Table Of ContentThe Dynamics of Business Communication
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The Dynamics
of Business
Communication
How to Communicate Effi ciently and Effectively
John Kennedy
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© 2009 John Kennedy
© 2009 Studymates Limited for cover and page design
ISBN: 978-1-84285-139-5
Website@ www.studymates.co.uk
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an
information retrieval system without the express permission of the publish-
ers given in writing.
Note: The contents of this book are offered for the purposes of general guid-
ance only and no liability can be accepted for any loss or expense incurred
as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in this
book. Readers are advised to take professional advice where necessary before
entering into personal arrangements.
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
Typeset by Vikatan Publishing Solutions, Chennai, India
Printed and bound in Europe
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Contents
Introduction vii
11 Communication theory 1
1.1 Aristotle and rhetoric 2
1.2 The development of communication theory 5
1.3 The rise of interpersonal skills 10
22 Communication and organisations 17
2.1 The importance of organisational communication 17
2.2 Organisational culture 18
2.3 Organisational structure 20
2.4 The Management of information 23
2.5 Auditing and improving the system 27
33 Maximising yourself 1 37
3.1 Intrapersonal intelligence 37
3.2 Self-development 44
44 Maximising yourself 2 53
4.1 The importance of interpersonal skills 53
4.2 Communication style 56
4.3 Persuasion 59
4.4 Negotiation 61
4.5 Questioning, listening and giving feedback 67
55 Maximise yourself 3—oral presentations 75
5.1 Planning and preparing 75
5.2 Audio visual aids 80
5.3 Rehearsing 83
5.4 Delivery 84
5.5 Non-verbal communication (NVC) 86
5.6 Nerves 88
5.7 Dealing with questions 89
66 Maximising the business 1 93
6.1 Creating the vision 93
6.2 The importance of trust 99
6.3 Customer orientation 103
77 Maximising the business 2 109
7.1 Public relation 109
7.2 DIY PR 111
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The Dynamics of Business Communication
7.3 Press releases 113
7.4 The Media interview 116
88 Maximising the business 3—marketing communication 123
8.1 A Brief overview of marketing 123
8.2 Integrated marketing communication (IMC) 124
8.3 Media planning 127
8.4 Advertising 132
8.5 Sales promotion 135
8.6 Direct mail (DM) 136
8.7 Telemarketing (TM) 136
99 Protecting the business—crisis management 139
9.1 The nature of a business crisis 139
9.2 Corporate case studies—Johnson and Johnson 141
9.3 Crisis management—principles, procedures and plans 146
9.4 The crisis communication plan 149
1100 Meeting the challenges of cyberspace 155
10.1 E-commerce 155
10.2 Internet marketing 160
10.3 Using email effectively 163
10.4 Blogging 167
Index 173
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Introduction
Organisational Intra & Inter-personal
Communication Skills
Persuading
Meeting The Challenges Presenting
of Negotiating
Cyberspace The Communication Style
Impomrtance
of Theory
Creating & Realising
Crisis
The Vision
Management
Public Relations
& Building & Maintaining
Marketing Trust
The dynamics of business communication.
From early theorists such as Aristotle to modern social scientists, studies of communication can be
seen to have undergone a number of signifi cant changes—from a focus on the strategies and skills of
communication (Aristotle), to an emphasis on how messages are transmitted (Shannon and Weaver);
and fi nally, to attempts at understanding the nature of meaning and impact of communication on
the receiver (Harold Lasswell). For example, whereas natural scientists like Claude Shannon held
that communication was the transmission and reception of information, social scientists viewed
communication as the generation and understanding of meaning. One way of accommodating both
views is to see communication as the management of messages for the purpose of creating meaning
and understanding.
Many of the concepts developed by early researchers and theorists of communication can be seen to
underpin many of the practices of business organisations today. Whether in an internal organisational
sense, where radical change is fundamental to success (or even survival), or in an external sense to
improve market share, organisations and leaders must be credible. In addition to business competence,
the basis of this credibility for staff and the general public is very often the same qualities identifi ed
by Aristotle: personal character, logical analysis and appropriate emotional appeal—key aspects of
persuasion.
As well as being crucial for leadership, principles like those established by Aristotle and modern
theorists can be seen to be vital for persuasion in a different context. Marketing, advertising and public
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The Dynamics of Business Communication
relations professionals need to be able to understand how to maximise the impact of their message:
how is the message best constructed, what is the best way to transmit it, what impact will it have?
These questions and more can be answered by examining the communication principles established
through many years of research.
The increasing complexity of modern business organisations, exemplifi ed by the rise of the computer
and associated developments such as email, video conferencing, the internet and e-commerce, has
meant that the technological aspects of business communication have assumed a prominence that
threatens the human element. Project-based work, the importance of teamwork, and the rise of
the service sector with its demand for sound interpersonal skills should remind organisations that the
human aspects of communication are to be ignored at the peril of the business. All of these issues are
compounded by intensive competition. In most sectors, business organisations stand or fall by their
communication competence.
Understanding the dynamics of business communication entails an examination of areas not directly
associated with it. Accordingly, this book will consider and develop areas such as motivation, trust
and self-development. Why? Because these areas are crucially linked to issues such as self-confi dence;
this in turn has a signifi cant impact on the way we communicate, and the way our communication is
perceived by others.
