are disseminated between the major stakeholders of a business enterprise. The information is shared and conveyed through a variety of channels that are available in the business enterprise. Researchers have identified business communication as a very essential component that has to be established and developed between the management of the business and the employees and other stakeholders. Locker & Stephen suggests that for successful business operations, there is need to establish an effective mode of communication between the members of the business enterprise (Locker & Stephen 6). In essence, effective communication requires that organizations put in place reporting hierarchies, use proper channels of communication, and apply expertise in developing message content. Effective communication in tandem with other strategies builds business brands and reputation and enables employees to interact and share knowledge. It is for this reason that organizations need to monitor constantly their communication strategy and reporting channels to ensure that they communicate effectively and share intended messages. This paper discusses the importance of effective business communication and analyzes how enterprises can acquire and use communication to develop a successful business enterprise.
Guffey, Mary & Dana identified the main elements of communication as the sender of the message, the channel of conveying the message and the receiver of the message. These two main components disseminate information through different established channels to the receiver. After reading and analyzing the message, the receiver can convey his or her feedback to the sender using the similar or different channels (Guffey, Mary & Dana 40). This is the basic way of communication in many business enterprises. The channels of communication that can be utilized by business enterprises include letters, emails, instant messaging, teleconferences, webinars and mobile telephony. These channels provide an important method in which the company information can be conveyed from one person to the other for effective operations of the company. The developments that can be imposed on these channels will cause consequential improvements in the performance of the business enterprise. The channels of communication also determine the rates of flow of information and operation processes in the business enterprise and the accuracy of the delivered information. According to Guffey, Mary & Dana, the channels of information act as the key elements that affect the way businesses are run and the decision are made in business environment. The more accurate the channels are, the more effective the information delivered, and the result communication influences business operations and streamlines activities. Therefore, it is definite that business communication should involve effective channels for the conveyance of the business information (Guffey, Mary & Dana 38).
Different players in the business are the main stakeholders that are involved in the sending and receiving of messages within or outside the business enterprise. Therefore, business communications can be termed to revolve around the key stakeholders of the business who in this case are management of the business, the employees, shareholders and the external stakeholder. Besides, there may be communications between two or more business enterprises. The effectiveness of information exchange among the members of a business enterprise is determined by the established relationships between different actors within the business and the communication channels available. Hynes suggests that communication skills are of crucial importance in business communication because they determine the effectiveness of the deliverance of the intended message from one person to another. In addition, the author argues that employees need to train constantly to keep up with the current trends of business communication especially due to dynamics caused by globalization and multiculturalism. It is therefore required that the members of a business enterprise possess essential skills and abilities to communicate with one another (Hynes 112). For effective communication among the business stakeholders, there is, therefore, a need to develop and improve communication skills among the members of the business enterprise. One of the fundamental factors that spur business growth is the ability of employees to relate, communicate and share knowledge for purposes of working as teams as opposed to a business environments marred with toxicity and divisions (Hynes 44).
Effective communication is said to be the best approach to improve the relationship of people and connect members of a team strongly as they work to achieve a set goal. Business operators should focus more on how to make the communication in their companies effective and quality so that the business can easily attain the set goals and agendas. To emphasize this, Hynes explains that there is need entrench a culture of effective communication that allows the members of the business to communicate freely, interact and exchange knowledge without unnecessary barriers (Hynes 121). Based on the suggestions, it is, therefore, important to examine how businesses can establish and manage effective communication among the members and stakeholders of the business (Kernbach et al. 163). One way of achieving effective communication establishing clear reporting structures and hierarchies and creating acceptable channels of communication with the business setting.
