Business communication is the act of information being exchanged between two-parties or more for the purpose, functions, goals, or commercial activities of an organization. Communication in business can be internal which is employee-to-superior or peer-to-peer, overall it is organizational communication. External communication is business-to-business or business-to-consumer, the act being outside the organization. These methods can happen verbally, non-verbally, or written. It is often that these external and internal forms come with barriers which can cause conflicts between the sender to the receiver. Barriers that can effect communication on both external and internal is language, intercultural communication and behavior, and environmental.

Overview/History

The word communication has been derived from the Latin word "Communicare" which means to impact, participate, or transmit. Now communicare is also obtained by the word "Communis" that is known to share. Thus, communication may be defined as the interchange of thoughts and information to bring about mutual understanding on the subject's significance. Business communication focuses primarily on achieving goals/aims and, in the case of a public company or organization, increasing the dividends of shareholders. Thirty years ago organizational communication and company policies were still in use of via paper, which now in the digital age there is companies allowing information to be exchanged virtually. From desktop to mobile, communication and commerce has been digital as desktop computers are becoming relic.

Types of business communication

** Internal ** Internal communication also known as workplace communication or organizational communication is the interchange of information within the organization. From employee-to-employee or employee-to-superior the purpose of all information is to develop trust and/or to increase productivity. Organizational communication involves meetings, exchange of email messages, or collaboration for projects. It is determined that the success of communication within the individuals of the organization underlined the companies success. For business leaders it is important for them to understand the role of communication in order to motivate employees in accomplishing goals for the company. Low engagement in an organization can cost the global economy trillions of dollars a year. Since information is being shared up and down the hierarchy of communication channels, it is shared in various forms such as; verbal, written, and digitally within teams and the company as a whole. ** Importance of internal communication ** ** External ** External communication is any party outside the company such as; business-to-business or business-to-consumer. The audience can be the suppliers, clients, potential business partners, associations, and the news media among others. Whether the messages be informational or promotional the aim for external communication to take place is to share information about the business and its products or services. Business-to-consumer communication, also known as direct-to-consumer, is when a company directly communicates with its consumers about product details or company information. The opposite is when a consumer leaves reviews on a product (or service), which may identify how the company could improve its product. Importance of external communication Methods of business communication These internal and external types of business communication occur through verbal and non-verbal methods of communication. Therefore, business communication can be broken down into different categories such as; Electronic communication Almost all businesses require the use of technology to communicate outside and inside an organization. They are; Non-electronic communication There will be time where in an organization will have to require documents are non-electronic and submitting physical paperwork. They are; Written Communication Written forms of communication can be provided electronically and non-electronically. They are; Written documents have saved time and money, keeping a record of what was said in order to avoid any unfair dismissal claims. Verbal communication Verbal communication can leave costumers or stockholders confused and unsatisfied if communicated poorly. In using positive language you are most likely to achieve a positive outcome. They are;

Barriers to business communication

There are several barriers that a business might experience when communicating with business partners. Such barriers can prevent one from receiving or understanding messages others use to convey information, ideas, and thoughts. Language Language is an essential source for human communication because without it, it is not easy for people to communicate among each other. Individuals use language to convey their thoughts, feelings, opinions, information, and emotions to other people. Language barriers can make communication between internal and external parties difficult with misunderstandings, inefficiencies, and mistrust. Forms of barriers can be cultural differences, psychological differences, and dialects and jargon. Intercultural communication and behaviors Intercultural communication is often used to describe a range of communicational issues that increase inside an organization of different variety of religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. Intercultural communication becomes more complicated because individuals interpret communication between colleagues based on past experiences and their cultural backgrounds. If two people of different cultural backgrounds interact, intercultural communication is most likely to take place. Different cultures also have different behaviors on what they consider to be a polite behavior and negative behavior. An example to be set is, in certain cultures it is the right norm to bargain about prices while in other cultures it may seem rude. Environment Environment barriers in business communication become to be distractions, errors, faults, or anything outside the person you are communicating with. Among space, noise and climate, time becomes an environment barrier when an organization that expects quick results will not afford slack from their employees.

Business communication studies

Higher learning institutions offer communication courses, and many are now offering business communication courses. These courses teach students how to communicate more effectively. Attending these courses help students understand the communication barriers they might experience when communicating with others. It is suggested that 93% of employers believe that clear communication skills are more important than the students' actual major area of study. Communication competence is an ability that is sought after by employers and often leads to professional success.

Organizations