Chapter 1

Introduction
Learning Objectives :

1.

2.

3.

2
Commerce and trading between and among people
took place during prehistoric times. Before the first
coins or mediums of exchange were minted , all sorts
of products were sold and bought in various types of
markets. The exchange of goods between buyers
and sellers involves money, and any transaction that
involves monetary consideration is known as
business. Therefore, business communication is
communication that takes place between two
parties bound by a transaction of a financial
nature. For example an architect engaged a
contract to prepare a design of new building talk
business. A drug manufacturer supplying to a certain
public hospital or private clinic communicates
“business”.
3
However, business communication does not only entail
trading or buying and selling where money is directly
involved. Business communication also takes place
between parties engaged in a transaction having no
financial character. For example, an HRD officer send a
letter to another employee who has been promoted due
to exemplary services. It means the company has to
pay the employee who has been promoted a salary
higher than the one he received prior to the promotion.
Therefore, business communication also involves
transactions which indirectly involve money.

4
Business communication is the process of sharing
information between people within and outside a
company. Effective business communication is how
employees and management interact to reach
organizational goals. Its purpose is to improve
organizational practices and reduce errors.

The importance of business communication also lies in:

Presenting options and or new business ideas
Making plans and proposals (business writing)
Executing decisions
Reaching agreements
Sending and fulfilling orders
Successful Selling
Effective meetings
5
MODES OF BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
As in any fields, communication in business comes in oral and
written modes.

1. ORAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

uses spoken words; it exist between tellers and
depositors, between manager and customers, and so
on.

A business communicator must have a good

command of the language he uses for communication.
He ought to be proficient orally, To attain proficiency in
oral business communication, he should consider in
every speaking situation the elements that make up the
SPEAKING paradigm devised by Dell Hymes.
6
These SPEAKING elements are as follows:

S – Setting (where and when)

The speaker must consider the time and the place of
speaking. Will the speech be delivered in the auditorium,
audio-visual room, theater, church, or classroom, will it be
rendered in the morning, noontime, afternoon or evening.

P – Participants (who)
The interlocutors take part in a speaking activity. They are
both speakers and listeners. As speakers they have to
consider their listeners’ age, gender, educational attainment,
occupation and other personal data. These data are helpful in
producing the desired effect upon the listeners.

E – End (why)
The speaker must have a single purpose in mind in preparing
the speech he will present. This purpose gives him direction in
preparing and presenting his speech.
7
A – Act (how)
The speaker need to determine the manner by which he delivers his
speech.

K – Key (how formal)

The formality or informality of the speech occasion is a determinant of the
language to be used, the attire to be worn, and the speech acts.

I – Instrument (with what instruments or medium)

The most basic instrument use in human communication is the voice.
Other than the voice, a speaker may use telephone, a microphone, a
speaker, etc., to amplify the voice to make it audible.

N - Norm (what)
The speaker’s primary concern is the topic or the subject of his speech.
Initially, what matters to the speaker, as well as the listeners, is what is
spoken about.

G – Genre (which kind)

A speech may fall under any of the four genres according to purpose of the
8
oral discourse.
 Forms of Discourse Meanings Examples
Exposition A form of discourse that serves to An article on child labor and child abuse.
explain or inform it appeals to the
intellect,
Description A form of discourse that serves to A student’s description of his ideal
describe or state the characteristics of teacher; a writer’s description of a locale
something/ someone; it appeals to the he has recently visited; a descriptive
senses article on a festive celebration of a
(visual – sight town’s patron saint.
Tactile – touch
Auditory- hearing
Olfactory – smell
Gustatory-taste
Kinesthetic –movement
Thermal - heat
Narration A form of discourse that serves to A narrative account of a student‘s near-
narrate or tell a story ;it appeals to the death experience.
emotions.
Argumentation A form of discourse that serves to argue A commercial advertise-ment (print ad)
( to cite reasons for or against a endorsing a student’s manufactured
proposition) or to persuade (to let the product.
audience change his minds (to convince)
and or to take action [to actuate]) 9
1. WRITTEN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION - uses printed
words, it takes place between an applicant and Human
Resource Department officer, between proprietor and his
employees, between lending company and debtors, and
so on.

It is advisable for a business communicator to be proficient

in writing. Therefore, he needs to consider the following
elements that form of the WRITING paradigm (Menoy 2009)
devised by this writer

10
W – Width (to what extent)
The extent or scope of the letter, article, or
report helps the writer set the limits of his
writing.
R – Register (what language)
The kind of language is based on the type of
reader/s whom the writer expects to read. If
the reader is a doctor or a group of doctors, he
has to use medicalese. Below is a table of
registers with their corresponding sample
words.

