People

Subject: People

Topic: Communication - Introduction

Communication is the process by which a message or information is exchanged from a sender to a receiver. For example a production manager (sender) may send a message to a sales manager (receiver) asking for sales forecasts for the next 6 months so they can plan production levels. The sales manager would then reply (feedback) to the production manager with the appropriate figures.

This is an example of internal communication, i.e. when communications occur between employees of a business. Communication therefore links together all the different activities involved in a business and ensures all employees are working towards the same goal and know exactly what they should be doing and by when. Effective communication is therefore fundamental to the success of a business.

A business will of course need to communicate with people or organisations outside of the business. This is known as external communication. For example a marketing manager will need to tell customers of a new special pricing offers or the finance director may need to ask banks for a loan.

Receivers of M essages
Internal	External
Workers Directors Managers	Customers Local community Suppliers Shareholders Government Banks

The importance of good communication

Good communication has many advantages for a business: strong communication:

Motivates employees – helps them feel part of the business (see below)
Easier to control and coordinate business activity – prevents different parts of the business going in opposite directions
Makes successful decision making easier for managers– decisions are based on more complete and accurate information
Better communication with customers will increase sales
Improve relationships with suppliers and possibly lead to more reliable delivery
Improves chances of obtaining finance – e.g. keeping the bank up-to-date about how the business is doing

tutor2u is the leading global publisher of e-learning resources for Economics, Business, Politics, Enterprise, Law, Sociology, Religious Studies and related subjects. Our materials are used by over 3,500 schools and colleges in the UK and in educational institutions in over 85 other countries. tutor2u offers a range of free and subscription-based materials - designed to support teachers and inspire students. The business also runs a popular series of student revision workshops and teacher conferences. tutor2u was named Online Learning Resource of the Year at the prestigious BETT Show - the World's leading educational show.

Privacy & terms of Use
Our privacy policy is published here: www.tutor2u.net/privacy.asp. The terms of use of this website are set out here: www.tutor2u.net/terms.asp. " tutor2u" is a registered trade mark. The information contained on this website is copyright Tutor2u Limited. All rights reserved

Contact us
The sales team at tutor2u can be contacted by phone on 0844 800 0085. Orders can be faxed to 01937 529236. The office address is: Tutor2u Limited, Boston House, 214 High Street, Boston Spa, UK LS23 6AD To contact tutor2u by email, please use this form: Tutor2u - Contact Form

Teacher Newsletters & Subject Blogs
tutor2u publishes a variety of free teacher newsletters and blogs for our featured subjects. Teachers can access these materials here: Teacher Newsletters A daily RSS feed for each of our free subject blogs can be accessed here