International communication has become of paramount importance in the business environment, because of the increasing effects and influences of globalization. This chapter intends to explain the importance of communication, in terms of the processes involved, as well as the elements that contribute to effective communication. The purpose is to eliminate “noises” that can distort the intended message. Therefore, throughout the chapter, different forms of communication (written and oral) are identified, which can be applied in different situations, cultures, and contexts. In order to achieve effective written communication, a series of key criteria and suggestions are put forward. Specifically, techniques used in writing texts are examined, with an in-depth focus on the report, since this is the text type used most commonly by managers. On the other hand, focusing on the oral communication form, the factors necessary to establish effective oral communication are identified, considering certain particularities if this communication is carried out at an international level.
TopConcept, Elements And Importance Of Communication
Communication is a human need that allows interaction between individuals, and in turn, the very development of society. In different civilizations, people have communicated with the objective of transmitting information, satisfying the need for socialization and affection. Therefore, communication is the basis of social life. We are always communicating.
Traditionally, communication has been defined as the transmission of signals through a code common to the sender and the receiver, a simple definition that has been used by numerous authors from different fields of knowledge. However, in the last 50 years, communication has become an object of study, and thus more complete and sophisticated definitions have appeared due to the importance that communication has acquired in many aspects of daily life but especially in business.
After analyzing these contributions (e.g. Ferrer & Clemenza, 2006; Heller, 1998; Robbins, 2004) and taking into account an international perspective, the following definition captures, in a more detailed way, the meaning of communication:
Communication is the process in which two or more people exchange messages (ideas, feelings, behaviors and emotions) with similar codes to share meanings in order to be understood and influenced so that approaches are accepted, using channels that give better support to the transmission of information.
From this definition, it can be seen that communication is dynamic and can affect the individual and social dimension of the person, and includes a wide variety of elements, all of them with a particular importance:
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Sender: Who elaborates and transmits the message. This can be an individual or a group of people, an institution, a country, etc.
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Message: The information to be transmitted.
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Receiver: The recipient (individual or group) of the message, who may or may not be present.
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Codification: The set of signs and rules that forms a language. The sender uses these signs to encode the message (e.g. the existing languages in the world), so the sender and receiver must share the same code for the message to be understood.
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Channel: The medium or vehicle through which the message is expressed or transmitted, for example: telephone, movies, letters, memos, conferences, radio, e-mail, videoconferences, etc.
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Decoding: A reverse process by which the received message is interpreted.
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Feedback: A response to the initial message, in this case the receiver becoming the sender and restarting the complete process again.