WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

1.INTRODUCTION
This topic gives you an overview of communication and introduces you to the main
elements in the communication process It also highlights the importance of writing clear,
positive messages and offers you some basic tips and guidelines on this form of
communication so that you may become more proficient in the kind of writing needed at
home as well as in the college and workplace You will also learn about some of the common
pitfalls which may impede the effectiveness of written communication
Types Of Communication
There are four types of communication they are verbal non-verbal written and visual
communication
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication include sounds, words, language, and speech Speaking is an
effective way of communicating and helps in expressing our emotions in words This form of
communication is further classified into four types, which are
1.Intrapersonal Communication
This form of communication is extremely private and restricted to ourselves It includes
the silent conversations we have with ourselves, wherein we juggle roles between the sender
and receiver who are processing our thoughts and actions This process of communication
when analyzed can either be conveyed verbally to someone or stay confined as thoughts
2.Interpersonal Communication
This form of communication takes place between two individuals and is thus a one-onone conversation Here, the two individuals involved will swap their roles of sender and
receiver in order to communicate in a clearer manner
3.Small Group Communication
This type of communication can take place only when there are more than two people
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involved Here the number of people will be small enough to allow each participant to interact
and converse with the rest Press conferences, board meetings, and team meetings are
examples of group communication Unless a specific issue is being discussed, small group
discussions can become chaotic and difficult to interpret by everybody This lag in
understanding information completely can result in miscommunication
4. Public Communication
This type of communication takes place when one individual addresses a large
gathering of people Election campaigns and public speeches are example of this type of
communication In such cases, there is usually a single sender of information and several
receivers who are being addressed
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication manages to convey the sender's message without having to use
words
This form of communication supersedes all other forms because of its usage and
effectiveness Nonverbal communication involves the use of physical ways of communication,
such as tone of the voice, touch, and expressions
Symbols and sign language are also included in nonverbal communication Body posture
and language convey a lot of nonverbal messages when communicating verbally with
someone
Folded arms and crossed legs are some of the defensive nonverbal signals conveyed by
people Shaking hands, patting and touching, express feelings of intimacy Facial expressions,
gestures and eye contact are all different ways of communication Creative and aesthetic
nonverbal forms of communication include music, dancing and sculpturing
Written communication
Written communication is the medium through which the message of the sender is
conveyed with the help of written words Letters, personal journals, e-mails, reports, articles,
and memos are some forms of written communication. Unlike other forms of communication,
written messages can be edited and rectified before it is communicated to the receiver
Thereby, making written communication an indispensable part of informal and formal
communication This form of communication encapsulates features of visual communication

as well, especially when the messages are conveyed through electronic devices such as
laptops, phones, and visual presentations that involve the use of text or words
Visual Communication
This form of communication involves the visual display of information, wherein the
message is understood or expressed with the help of visual aids For example, topography,
photography, signs, symbols, maps, colors, posters, banners and designs help the viewer
understand the message visually
Movies and plays, television shows and video clips are all electronic form of visual
communication
Visual communication also involves the transfer of information in the form of text, which
is

received

through

an

electronic

medium

such

as

computer,

phone,

etc

Icons and emoticons are a form of visual communication When these icons are used in a
public place, phone or computer, they instruct the user about their meaning and usage
The greatest example of visual communication is the World Wide Web which
communicates with the masses, using a combination of text, design, links, images, and color
All of these visual features require us to view the screen in order to understand the message
beingconveyed
There are two main types of communication, oral and written Written communication
involves any type of message that makes use of the written word Written communication is
the most important and the most effective of any mode of business communication

2.Types of Written Communication

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Some of the various forms of written communication that are used internally for
business operations include memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, email, and Instant Messages
Examples of written communications generally used with clients or other businesses
include e-mail, Internet websites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts,
advertisements, brochures, and news releases

