Page 130 - Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies

Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies Section 2 People in business

Th e benefits and limitations of the four main methods of communication used in

business are outlined in Table 9.1.

Method Benefits Limitations
Oral ■ Personal contact between sender and receiver ■ No permanent record
■ Allows for immediate feedback ■ Receiver might not listen
■ Language used can be altered to the needs of the ■ Receiver might not hear the message correctly
receiver because of noise
Written ■ Provides a permanent record ■ No personal contact
■ Can be used by the receiver more than once, to ■ Feedback is slower
check understanding ■ Might not be understood because language is too
■ Can be sent to many receivers complex, or message is too long
■ The message cannot be changed ■ Time-consuming for both sender and receiver

Electronic ■ Very quick ■ Not everyone has access to the equipment needed

■ Some methods, for example email, provide a ■ Equipment and software can be expensive
permanent record and can be looked at more than ■ No personal contact – except for video-
once to check understanding conferencing
■ Can be sent to many receivers at the same time ■ Risk of the message being received by people whom
■ Can be used to create a more interesting it is not intended for – lose confidentiality
message – a company website, for example

Visual ■ Can simplify complex data so more easily ■ Some detail might be lost
understood ■ Different receivers might interpret the information

■ Creates interest and grabs the attention of diff erently
receivers
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■ Receivers often remember visual messages,
especially if moving images are used

Table 9.1 Benefits and limitations of different methods of communication

Choosing the best method of communication
EXPLORE!

The choice of communication method and the medium used are important factors
Investigate all of the diff erent influencing the effectiveness of communication. When choosing the best method of

methods used in your school/ communication, businesses need to think about:
college to communicate with
pupils, parents, teachers and ■ How urgent the message is – for example, a telephone call or face-to-face
one other stakeholder group of
conversation would be better than a letter if the message is urgent.
your choice.
Discuss the eff ectiveness of ■ The length and complexity of the message – written communication is best for
each method used. long or complex messages, so that the receiver can read it over again to check they
have understood.
■ How many people need to receive the message – letters might be expensive, but it
is a good way of contacting many people. Emails might be another method to use
depending on the purpose of the message.
■ How far away the receiver is from the sender – several methods could be used to
communicate over long distances, such as email, text, phone call or letter. It will
depend on other factors, such as how urgent the message is and if the receiver has
access to the internet or mobile phone network.
■ How important it is for all receivers to receive the message at the same time – a
meeting is the best way of getting the same message to everyone at the same time.
If this is not possible then letters or emails could be used. Everyone will receive the
same message, but not necessarily at exactly the same time.