PURPOSIVE

1 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022

COMMUNICATION
Module Seven

English Language Department

College of Arts and Letters
Bicol University
Legazpi City

DENNIS R. MIRABUENO
Instructor

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 [email protected]
0908-864-5417

PROPERTY OF:

__________________________________________________
Name of Student/Course and Year

CHAPTER SEVEN

COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES

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WHAT IS THIS LESSON ABOUT?

This chapter specifically revolves around the concepts on workplace communication. The
important aspects discussed in this chapter are the following: effective workplace
communication, flow of communication in the workplace, strategies to overcome barriers in
workplace communication, flow of intraorganizational communication, grapevine
communication, importance of feedback in the workplace, and written communication materials
for the workplace.
It is the transmitting of information between one people or group and another person or group in
an organization. It can include emails, text messages, voice mails, notes and etc. Work
communication is vital to an organization‘s ability to be productive and operate smoothly. It is
very important to companies because it allows companies to be productive and operate
effectively. Through communicating, it improves the employee‘s morale, productivity and
increases commitment to their work.
Consider good communication to be the secret ingredient in a successful, performing team. It
plays a crucial role in building authentic relationships, generating ideas, and helping a team
overcome challenges and face difficult conversations.

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 WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. Discuss the concepts of workplace communication;

2. Distinguish the importance of effective workplace communication;
3. Identify the skills needed for workplace success;
4. Construct appropriate materials for the workplace;

LESSON 1: COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

LET’S READ!

Communication is an avenue for dissemination of information in order to be understood. Gou and

Sanchez explain that communication is the creation or exchange of thoughts, ideas, emotions,
between senders and receivers. It is essential in building and maintaining relationships in the
3 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022
workplace.
Communication in the workplace transpires when there is transmission of information between
one person and group of persons in an organization. Examples of this kind of communication are
minutes, memo, requests, business/technical/incident reports, letters, emails, text messages,
voicemails, notes, etc.
Dunn (2000) reiterates that although managers spend most of the time communicating, one
cannot assume that meaningful communication occurs in all exchange. Once a memorandum,
letter, fax, or email has been sent, many are inclined to believe that communication has taken
place. Communication does not occur until information and understanding have passed between
sender and receiver.
WHAT IS EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE?
Communication plays a vital role in the success of every organization. It can be effective if the
intended message is indeed the same message received by the receiver.
A workplace becomes a harmonious haven when every employee is given the avenue to
communicate well with each other in a more professional way. In many instances,
communication in the workplace becomes unprofessional when one fails to behave appropriately
with courtesy and respect. Communication can be professional, yet ineffective, you can speak
courteously but your ideas can be unclear.
EMPLOYEES TOP 5 SKILLS AND QUALITIES

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 1. Communication Skills
2. Strong Work Ethics
3. Teamwork Skills
LET’S READ!
4. Analytical Skills
5. Initiative
TOP 10 COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR WORKPLACE SUCCESS
1. Nonverbal Communication
2. Clarity and Concision
3. Friendliness
4. Picking the right Medium
5. Feedback
6. Confidence
7. Respect
8. Open-mindedness
9. Empathy
10. Listening

LESSON 2: BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION IN THE

WORKPLACE

4 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022

The flow of effective communication may be hindered when the intended message is not
properly channelled. There are various reasons why communication breakdown occurs, and
this may be attributed to lengthy or disorganized messages, complex or ambiguous language,
and inconsistent verbal and nonverbal cues. All these may contribute to the distortion of
messages which may result in confusion and misunderstanding. It is therefore crucial for a
speaker to be clear in his or her message. Additionally, the speaker should also be aware of
certain barriers to communication in the workplace in order to avoid further communication
gaps.

WHAT ARE BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE?

According to Leigh Richards, there are many barriers to communication that exist in any
organization, but some are more pervasive and more common than others. Barriers can be
environmental or personal and may include such things as noise (real or internal), bias,
cultural differences or even differences in roles, or levels of authority, within the
organization.

