Bibliography

Pictures

• http://www.cicsworld.org/blogs/vkrishnaswam/communication%201%20copy.jpg
• https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yqsZyJYsbSPv9WQgxIR56ZK52lL9igKeyV7cz6EDwosN8mB6689FPlfmxv6MgEQZsz2xMAUBDUJVBXdf6fjgZ5bMFJchyXs4hl1_KJ_Pdu89IRkAlOm6yCAqQuQH9Uu0J9j7IzAcpg/s1600/nonverbal-communication.jpg
• http://media.fontsinuse.com/static/use-media-items/8/7182/full-1024x768/5064e402/thinkdifferent-logo.jpeg
• http://www.iuvotech.com/images/rocks.gif
• http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/images/AutocratwithRemoteSM.jpg
• http://img.bhs4.com/29/7/297cf226017ca629ca65d73b6e4e064a0e0dbae4_large.jpg
• http://www.e-manonline.com/images/entry/laissezfaire.jpg
• https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilloXFgepUR7M51A7lthgHk2B4QjkUv9Fjz58p68XB5J7TxDO-4BeMK2yaDvFJ1Mc4SXypeACGxk9CBJ4MNJKVeoHFnTsmeKnnLJcsg2qND0Ft2Mx8to3U4HCc7yJjLbENUM5fjWZDp80/s400/360degree.jpg
• http://www.owston.doncaster.sch.uk/FileSystem/upfile/j00043/knowledge%20and%20understanding%20of%20the%20world.jpg

Websites

• Management Study Guide, Different Types of Communication, Viewed on 9/1/13, http://www.managementstudyguide.com/different-types-of-communication.htm
• Rujuta Borkar, Importance of Communication, Published on 9/2/10, Buzzle, Viewed on 11/1/13, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/importance-of-communication-in-business.html
• Kendra Cherry, Lewin's Leadership Styles, About.com, Viewed on 11/1/13, http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/leadstyles.htm
• Management Study Guide, Communication Flows in an Organisation, Viewed on 12/1/13, http://www.managementstudyguide.com/communication-flows.htm

Communication around the World

Communication differs around the world.  Different places have different ways of conveying a message, from verbal to non-verbal.  This includes their language, dialect and body language.  Different places use body language differently, and the body language you use in your area will be different in other parts of the world.

People in different parts of the world speak their own native language, and with that also different pronunciation of words in similar languages to us.  This may be a barrier if both people do not speak the same language or cannot understand each other.  Body language may be used as a common language, but some gestures mean different things in different places.

If different things in your culture mean something else in another, it may cause a misunderstanding and may lead to an unnecessary quarrel.  This may be caused by a mispronunciation or lack of knowledge of the other person's culture, so it is best that you learn or understand someone's culture before talking or going to their home town.  Advantages of learning their culture may result in better communication and understanding of what they are trying to say.

Leadership also differs in different places as some places follow the autocratic way and some follow the democratic way.  This will affect some workers as they might want a different style of being leaded or they are already used to that way.

Organisational Communication

This picture shows the three types of Organisational Communication

Upward Communication

Upward communication is communication from a lower-ranked person to a higher-ranked person, which is also known as subordinate-superior communication.  This kind of communication is used when a worker wants to tell the manager about issues such as questions about a task, feedback about the working environment or to propose a new idea.  This communication is done most of the time as written communication as it is a formal way to speak to the boss.

Downward Communication

Downward communication is used from a higher-ranked person to a lower-ranked person, when a manager wants to communicate a message to a worker.  This form of communication allows the manager to convey a message such as a promotion, complaint, comment or new way of working.  This form of communication is also known as superior-subordinate communication and can be used to motivate workers to do better.

Horizontal Communication

Horizontal communication is used when a worker wants to ask another worker of the same ranking for guidance, solutions or help to fix a problem that he/she does not know how to fix.  This form of communication is known as subordinate-subordinate communication.  This communication is informal as the workers only talk to the other workers of the same class.  This form of communication is fast and is two-way so it can benefit both of the sender and receiver.