Since most business involve the flow of information from managers to employees and to other stakeholders, it is, therefore, important to have a management team that can convey information efficiently. This information may contain the decisions that have been made and the goals and strategies of the business enterprise. The presentation of the message will determine the impact that the information has on the actions of the employees towards improving the performance of the business. Therefore, it is important that the management team be comprised of members who display the best of communication skills. This will ensure that the information on the decisions made by the top management will be communicated effectively to the employees in order to improve access to information, acquire clarifications about processes and manage time effectively. Additionally, the communication between the management teams has a ripple effect to the entire organization, particularly, if there are breakdowns in communication, other employees/teams will not see the importance of using correct channels or formalizing messages when communicating, which may cause chaos and management disincentives (Hynes 85). Researchers suggests that business enterprises should establish a management team that is comprised communication experts in order to streamline business processes and remove eminent conflicts (Kernbach et al. 163).
The employees also need to have communication skills that enable them to pass information among themselves and to the management of the company. Frequent soft skills training, personal development trainings and communication seminars can equip employees with requisite communication skills. Effective communication among the employees and external stakeholders determines how the management and customers perceive the business enterprise. If the employees are able to deliver messages to one another effectively using the established communication channels available, then it will be easier for the operations and activities in a business to be managed. Businesses in which employees are unable to communicate well between themselves and with the management offers a difficult task on the management to make decisions. Hynes recommends the need to develop effective communication among the employees and concludes that the performance of a business enterprise, in part, depends on the ability of the employees to communicate and interact (Hynes 57).
The available channels of communication within a business also affect the effectiveness of the information delivery and the general success of the business. The applied channels of communication affect the rate of flow of information. The commonly applied channels of communication involve the transfer of messages either in audio or written form. The audio channels include use of face-to-face communication or telephone call to deliver important information. The written channels involve the use of handwritten letters or emails to convey information between the members of a business enterprise or external stakeholders. Ragas & Ron proposes that the channel of communication have a great influence on communication and sharing information-the channels can hamper or enhance communication. For example, some people may not be able to pass a message effectively when using audio channels of communications, face to face or over the telephone (Ragas & Ron 74). Besides, there are those people that may not be able to convey effectively messages using the written channels of communication. Therefore, the channels of communication determine the effectiveness of the communication among the members of the business. Based on this, a business can come up with a desirable communication channel that majority of employee in the business in order to remove communication barriers. The type of communication channel also has an impact on the rate at which decisions are made within the business, and thus poor communication channels can potentially affect the ease of decision making or instituting managerial change (Ragas & Ron 15).
Business communication plays a quintessential function in the development and success of business enterprises. There is, therefore, an urgency to develop and manage the processes that are involved in the conveyance and dissemination of information. This requires that the channels of communication be developed and improved for effective delivery of information and the decision making process. The improvement of channels of communication involves equipping employees with personal communication skills and removing any barriers to effective communication. Locker & Stephen suggests that the improvement made should be based on the current methods that are available and the effectiveness of methods currently in use (Locker & Stephen 6).
In conclusion, communication offers a basis for the movement of ideas between employees and top management. Business enterprises need to have a flow of information from the management to employees and vice-versa as way of streamlining operations and building relationships. Therefore, business communication is an important component of the business operations. The flow of information in business setting depends on the communication skills of staff and the channels of communication within the business. There are strategies that can be used to improve the flow of information within business settings and the environment. These strategies are important in improving the general performance of the business and the effectiveness of the information exchange. Improving the methods of communication in the business and employee communication skills leverage the performance of the business enterprise.
WORK CITED
Hynes, Geraldine. “Managerial Communication: Strategies and Applications.” Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc, 2015. Web.
Ragas, Matthew, and Ron Culp. “Business Essentials for Strategic Communicators: Creating Shared Value for the Organization and Its Stakeholders.” Chicago: Brooks Inc., 2014. Print.
Locker, Kitty, and Stephen Kaczmarek. “Business communication: Building critical skills.”
McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2013.
Kernbach, Sebastian, Martin J. Eppler, and Sabrina Bresciani. "The Use of Visualization in the Communication of Business Strategies An Experimental Evaluation." International Journal of Business Communication 52.2 (2015): 164-187.
Guffey, Mary Ellen, and Dana Loewy. “Essentials of business communication.” Cengage Learning, 2012.