1. NOISE – Noise can either be internal or external. Internal noise represents the internal
self-talking that we all do. External noise can include other conversations, traffic noise or
anything that interferes with our ability to maintain focus.

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 2. CULTURE – Culture can represent a barrier to communication when it keeps
communication from happening or when employees communicate the information and
input they feel they are expected to communicate, and not what they really believe.
3. ROLE – Role conflicts can create barriers to communication in organizations,
particularly when they involve interactions between subordinates and superiors.
4. BIAS – Bias can be based on our preconceived beliefs (i.e. millenials don’t respond well
to criticism) or based on impressions we form of people as we interact with them.
5. MISINTERPRETATION – It is important to be sure that the meaning behind your
communication is clearly and accurately understood. When in doubt, ask for clarification.

HOW DOES ONE OVERCOME COMMUNICATION BARRIERS?

BARRIERS ARE INEVITABLE. HENCE, IN ORDER TO WORK WELL IN A TEAM AND

IN A COMPANY, YOU NEED TO LISTEN PROPERLY, AVOID JARGONS, KEEP AN
OPEN MIND AND BE AWARE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCE.

5 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022

LESSON 3:
FLOW OF INTRAORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION IN
THE WORKPLACE
Longest (2000) explains that communication in the workplace can flow upwardly,
downwardly, horizontally and diagonally.
1. UPWARD COMMUNICATON
- Provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. Subordinates can use
upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors. It
can also be used by employees to share their views and ideas and participate in the
decision-making process.
- Can lead to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the
employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher
levels. The managers on the other hand, can get to know about the employees’ feelings
towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general.

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 - The effectiveness of upward communication according to Luthans (1984) can be
increased using the grievance procedure, open door policy, counselling, questionnaires
and exit interviews, participative decision-making and ombudsperson.

a. Grievance Procedure – employees can make an appeal upward beyond their

immediate supervisor; this protects the individual from arbitrary action by their direct
supervisor; this encourages communication about complaints.
b. Open Door Policy – this is an invitation for subordinates to come in and talk to their
superior about things that trouble them.
c. Counselling, Questionnaires, Exit Interview – the Human resource department can
facilitate confidential counselling, administer attitude questionnaires, and exit
interviews; information obtained from these forms of communication can be used to
make improvements.
d. Participative Decision-Making Technique – this technique uses informal
involvement of subordinates, quality improvement teams, and union management
committees; employees can make valuable contributions to the organizations as they
participate in the decision-making process.
e. Ombudsperson – the use of an ombudsperson provides an outlet for persons who
feel they have been treated unfairly.

2. DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
- Starts from a higher level in an organization to a lower level. This communication flow is
used by managers to transmit work-related information to the employees at lower levels.
6 Employees requireGEC this15information
PURPOSIVE for performing their
COMMUNICATION | 1stjobs and for
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expectations of their managers.

- Downward communication is used by the managers for the following purposes:

a. Providing feedback on employees performance;
b. Giving job instructions;
c. Providing complete understanding of the employee’s job as well as to
communicate with them; how their job is related to other jobs in the organization.
d. Communicating the organization’s vision and mission to the employees; and
e. Highlighting areas of attention.

3. HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
- Happens among employees of equal rank like committees, task forces, and cross-
functional project teams. It is also called lateral communication as it takes place at same
levels of hierarchy in an organization. The advantages of horizontal communication are
as follows:

a. Time-saving;
b. Facilitates coordination of the task;
c. Facilitates cooperation among team members;
d. Provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members;
e. Helps in solving various organizational problems;
f. A means of information sharing; and

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 g. Can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or
conflicts within a department.

4. DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION
- Crosses work areas and organizational level. Under this communication, any employee
can communicate to other employees without considering the hierarchy or level of
employees.
- This communication crosses the formal network of communication and chain of
command.
- Diagonal communication is especially used by expert groups to communicate expert
ideas to the different levels of employees.