Effective Written Communication Skills

Written communication is very common business situations, so it's important for
everyone in an organization, from the employee to the Chief Executive Office, to develop
effective written communication skills
Written communication involves any type of interaction that makes use of the written
word Communication is a key to any endeavor involving more than one person
Communicating through writing is essential in the modern world and is becoming ever more
so as we participate in what is now commonly called the information age In fact, written
communication is the most common form of business communication It is essential for small
business owners and managers to develop effective written communication skills and to
encourage the same in all employees The information age has altered the ways in which we
communicate and placed an increasing emphasis on written versus oral communications
The ever-increasing use of computers and computer networks to organize and transmit
information means the need for competent writing skills is rising Dr Craig Hogan, a former
university professor who now heads an online school for business writing, receives hundreds
of inquiries each month from managers and executives requesting help with improving their
own and their employees' writing skills Dr Hogan explains, in an article entitled "What
Corporate America Can't Build: A Sentence," that millions of people previously not required
to do a lot of writing on the job are now expected to write frequently and rapidly According
to Dr Hogan, many of them are not up to the task .E-mail is a party to which English teachers
have not been invited It has companies tearing their hair out Survey results from The National
Commission on Writing study back up this assessment They found that a third of employees
in the nation's blue chip companies write poorly and are in need of remedial writing
instruction
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The need to develop good writing skills is only highlighted by the fact that in the
information age, it is not uncommon to have business relationships with customers and
suppliers that are established and maintained exclusively through the use of written
communications In this environment, the words we write are very real representations of our
companies and ourselves We must be sure that our e-mail messages are sending the right
messages about us, explained Janis Fisher Chan, author of E-Mail: A Write It Well GuideHow to Write and Manage E-Mail in the Workplace, in an article appearing in Broker
Magazine The key to communication, of course, is to convey meaning in as accurate and
concise a manner as possible People do not read business memoranda for the pleasure of
reading They do so in order to receive instructions or information upon which to base
decisions or take action Therefore, highly literary prose is not desirable in business writing
Overly formal prose may also be counterproductive by seeming stand-offish or simply wordy
A style of writing that is too informal can also convey an unintended message, namely that
the subject matter is not serious or not taken seriously by the sender

3.The Communication Process

The basic process of communication begins when a fact or idea is observed by one
person That person may decide to translate the observation into a message, and then transmit
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the message through some communication medium to another person The receiver then must
interpret the message and provide feedback to the sender indicating that the message has been
understood and appropriate action taken
As Herta A Murphy and Herbert W Hildebrandt observed in Effective Business
Communications, good communication should be complete, concise, clear, concrete, correct,
considerate, and courteous More specifically, this means that communication should: answer
basic questions like who, what, when, where; be relevant and not overly wordy; focus on the
receiver and his or her interests; use specific facts and figures and active verbs; use a
conversational tone for readability; include examples and visual aids when needed; be tactful
and good-natured; and be accurate and nondiscriminatory Unclear, inaccurate, or
inconsiderate business communication can waste valuable time, alienate employees or
customers, and destroy goodwill toward management or the overall business
The goal of communication is to convey information and the understanding of that
information from one person or group to another person or group This communication
process is divided into three basic components: A sender transmits a message through a
channel to the receiverThe sender first develops an idea, which is composed into a message
and then transmitted to the other party, who interprets the message and receives meaning
Information theorists have added somewhat more complicated language Developing a
message is known as encoding Interpreting the message is referred to as decoding

The other important feature is the feedback cycle When two people interact,
communication is rarely oneway only When a person receives a message, she responds to it
by giving a reply The feedback cycle is the same as the senderreceiver feedback noted in
Figure Otherwise, the sender can't know whether the other parties properly interpreted the
message or how they reacted to it Feedback is especially significant in management because a
supervisor has to know how subordinates respond to directives and plans The manager also
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needs to know how work is progressing and how employees feel about the general work
situation
The critical factor in measuring the effectiveness of communication is common
understanding Understanding exists when all parties involved have a mutual agreement as to
not only the information, but also the meaning of the information Effective communication,
therefore, occurs when the intended message of the sender and the interpreted message of the
receiver are one and the same Although this should be the goal in any communication, it is
not always achieved
The most efficient communication occurs at a minimum cost in terms of resources
expended Time, in particular, is an important resource in the communication process For
example, it would be virtually impossible for an instructor to take the time to communicate
individually with each student in a class about every specific topic covered Even if it were
possible, it would be costly This is why managers often leave voice mail messages and
interact by email rather than visit their subordinates personally
However, efficient timesaving communications are not always effective A lowcost
approach such as an email note to a distribution list may save time, but it does not always
result in everyone getting the same meaning from the message Without opportunities to ask
questions and clarify the message, erroneous interpretations are possible In addition to a poor
choice of communication method, other barriers to effective communication include noise
and other physical distractions, language problems, and failure to recognize nonverbal signals
Sometimes communication is effective, but not efficient A work team leader visiting
each team member individually to explain a new change in procedures may guarantee that
everyone truly understands the change, but this method may be very costly on the leader's
time A team meeting would be more efficient In these and other ways, potential tradeoffs
between effectiveness and efficiency occur