Importantly, the key skills associated with communication in general are transferable to the
personal as well as the work setting. Therefore, by mastering the communication skills necessary for
working life, individuals maximise their communication impact in their personal lives.
This book is designed to help meet the ever-increasing need for business and personal communi-
cation competence by enabling you to:
● Understand current communication themes better, by explaining the development of theory
● Realise the importance and essence of communication in organisations
● Develop important personal and communication skills
● Recognise the importance of trust, and how it can be developed and maintained
● Appreciate the importance of factors such as customer care
● Examine key aspects of particular ‘messages’, and how these can be improved
● Focus on employees and how the ir contribution to the business can be maximised
● Grasp the signifi cance of marketing communications
● Understand key elements of crisis management such as the crisis communication plan
● Meet the communication challenges of cyberspace
John Kennedy MBA
[email protected]
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Communication theory
1
One-minute overview
As indicated in the introduction, communication theory can be seen to be the
foundation upon which modern concepts of communication are based. Early
theorists such as Aristotle highlighted the important trio of person, message and
audience. In the technical age, transmission theorists emphasised the importance
of how the message was transmitted; and social scientists focused on the crucial
elements of meaning and impact on those who receive the message. To understand
how communication theory developed, is to understand the necessary factors for
effective business communication
This chapter will enable you to:
■ Understand that communication is a skills-based activity
■ Realise the importance of considering message elements such as content,
method, meaning and impact
■ Be aware that communication can be broken down into key elements such as
person, message and audience
■ Appreciate that rhetorical devices can be used in modern business practice
■ Recognise the signifi cance of attitudes, values and beliefs with regard to
communication
■ Value the importance of interpersonal skills, and the human need for affection
and inclusion
Communication is the principal mechanism through which human relations exist,
develop and perpetuate. Purposeful and meaningful communication in different
forms (e.g. speech and writing) is the key factor that separates human beings from all
other species. Other species such as animals communicate purposely and effectively
(e.g. displaying affection, warning of danger etc.), but only mankind has such an
elaborate repertoire of communicating behaviour at its disposal. Communication is
such an ever-present part of our daily lives that even deciding not to communicate is
in itself a form of communication.
Consciously or unconsciously, business organisations rely on years of research in order
to target key internal and external audiences. The growth in sophisticated communication
technology and expertise has been matched by a growing sophistication of the audiences
themselves. Whether internal or external, audiences have been exposed to many years of
communication in various forms. Subjected daily to radio, television and print media,
audiences have come to expect high standards on the part of the business communicator.
Modern communication technology, whilst having considerable benefi ts such as max-
imising impact and saving time, can also be seen to have signifi cant drawbacks.
1
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The Dynamics of Business Communication
For example, emails have revolutionised personal and business communication in the same
manner as the telegraph did in the 19th C. At the same time, however, they can be seriously
misused, occupy large amounts of employee time, can contain irrelevant information and
can cause situations that breach the laws of confi dentiality and the Data Protection Act.
In addition to these important issues, modern technology like computers has
undermined communication methods that have a greater degree of personal impact
(such as meetings and the telephone).
As communication technology has advanced, so too has the theory; indeed, there
are almost as many communication theories as there are methods. However, in order
to more fully understand the demands, processes and impact of the modern business
organisation in communication terms, it is necessary to ‘go back to the future’; to briefl y
chart the evolution of communication theory from early fi gures such as Aristotle, to
more recent commentators of the twentieth century.
1.1 Aristotle and rhetoric
Ancient philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato and Cicero viewed communication
as critical for anyone engaged in public life, and invested a great deal of time and
effort in order to develop a better understanding of the concepts and skills involved.
In particular, Aristotle can be seen to have established the fundamental principles of
persuasion that are used by many business communicators today.
Aristotle and others focused on the skills of what was known in the ancient world as
rhetoric; the ability to make powerful speeches in public. In the ancient world (particularly
Greece), the ability to have an impact on large groups through the ability to speak effectively
(rhetoric), was considered a divine gift. For Aristotle, the key to effective rhetoric was the
ability to identify, in a particular case, the best means of persuasion.
As fi gure 1 illustrates, Aristotle held that there were three main aspects to successful
rhetoric:
Ethos – t he personal character or appeal of
Personal
Character the speaker
Logos – t he logic and interest of the
argument
Emotional Logical
Appeal Analysis Pathos – the appeal to people’s emotions
No matter how sophisticated modern
communication models have become, many
Figure 1: Aristotle’s model of rhetoric. can be seen to include these three components.
Thus, Aristotle’s model of rhetoric is a signifi cant contribution to our understanding
of the development of the communication process, and a key underlying feature of
contemporary business communication. As fi gure 1 confi rms, Aristotle believed that
rhetoric is a skills-based activity that requires profi ciency across a number of key areas:
Innovation and organisation – the ability to generate and organise ideas
Memory – the ability to recall facts effectively
Communication style – the use of appropriate language
Delivery – m aximising the above through the use of voice,
gestures and non-verbal behaviour
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