Internal Communication

Internal communication is the type of communication that is used in a business, whether it being a letter of resignation or a new idea from a worker and a promotion given by a manager.  This form of communication is used when a business needs to communicate a message from an individual to another.

External Communication

External communication is used when people outside a business wants to communicate with the business and allows for complaints, feedback or compliments to be accepted.  This form of communication allows customers to communicate with workers about any issues that may be affecting the other customers or to improve customer service.

Autocratic, Democratic and Laissez-Faire

Autocratic, Democratic and Laissez-Faire are styles of leadership which differ and have different effects on the workers in the business.  Each of these leadership styles have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Autocratic

Autocratic leaders lead with an iron fist, one-way style communication.  Autocratic leaders will tell each worker what and how to do their work and feedback is not used.  Leaders that use this style of leading distribute tasks according to how they want without others giving any suggestions.  This allows for good-quality products and efficiency, but workers will feel controlled and may result in a worker turnover.

This picture shows how autocratic leaders lead

Autocratic leaders will decide everything and orders everyone to do it according to the orders.  This style of leadership will limit creativity and does not promote independent thinking but sometimes it results in better products.  This form is best used in times with the shortest deadline or the leader is very smart in managing.  This kind of leadership is referred to as dictatorship or bossy, and is not good as workers want to be independent in working.

Democratic

Democratic leadership is best described as consultative, as the leader respects others' opinions and accepts feedback.  This style of leadership allows for new ideas or feedback to be given and looked at, which may be beneficial for a business.  Democratic leadership allows for more independence and quality, but less productivity as they have to discuss often.

This shows that democratic leaders are open to new ideas

A democratic way of leading is good, as workers feel like they own part of the company and have a say in the business, which will reduce worker turnover and improve worker satisfaction.  Democratic leadership allows for better creativity, motivation and engagement in a task, and may be considered as the best as it benefits both the leader and workers.  Democratic leadership is best in a meeting as everyone is allowed to speak and offer suggestions or remarks that may be important for the business to succeed and may be a problem if not attended to.

Laissez-Faire

Laissez-faire leadership is a type of leadership in which the manager gives a task to an individual or group and lets them decide the rest.  This is not good as it will decrease productivity and creativity as nothing much is given for the workers to follow and carry out, but teaches them independent working but is the least productive type of leadership among the three.  This will also decrease efficiency as workers may slacken off due to too much independence given to them.

This comic shows how laissez-faire leadership works

This form of leadership does have advantages such as improving the thinking skills of workers that are motivated to do the job, as they have to figure out how to complete the given task, without any help.  This style of leadership works best if done by professionals or experienced people, as they already know what to do and how to solve the problem.

Importance of Communication in a Business

Communication in a business is vital towards its success.  A business needs communication in order to sty in the market, keep their customers happy, control supply and demand and also to discuss any feedback or ideas.  Communication is also used to convey a message, discuss tasks and objectives, increase productivity and to reduce worker turnover.  Communication is vital in controlling, organizing, planning and directing an organization so it can be a successful business.

Conveying a Message

Communication is used for a sender to tell a receiver what to do and also how.  This message may be to complete a task, giving a promotion or filing a complaint against the receiver.  Communication in this involves a message and also feedback, so both sender and receiver will follow it or give comments.  Customers are also included as they may want to give feedback, compliments or lodge a complaint to the manager so that they may attend to the problem.  Workers also use communication if they have feedback about the working area and when they have any suggestions.

Control Supply and Demand

Communication is also important as a medium to control supply and demand.  Communication from the manager or supervisor to the supplier is necessary in order for the supply of products to be able to met the demand for the product.  With communication, suppliers will know how much and when the supplies need to be delivered to the production stage.  It also will help to improve the supply given if the supplier is not giving good quality supplies to be processed for the demand from customers.  Productivity is controlled by communication by a manager ordering the workers to work harder or faster, but they still have to achieve the same quality.