4.Advantages And Disadvantages Of Written Communication

One advantage to using written forms of communication is that written messages do
not have to be delivered on the spur of the moment; instead, they can be edited and revised
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several times before they are sent so that the content can be shaped to maximum effect
Another advantage is that written communication provides a permanent record of the
messages and can be saved for later study Since they are permanent, written forms of
communication also enable recipients to take more time in reviewing the message and
providing appropriate feedback For these reasons, written forms of communication are often
considered more appropriate for complex business messages that include important facts and
figures Other benefits commonly associated with good writing skills include increased
customer/client satisfaction; improved inter-organizational efficiency; and enhanced image in
the community and industry
There are also several potential pitfalls associated with written communication,
however For instance, unlike oral communication, wherein impressions and reactions are
exchanged instantaneously, the sender of written communication does not generally receive
immediate feedback to his or her message This can be a source of frustration and uncertainty
in business situations in which a swift response is desired In addition, written messages often
take more time to compose, both because of their information-packed nature and the
difficulty that many individuals have in composing such correspondence Many companies,
however, have taken a proactive stance in addressing the latter issue Mindful of the large
number of workers who struggle with their writing abilities, some firms have begun to offer
on-site writing courses or enrolled employees in business writing workshops offered by
professional training organizations, colleges, and community education programs
Communicating via email, report or memorandum gives the writer time to craft a
detailed message and edit it thoroughly before distributing it Having time to get a message
just right prevents misunderstandings and gives the writer an opportunity to address several
concerns in one message
Written communication is especially important for businesses because it creates a
paper trail If an employee sues a company, executives will have their emails, employee
performance reports and memos to back them up in court Documenting employee
performance reviews in writing makes it easier to terminate an employee without negative
repercussions
Sending written messages also gives the recipient time to think about an appropriate
response and edit his or her message until it is just right
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No need for personal contact You can tell an employee he or she has to work overtime
through an email instead of face to face

1. Permanent record
2. Legal document
3. Mass dissemination
4. Suitable for long messages
5. Accountability
6. Goodwill and image building

1. Permanent record
Benefits of written communication is that it is a filed for future reference purpose It
becomes official and a permanent record of the organization
2. Legal document
Merits of written communication are that it serves as a legal document in a business
transaction A composed message can be retained, duplicated, circulated and re-consulted long
after its contents are first expressed
3. Mass dissemination
Written communication can be easily duplicated through printing or photocopying; it is
possible to reach a wide audience at once
4. Suitable for long messages
Written communication is suitable for lengthy messages For Eg Annual report or job
instruction manual
5. Accountability
Written documents are always signed and thus can be linked to a person or persons
responsive for an action
6. Goodwill and image building
Written documents acts as a representative of the company and helps to increase goodwill
and image building A business man can create goodwill by sending greeting-cards,
invitations, thank-you note in writing, etc

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1. Slow and time consuming

2. Lengthy and expensive
3. Lacks personal touch
4. Unsuitable for illiterate people
5. Lacks confidentiality
6. Filing
Barriers of written communication are
1. Slow and time consuming
Drawbacks of written communication is that it takes time to get committed to writing and
transmitted to its destination The feedback in written communication is much delayed

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2. Lengthy and expensive

Limitation of written communication is that it is a lengthy process The infrastructure required
to write a proper business letter is quite an expensive affair
3. Lacks personal touch
Written communication lacks personal touch, hence it is difficult to persuade / Motivate
through a letter
4. Unsuitable for illiterate people
In developing / underdeveloped countries large number of people are illiterate so written
communication can become a hindrance rather than help
5. Lacks confidentiality
Written communication cannot be as confidential as personal communication
6. Filing
Written communication, whether received or sent has to be filed properly and preserved
for reference Increasing files create a problem of storage
Saves money :You can send an email instead of calling long distance
Written proof: Provides written proof in case of a dispute
Some disadvantages of written communication are:
Delay in Communication: It may take a while to get to the intended recipient
Lack of Secrecy: Once it's on paper, anyone can read it
Costly: If the sender and receiver are sitting next to each other, you still have to spend money
on paper or Internet service
E-Mail Communications

