Features of Business Communication: Business Communication has certain features or characteristics which enable us to distinguish it from other communication. A communication to be business communication must be: 1. Practical: Effective business communication deals with the practical aspect of the information explaining why, how, when and the like queries. It avoids impractical, imaginary, unnecessary or repetitive information to eliminate waste of time. It conveys important information to the receiver. 2. Factual: In general, a business message contains facts and figures in place of overall idea. Important date, place, time, etc. should be clearly mentioned in a business communication. 3. Clear and Brief: The language used in business communication should be simple, clear, brief and without ambiguity. Sometimes charts, photographs, diagrams, etc. are used to condense or clarify the information. 4. Target-Oriented: A business communication must have a specific objective and must be planned properly so that the objective can be achieved. 5. Persuasive: Business communication often plays a persuasive role. It persuades an employee to perform his/her duties, a customer to buy a product or service etc. The basic characteristics mentioned above are related to the message or information of the communication. The process of business communication has certain other characteristics. They are: 1. Integral Part of Management Process: Communication encompasses those activities by which the ideas, opinions and decisions of the managers are conveyed to the subordinates of different ranks. It also involves the exchange of facts, feelings, suggestions and responses between the superiors and subordinates. Communication, in this way, puts the people into action, guides and directs their activities, regulates and co-ordinates them for proper work performance. A manager, thus, performs the management functions through communication and managerial positions become the communication centres to receive information from various sources for its transmission to relevant points. So, communication is a part and parcel of management function, and is, thus, an integral part of management process. That is why, Chester I. Bernard remarks, “the first executive function is to develop and maintain a system of communication”. 2. Two-Way Traffic: Communication does not only mean its downward movement from superior to the subordinates it implies both the transmission and reception. So, when conveying any information, a manager should know its reactions and responses. Otherwise, managerial task of guiding and directing will be ineffective. A man should, thus, not only speak, inform and order, but should also be able to listen, answer and interpret. Communication, therefore, involves two-way traffic from the managers to the employees and from the employees to the managers. It is not complete unless the message has been correctly understood by the receiver and its res

1. Features of Business Communication:
Business Communication has certain features or characteristics which enable us to distinguish it from
other communication.
A communication to be business communication must be:
1. Practical:
Effective business communication deals with the practical aspect of the information explaining why, how,
when and the like queries. It avoids impractical, imaginary, unnecessary or repetitive information to
eliminate waste of time. It conveys important information to the receiver.
2. Factual:
In general, a business message contains facts and figures in place of overall idea. Important date, place,
time, etc. should be clearly mentioned in a business communication.
3. Clear and Brief:
The language used in business communication should be simple, clear, brief and without ambiguity.
Sometimes charts, photographs, diagrams, etc. are used to condense or clarify the information.
4. Target-Oriented:
A business communication must have a specific objective and must be planned properly so that the
objective can be achieved.
5. Persuasive:
Business communication often plays a persuasive role. It persuades an employee to perform his/her
duties, a customer to buy a product or service etc. The basic characteristics mentioned above are related
to the message or information of the communication.
The process of business communication has certain other characteristics. They are:
1. Integral Part of Management Process:
Communication encompasses those activities by which the ideas, opinions and decisions of the managers
are conveyed to the subordinates of different ranks. It also involves the exchange of facts, feelings,
suggestions and responses between the superiors and subordinates.
Communication, in this way, puts the people into action, guides and directs their activities, regulates and
co-ordinates them for proper work performance. A manager, thus, performs the management functions
through communication and managerial positions become the communication centres to receive
information from various sources for its transmission to relevant points.
So, communication is a part and parcel of management function, and is, thus, an integral part of
management process. That is why, Chester I. Bernard remarks, “the first executive function is to
develop and maintain a system of communication”.
2. Two-Way Traffic:
Communication does notonlymean its downward movement from superior to the subordinates it implies
both the transmission and reception. So, when conveying any information, a manager should know its
reactions and responses. Otherwise, managerial task of guiding and directing will be ineffective.
A man should, thus, not only speak, inform and order, but should also be able to listen, answer and
interpret. Communication, therefore, involves two-way traffic from the managers to the employees and

