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ENG 203

Business Communication

TU BBM · Semester 3 · BBM curriculum effective from 2021

Requirement
required
Credits
3
Study Guide
7 units available

Chapter notes

Authoritative study guide across 7 syllabus units

Open a unit to read its study notes.

Unit 1: The Communication Process· 6 LHs· ~8 marks

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Difficulty: ★★★ | High-yield focus: Master the communication process model, 7 Cs of communication, and barriers to effective business communication. Key exam mastery: Diagnose communication breakdowns in complex organizational networks and design corrective communication audits.

Part 1: Core Concepts (2 Marks)

Definition of Communication

According to Keith Davis (★), “Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. It is essentially a bridge of meaning between people.”

According to Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill, “Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic media.”

The 7 Cs of Effective Business Communication

  1. Completeness: The message must contain all facts and information the receiver requires to take appropriate action or make an informed decision.
  2. Conciseness: Saying what must be said in the fewest possible words without sacrificing clarity or courtesy; eliminating wordiness, deadwood, and redundancy.
  3. Consideration (“You-Attitude”): Putting yourself in the shoes of the audience by focusing on their needs, background, viewpoints, and emotional context rather than sender self-interest.
  4. Concreteness: Using specific, definite, and vivid facts and figures rather than vague, ambiguous generalities.
  5. Clarity: Choosing precise, simple, and conversational words and short sentence structures to ensure unmistakable comprehension.
  6. Courtesy: Approaching the reader with genuine respect, polite phrasing, tactfulness, and avoiding offensive or discriminatory expressions.
  7. Correctness: Maintaining grammatical accuracy, proper punctuation, authentic figures, and appropriate formal tone.

Part 2: Structural Frameworks (10 Marks)

The 7 Cs of Effective Business Communication

The 7 Cs of Effective Business Communication
The 7 Cs of Effective Business Communication

1. The Dynamic Communication Loop & Noise Matrix

Economic Equilibrium & Coordinate Curve Dynamics

Market Clearing Criterion: Quantity Demanded = Quantity Supplied\text{Market Clearing Criterion: Quantity Demanded } = \text{ Quantity Supplied}
Economic State / Output Region Curve Trajectory & Relationships Analytical & Decision Rule
Market Equilibrium (E) Demand curve intersects Supply curve (Qd=QsQ_d = Q_s) Stable market price cleared with zero surplus or shortage
Price Above Equilibrium Quantity Supplied exceeds Quantity Demanded (Qs>QdQ_s > Q_d) Surplus creates downward competitive pressure on price
Price Below Equilibrium Quantity Demanded exceeds Quantity Supplied (Qd>QsQ_d > Q_s) Shortage creates upward competitive pressure on price

2. Taxonomy of Communication Barriers

  1. Semantic (Linguistic) Barriers: Faulty translations, ambiguous jargon, words with multiple denotations/connotations, and bypassed instructions.
  2. Psychological (Emotional) Barriers: Premature evaluation, selective perception, emotional outbursts, inattention, and defensiveness.
  3. Physical & Environmental Barriers: High ambient room noise, faulty telecommunication equipment, geographic distance, and poor layout.
  4. Organizational Barriers: Rigid corporate hierarchy, excessive red tape, distorted upward filtering, and lack of open-door communication policies.
  5. Cross-Cultural Barriers: Ethnocentrism, differences in non-verbal body gestures, differing interpretations of silence, and differing concepts of time (monochronic vs. polychronic).

Part 3: Distinction Tables

Comparison: Shannon-Weaver Model vs. Transactional Model

Basis of Comparison Shannon-Weaver Model (1949) Transactional Communication Model
Process Nature Linear and one-way (Sender →\rightarrow Channel →\rightarrow Receiver). Simultaneous and two-way; ongoing dynamic exchange.
Communicator Role Discrete, isolated entities: one is strictly Sender, the other strictly Receiver. Communicators act simultaneously as Senders and Receivers (transceivers).
Feedback Role Secondary corrective loop added later; treated as delayed reaction. Immediate, continuous non-verbal and verbal feedback shaping the flow.
Context Integration Emphasizes mechanical channel transmission and technical noise. Emphasizes shared fields of experience, psychological context, and social environment.

Part 4: Worked Problems & Exam Traps

Practical Framework: The 3x3 Writing Process

  • Phase 1: Planning / Prewriting (25%25\% Time): Analyze audience, clarify specific communication objectives, select appropriate channel, and gather data.
  • Phase 2: Drafting (25%25\% Time): Organize ideas logically (direct vs. indirect deductive patterns) and compose the draft without self-censoring.
  • Phase 3: Revising & Polishing (50%50\% Time): Edit rigorously for clarity, conciseness, tone, mechanics, and eliminate passive bloat.

Common Board Exam Trap: Do not confuse semantic barriers with psychological barriers.

  • Semantic barriers stem purely from language flaws, technical jargon, or polysemous words (e.g., using “bear market” with an illiterate rural artisan).
  • Psychological barriers stem from human emotional states, preconceived biases, cognitive filters, and mistrust.

Students lose marks here because they list the 7 Cs of communication without explaining how each C specifically prevents commercial misunderstandings and customer churn in corporate communication.