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Electronic mail has emerged as a highly popular business communication tool in

recent years Indeed, its capacity to convey important corporate communications swiftly and
easily has transformed it into a communications workhorse for business enterprises of all
sizes and orientations But many users of e-mail technology pay little attention to basic rules
of grammar and format when composing their letters, even when they are penning business
correspondence addressed to clients, customers, vendors, business partners, or internal
colleagues This sloppy correspondence style reflects a lack of professionalism and may
communicate to the recipient a view of the company behind the message as equally
unprofessional The ease and informality of the medium should not be confused with the
writing necessary to use it properly
Given this unfortunate trend, many business experts counsel companies to install firm
guidelines on tone, content, and shape of e-mail correspondence These guidelines should
make it clear that all employees are expected to adhere to the same standards of
professionalism that remain in place for traditional postal correspondence Proper spelling and
grammar and the ability to frame correspondence in suitably diplomatic language should be
hallmarks of electronic mail as well as regular mail, especially if the communication is
directed at a person or persons outside the company

Purposes In Writing
When a person writes something, he or she has purposes for writing The writer may
have motivations of which he or she is unaware The writer may also have mixed, and even
contradictory, motivations for writing
For instance, a student writing an essay for a class may wish to please the teacher and
to amuse his or her classmates Unfortunately, what might amuse classmates the teacher could
find unacceptable
In general, people write either because they are required to or because they choose to
write for their own reasons
Required writing happens on the job and in school Self-chosen writing happens in
many circumstances Both required and self-chosen writing can be of many kinds In either
case, reflection on different purposes for writing can help one produce the most effective
piece of writing
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Roman Jakobson's model of the communication situation provides a good framework

for classifying the varied purposes of writing
1.Writer
2.Reader
3.Context
4.Message
5.Contact
6.Code
Writing can be seen as having six general types of purpose, each type of purpose
focusing on one of the parts of the communication model
Writer: Expressive purposes One may write simply to express one's feelings,
attitudes, ideas, and so on This type of writing doesn't take the reader into consideration;
instead, it focuses on the writer's feelings, experience, and needs Expressive writing may take
the form of poetry, journals, letters, and, especially, free writing Often, a person will do
expressive writing and then be disappointed when readers don't respond to it
Reader: Conative purposes Conative writing seeks to affect the reader Writing
intended to arouse the reader's feelings is writing may take about any form, so long as its
intention to persuade the reader or affect the reader emotionally
Context: Informative purposes Informative writing refers to something external to the
writing itself, with the purpose of informing the reader For instance, this page is informative,
as are the other components of this Map In our times, informative writing is usually prose,
although in earlier periods poetry was used for informative purposes
Message: Poetic purposes Poetic purposes focus on the message itself on its language,
on the way the elements of language are used, on structure and pattern both on the level of
phrase and of the overall composition Poetic writing can be in prose as well as in verse

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Fiction has poetic purposes Anytime one writes with an emphasis on the way the language is
used, one has a poetic purpose
Contact: Phatic purposes Phatic language (and nonverbal communication) establishes
and maintains contacts between speakers or between writer and reader In speaking, for
instance, we may greet someone by saying These questions are not requests for information
They are intended to establish and maintain friendly contact Phatic purposes are not
significant in most writing The use of greetings and closings in letters is one example of
phatic purpose in writing
Code: Metalinguistic purposes Comments on a piece of writing are metalinguistic If a
student attaches a note to an essay to explain why the essay is late, the note is metalinguistic
in relation to the essay An author's preface to a book is another example of metalinguistic
purpose in writing
If you think about it, you will realize that many pieces of writing have more than one
purpose A poem may be intended to arouse the feeling of sadness in the reader express the
poet's feelings and use the language imaginatively and forcefully
When you write, define the purposes of your writing Decide what your primary
purpose is and subordinate the other purposes to it If you have conflicting purposes, be aware
of that, and try to resolve the conflict or exploit it to make the writing more intense
I have discussed the purposes of writing from the writer's point of view, not the
reader's The reader's purposes are discussed with interpretation But for now, consider that the
reader's purposes may be quite different from, and may conflict with, the writer's purposes A
poet may have written a poem to experiment with the language

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5.Example Letters For Written Communication