2. from the employees to the managers. It is not complete unless the message has been correctly understood
by the receiver and its response becomes known to the sender.
3. Mutual Understanding:
The basic purpose of business communication is to bring about understanding between individuals in the
organisation. It is an important element for establishing human relationships. A leader can lead and a
manager can direct effectively by establishing perfect understanding with the subordinates, peers and
superiors in the organisation.
The greater the degree of understanding presents in the communication the more possibility that human
action will proceed in the direction of accomplishing the goals.
4. Pervasive:
The subject-matter of business communication covers a wide range and extends to all functions—
purchases, production, sales, finance, recruitment, wages, dividends, market standing, innovation,
productivity, etc. It also moves through all levels of management— upward, downward and sideways.
Business communication is, thus, said to be a pervasive function.
5. Continuity:
Communication is an ever-present activity and without it an organisation cannot exist. Communication
is as necessary to an organisation as blood circulation in a living body. Therefore, the managers should
ensure that adequate and smooth communication flows in all directions.
Breakdown of communication results in misunderstanding, creation of unfavorable attitudes, hostility and
conflict. So, communication must be a continuous process and move up, down and sideways for active
participation of all concerned.
6. Specific:
A business communication is generally specific in nature. It means that a particular communication should
deal with a single subject at a time. This is necessary for the effectiveness of communication. Multiplicity
of subject in a communication has the possibility of creating confusion which is dangerous to sound
management. It must be specific with regard to the information intended to be conveyed or received.
7. Result and not Cause:
Sound communication is the result of competent management, not the cause of it. Business
communication is a means to an end and acts as a tool in the hands of the managers. Successful handling
of this tool depends upon the competence of the managers. It is not an independent activity, rather an
essential ingredient of managerial function.
So, good communication does not produce good manager. But good manager is nearly always a good
communicator. Misconception of management process often leads to poor communication.
8. Internal and External:
Business communication is primarily internal. It is, thus, a part of administrative function and intended
to apply to the members belonging to an organisation. Orders, instructions, suggestions and even public
notice announcing the annual general meeting of a company are some of the examples of internal
communication.
But nowadays, many communications move beyond the organisational horizons and touch the outside
population exceeding the organisation’s own (e.g., advertisement). Business communication may thus be
internal and external.

3. 9. Different Types:
Business communication may be of different types—formal, informal, upward, downward, sidewise,
written, oral, etc.
10. Feedback:
A communication cannot be complete unless and until feedback or response of the recipient is made.
Feedback may be written, oral or gestural. Sometimes mere silence may also constitute a feedback.
Communication Barriers
There are many reasons why interpersonal communications may fail. In many communications, the
message may not be received exactly the way the sender intended and hence it is important that the
communicator seeks feedback to check that their message is clearly understood. The skills of Active
Listening, Clarification and Reflection, which we will discuss shortly, may help but the skilled
communicator also needs to be aware of the barriers to effective communication. There exist many
barriers to communication and these may occur at any stage in the communication process. Barriers may
lead to your message becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and/or money by
causing confusion and misunderstanding. Effective communication involves overcoming these barriers
and conveying a clear and concise message.
Some common barriers to effective communication include:
• The use of jargon. Over-complicated or unfamiliar terms.
• Emotional barriers and taboos.
• Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
• Differences in perception and viewpoint.
• Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
• Physical barriers to non-verbal communication.
• Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
• Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People
often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect
conclusions.
• Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do
the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies
between cultures and between different social settings.
Barriers to Communication by Category
• Language Barriers Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to
communication. However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology
used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For example,
a message that includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a
receiver who is not familiar with the terminology used. As nurses, we are especially prone to
making this mistake. We must remember to use language that can be understood by the receiver.
• Psychological Barriers The psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message
is received. For example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be
preoccupied bypersonal concerns and notas receptive to the message as if they were notstressed.
Stress management is an important personal skill that affects our interpersonal relationships.

4. Anger is another example of a psychological barrier to communication. When we are angry it is
easy to say things that we may later regret and also to misinterpret what others are saying. More
generally, people with low self-esteem may be less assertive and therefore may not feel
comfortable communicating - they may feel shy about saying how they really feel, or read
negative sub-texts into messages they hear.
• Physiological Barriers Physiological barriers mayresult from the receiver’s physical state.For
example, a receiver with reduced hearing may not grasp the entirety of a spoken conversation,
especially if there is significant background noise.
• Physical Barriers An example of a physical barrier to communication is geographic distance
between the sender and receiver(s). Communication is generally easier over shorter distances as
more communication channels are available and less technology is required. Although modern
technology often serves to reduce the impact of physical barriers, the advantages and
disadvantages of each communication channel should be understood so that an appropriate
channel can be used to overcome the physical barriers.
• Attitudinal Barriers Attitudinal barriers are behaviors or perceptions that prevent people
from communicating effectively. Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from
personality conflicts, poor management, resistance to change, or a lack of motivation. Effective
receivers of messages should attempt to overcome their own attitudinal barriers to facilitate
effective communication.
INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION vs INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
BASIS FOR
COMPARISON
INTRAPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
Meaning Intrapersonal Communication is one,
that we have with ourselves, i.e. the
communication that occurs in our
mind.
Interpersonal Communication is the
communication between two or more
person, through verbal or non-verbal
messages.
Persons Involved One At least two
Occurence Continuous due to human nature. Regular, due to social needs.
Media Only a person's internal senses are
involved.
Supported by a verbal and non-verbal
media.
Concerned with Thinking and Analysis Exchanging and sharing of ideas or
information
Group communication
Communication in a group, small or big, serves many goals including collective decision-making,
self-expression, increasing one’s effect, elevating one’s status and relaxation.
Group communication is considered effective as it provides an opportunity for direct interaction
among the members of the group; it helps in bringing about changes in attitudes and beliefs.
Group communication has limitations too, as group interaction is time consuming and often
inefficient, especially in an emergency. Besides, imbalances in status, skills and goals, may distort the
process and the outcome sharply.