Discussions

A business must have communication in meetings or discussions in order to get the best out of the business.  This means a business should be more democratic instead of autocratic as it will make the workers feel more as if they own part of the business and may also increase quality or services through feedback given by workers in their point of view, which is different and will improve the services/products given by the business.  In discussions, workers will also know what to do and may need to improve their workload.  Meetings may also allow for new ideas to come up that may increase the profit of the company and increase the amount of consumers for that business.

This shows that communication is of the utmost importance of a business

What Happens to a Business Without Communication?

Without communication, a business will never survive long and will lose most of their workers and customers to another, more successful business.  Without communication, businesses would crumble as communication is the backbone of an organization to help everyone succeed in their task and make a business stable and on top of the market.  Communication also allows for a business to start and produce the sufficient product to fit the demands.  Communication will affect every aspect of a business, so without communication a business would not even be able to sustain in the market.  Managers have to use communication to manage the supplies, demand and supply, quality and funds for the business to be at its best.

Types and Means of Communication

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is a type of communication that uses talking as its medium.  Verbal communication is used for communications between two people or a group, it is used in meetings, presentations, phone calls, talking with anyone.  It is used to deliver personal messages and is used one-on-one with people using a phone or your mouth.  Verbal communication is also known as oral communication.  It is good as feedback is instantly received and communication is easily understood and questions are directly answered.  This kind of communication may be both one-way and two-way, and may be internal (Meetings or discussions) or external (Customer Complaints/Feedback) communication.

This picture shows the flow of verbal communication and how it happens

Though, barriers to this type of communication may be a distance in the sender and receiver or a noisy environment, which may lead to misunderstandings or the receiver does not know what the sender is trying to say.  Verbal communication is affected by the tone and also how you talk.  A loud and serious tone might tell the receiver to listen closely and follow the instructions and a soft and casual tone will let the receiver listen as he/she would normally do and also give feedback or ask questions.

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-Verbal communication uses body language as the medium of communication.  Non-verbal communication is used when you can't or are not allowed to talk and you want to express an idea or message to someone else.  Non-verbal communication is used sometimes in group activities where you can't talk and you may have to show an idea.  Some gestures that are non-verbal include waving your hand, which means "Hi!", nodding or shaking your head to say that you agree or disagree and also a thumbs up or down to show that it is good or bad.

This gesture means "Silence!"

Advantages of this form of communication is that it is more interesting than verbal and will also improve the receiver's thinking skills to guess the message, but may not be for everyone as it will be herd for some to decipher the message the sender is trying to send.  It may be considered easier than verbal communication as it may be used for short phrases or answers such as yes and no.  Non-verbal communication includes sign language, which are used for mute people to help them communicate.

Visual Communication

Visual Communication is a communication method through media, such as pictures, posters, maps or banners.  This form of communication is one-way as it is a media and the publisher has posted many of the same copy in many places.  The only way to be able to communicate is through written or verbal communication through the information that is written on the media, which is the phone number and/or email. Visual communication is useful if it has successfully attracted the receiver to read the media.  The sender is the media and the receiver is the person reading it.  This form of communication is internal (Meetings that have presentations or graphs) and external (Advertising).

An example of visual communication

Visual Communication in maps is considered important for tourists to know where to go and why.  This communication method can be kept if the media is portable, such as a leaflet or pocket map, but other types of advertisements cannot be kept and also need to be put somewhere where people can actually see it.  This form of communication can be found almost everywhere, such as the one above.

Written Communication

Written communication is communication that is either written or typed.  Written communication is a type of communication that can be kept but is most of the time one-way and if it is two-way, then the time to send an reply takes time as you need to write a letter, but e-mail is fast if both sender and receiver are online and are communicating.  Written communication is used as an official and formal way of communication between people with high ranking or between businesses to discuss matters.

This type of communication is good as it can be kept for future reference but is hard to reply back if in the form of a letter as it takes time to write and send.  E-mail is fast and cheap and also saves paper, so it is one of the most common ways of written communication nowadays, for example Yahoo! Mail, MSN or G Mail   Social networking also uses written communication in the form of chatting with your friends, such as in Facebook.  An example of written communication is this blog, because you are reading this text and I am the one sending a message.