5.1Example Letter 1: Appointment Letter

Subject: Letter Of Appointment For Tajeshwari Sharma

Dear ,
I want to congratulate you on your appointment You will receive a phone call from
my office to confirm this soonest, so please bear as this is due to the time difference I wish to
inform you that we have gone through your resume and signed agreement, we are satisfied
working with you However, according to your resume, your work experiences are quite
exciting And now your eligibility to work in our company has been confirmed in the office by
the Company's Management So you are expected to get all your traveling documents ready
with you through the assistance of the instructed US Immigration Attach who is working with
US High Commission in India You can bring your family along but not more than 5 members
will be allowed Note: That the entire traveling documents and formalities required by you
should be obtained from the US High Commission in your Country ,according to the US
Immigration Service Your file will be opened through the office of the US Attach in the US
Embassy on your behalf to fasten up your visa process as soon as you meet the Embassy
demand by registering with them We have agreed that all the cost of the visa should be paid
by you, that is in accordance to the Contract
Agreement Letter Moreover, the Company Management shall send your Flight Ticket
when your visa is ready and the housing accommodation has been provided to you Although,
the cost of visa expenses encored on the cause of procuring your papers shall be reimbursed
within couple of days of your arrival in the company Attached to this mail is your
Appointment Letter
You will be providing popular techniques of strategic sourcing, which improves the
value we receive from suppliers Vendor Development is any activity that we undertake to
improve a Suppliers, performance and capabilities to meet customer's needs You will be
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given a 2 week familiarization course before you proceed with your appointment Work
guidelines will also be provided Taxes will be paid by us Your monthly starting salary is
7,500 dollars and your first increase will be from 6 months of resuming your duty Award is
available for those who show extra concern for their duty You have to contact the below
person representing a higher percentage of expatriate status employee with relations to this
procedure US Immigration
Contact person: Peter Haas
E-mail: visa@us-embassymumbai.com
Phone number: 0091 7829807308
Office Hours: 9am -5pm
Days: Monday -Friday
Contact immediately and endeavor to update us on your successful processes with them for
liaison purpose

Important Notice
Due to congestion on our website, only customers are allowed to contact us through the
website Recruits are strictly prohibited If you have any problem, simply report to the
recruitment/employment office department and the personnel incharge will see to it You can
reach the recruitment department by email orby my telephone number below
Best Regards,
Engineer Sebastian Lilivek
Personnel Manager
Recruitment Office

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5.2Example Letter 2: Complaint Letter

Jim Dandy
2525 E 34th Street
Greeley, CO 80631
July 15, 2006
Customer Service
Cool Sports, LLC
8423 Green Terrace Road
Asterville, WA 65435
Dear Sir or Madam:
I have recently ordered a new pair of soccer cleats (item #6542951)
from your website on June 21 I received the order on June 26 Unfortunately, when I opened it
I saw that the cleats were used The cleats were dirty and there was a small tear in front of the
part where the left toe would go My order number is AF26168156
To resolve the problem, I would like a credit to my account for the amount charged for my
cleats, I have already purchased a new pair of cleats at my local sporting goods store so there
is no need to replace the defective cleats Than you for taking the time to read this letter I have
been a satisfied customer of your company for many years and this is the first time I have
encountered a problem If you need to contact me, you can reach me at (555) 555-5555
Sincerely,
Jim Dand

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5.3Example Letter 3: Inquiry Letter

1102 West 30th

Lawrence, KS 66321
August 4, 2005
Dr Maria Gomez-Salinas
St David's Hospital
1000 Greenberg Lane
Wichita, KS 66780
Dear Dr Gomez-Salinas:
I am writing you in hopes of finding out more about how the new Glucoscan II blood
glucose monitoring system, which a representative at Life scan informed me that your clinic
is currently using Originally, I saw Life scan's advertisement of this new device in the
January 19XX issue of Diabetes Forecastand became very interested in it I wrote the
company and got much useful information, but was recommended to write several current
users of the system as well
For a technical report that I am writing for a technical writing class at Johnson County
Junior College, I need some help with the following questions :
1.How often does the Glucoscan II need to be calibrated in practical, everyday use conditions
2.How accurate is the Glucoscan II compared to other similar systems that your patients have
used
3What problems do your patients experience with this new device
The Life scan representative indicated that your clinic is a leader in implementing new
technology for diabetics I am eager to hear from you Thank you for your time, and I hope to
hear from you soon
Sincerely,
Anita Teller
Student, Johnson County Junior College
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6.Conclusion
Finally, language may be used to communicate feelings and emotions Such
expressions may or may not be intended to evoke reactions in others, but when emotional
language occurs in an argument the purpose is to evoke similar feelings in others in order to
sway them to agreeing with the argument conclusion.
I indicated above that the ceremonial use of language is used to communicate
emotional meaning The problem with ceremonial language is that it can involve all three
other categories at some level and can be very difficult to interpret properly A priest using
ritual phrases may be communicating information about the religious ritual, invoking
predicted emotional reactions in religious adherents, and directing them to begin the next
stage of the ritual all at once and with the same half dozen words Ceremonial language
cannot be understood literally, but neither can the literal meanings be ignored.

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