11
 TYPES OF REGISTERS MEANINGS EXAMPLES
Medicalese Language of doctors; terms used Osteoporosis, scoliosis, leukemia,
in the field of medicines dysmenorrhea, insomnia,
vasectomy
Legalese Language of lawyers, terms used Criminologist , penology, plaintiff,
in the field of law complainant,
illegitimate
Journalese Language of journalist; terms Headline, payola, editorial, libel,
used in the field of journalism layout
Artist, blue pencilling
Commercialese/ Mercantilese Language of business- Revenue, expenditures, liabilities,
collateral, business plan,
Men terms used in the field of
commerce and industry
Technicalese Language of technocrats terms Halogen, kinetic energy,
used in the field of science and
Solar energy, hydrostatic,
technology
Electron.
12
Diplomatese Language of diplomatic Ambassador of goodwill,
terms used in the field of attache’, deportee, state
foreign service visit, immigration
Teacherese Language of Teachers; Teaching strategy,
Terms used in the field of assessment, classroom
education performance,
Motherese Language of mothers; terms Baby talk, feeding bottles,
in the used in parenting toddler, rashes,
Disposable diapers
Telegraphese Language of texters, terms www, wifi, hifi, asap, lipo,
used in texting / telegraphy demo , low bat, chemo,
ob-gyne, asap
Computerese Language of computer Gigabyte, website ,
specialist; terms used in flow-chart, memory, love
information technology bug
13
I – Intention (why)

The writer must have a single purpose (to inform, to entertain, to persuade, etc,) in
doing his write up. In every stage of writing, he must be guided by such purpose
T – Tenor (what tone)

There has to be a singular tone in writing. Must the tone be jubilant (as when the
writer congratulates a business associate who has won an award), sad (as when
the writer condoles with the bereaved family of the recipient).
I – Information (what)

Most business letters and reports are informative, that is they pieces of information.
However, even entertaining and persuasive business communication has bits of
information to offer.
N – Needs of the audience (what needs/whose needs)

Any writer must write not impress. But to express, Hence, he adapts his writing to
his audience.
G – Genre (which kind)

Similar to the oral discourse, a written discourse falls under any of the four genres
listed in the foregoing table. 14
PAIBOC
Locker and Kaczmarek (2000) devised a way to analyse business communication situations.
They called it PAIBOC, an acronym which stands for the item to be considered by the speaker
or writer engaged in a business communication.

P – Purpose (why)
Similar to the End in SPEAKING and Intention in WRITING, the purpost is the reason why
the speaker or writer engages in business communication.

A – Audience (who)
The audience is either the listener/s (oral communication) or the reader/s (written
communication).

I – Information
The information is the message relayed in either oral or written business communication.

15
B – Benefits (what benefits or advantages)
The benefits are the good things which result from the business
communication

O- Objections (what objections)

The objection are the negative elements in the message that have to be
deemphasized or overcome by the communicator

C – Context (what surrounds the communication)

The context includes the relationship of the message sender to the recipient,
the morale in the organization, the economy, the time of year and any special
circumstances.

16
Barriers to communication
1. Word Choice
problem begin when people don’t understand the words you are using, whether
it’s because of differences in work or personal experiences, age, gender or
culture.

a. Colloquialisms (also called slang)

words or phrases that are often used in a geographical area and more informal
settings and most common in conversation. It is inappropriate for formal writing
and create barriers to communication.

b) Jargon
is the technical terminology or characteristics words and ideas that belong to a
specific type of work or field of knowledge. Jargon takes several forms: it may
be unfamiliar terms, acronyms abbreviations, or shortened words. For example,
a co worker might say to you, “Bring me a copy of the RFP.” Even if it is
explained that the acronym RFP stands for request for approval you still might
not understand it without further explanation. 17
c. Sexiest Language
avoid sexiest language in your word of choice toward using
gender-neutral terms. For example avoid the use of “man” in
occupational terms when the person holding the job could be male or
female. Replace words like chairman, policeman, and mail carrier that
apply to both men and women.

2. Confusing Messages
confusing or muddled messages are communication barriers because
the receiver is unclear about the message. Example: “We’ll meet
tomorrow at 8a.m.” “We’ll meet tomorrow at 8 a.m. in the conference
room to discuss the financial report. The first sentence is confusing and
requires clarifications to be understood. The second clearly indicates the
time, place and purpose.

3. Interruptions, distractions, and distance

Interruptions maybe due to something more immediate than the work at
hand. Distraction such as office noise, wait to stop or move to a quieter
area. Distance can be barrier, if you are in a meeting and cannot hear the
18
speaker, move closer so that you hear what is being said.
4. Information overload
refers to an excessive amount of information
being provided. To deal with this, you should
recognize it when it happens to you. Then try to
relax to regain your focus. One way to regain
your focus is through organization and planning.

5. False assumptions or Stereotyping

a stereotype is a generalized perception or first
impression based on oversimplified beliefs or
opinions about a person, event, group or object.

19
Exercise: Exercise content

20