INFO CORNER!
CONFLICT IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT
The word “conflict” produces a sense of anxiety for many people, but it is part of the human experience.
Just because conflict is universal does not mean that we cannot improve how we handle disagreements,
misunderstandings, and struggles to understand or make ourselves understood. Joyce Hocker and
William Wilmot offer us several principles on conflict that have been adapted here for our discussion:

- Conflict is universal.
- Conflict is associated with incompatible goals.
- Conflict is associated with scarce resources.
7 - Conflict is associated
GEC 15 with COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022
interference.
PURPOSIVE
- Conflict is not a sign of a poor relationship.
- Conflict cannot be avoided.
- Conflict cannot always be resolved.
- Conflict is not always bad.

Conflict is the physical or psychological struggle associated with the perception of opposing or
incompatible goals, desires, demands, wants or needs. (McLean, S., 2005)

Going through each day demands awareness on the many factors that either disrupt one’s
motivation to pursue tasks or enhances one’s capabilities to even become productive. Given that
circumstances are inevitable, it is best to find means to cope with them. The workplace is one of
the best venues where individuals are measured because each personality is distinct. However,
despite the differences, companies try to harmonize employees through its vision. Quality
services emanate from efficient people, so working out difficulties in dealing with colleagues is
essential.

LESSON 4: A COMMUNICATION TOOL IN THE

WORKPLACE

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 LET’S READ!

Feedback, according to Keyton (2000), is any information that individuals receive about their
behavior. As Lieber and McConnel (2004) explain, it can also be in activities like market
research, client surveys, accreditation, and employee evaluation. Feedback should not be viewed as a
negative process, instead it should be used as a strategy to enhance goals, awareness and learning (Lieber
& McConnel, 2004).
FORMS OF FEEDBACK WITH DIFFERENT INTENT
Keyton (2000) identify the forms of feedback with different intent as descriptive feedback,
evaluative feedback, and prescriptive feedback.

1. Descriptive Feedback – a feedback that identifies or describes how a person communicates.

2. Evaluative Feedback – a feedback that provides an assessment of the person who
communicates.
3. Prescriptive Feedback – a feedback that provides advice about how one should behave or
communicate.
FOUR LEVELS OF FEEDBACK
According to Keyton (2000), there are four levels of feedback:
8 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022
1. Task or Procedural Feedback – this level involves issues of effectiveness and appropriateness,
specific issues include the quantity or quality of a group output.
2. Relational Feedback – this level provides information about interpersonal dynamics within a
group.
3. Individual Feedback – this level provides feedback that focuses on a particular individual in a
group.
4. Group Feedback – this level provides feedback that focuses on how well the group is
performing.

LESSON 5: WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

MATERIALS FOR THE WORKPLACE
LET’S READ!

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 1. MINUTES OF THE MEETING

Minutes are written or recorded documentation that is used to inform attendees and non-
attendees about what was discussed and what happened during a meeting. The meeting
minutes are generally taken or recorded by a note taker/minute taker during the meeting.

INFO CORNER!
MEETINGS

A meeting is a group communication in action around a defined agenda, at a set time, for an
established duration. Meetings can be effective, ineffective, or a complete waste of time. If time
is money and effectiveness and efficiency are your goals, then if you arrange a meeting, lead a
meeting, or participate in one, you want it to be worth your time (Mosvick, R.K., 1996).

Meetings can occur face to face, but increasingly business and industry are turning to
teleconferencing and videoconferencing options as the technology improves, the cost to
participate is reduced, and the cost of travel including time is considered.

Regardless how you come together as a team, group, or committee, you will need to define your
purpose in advance with an agenda. (Deal, T., and Kennedy, A., 1982)

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Who is the note taker/minute taker?

a. An employee who takes the meeting minutes, he or she is usually a member of the team
and takes the notes while participating in the meeting.
b. The note taker must have an ear for details to record accurately. He or she must also
multi-task effectively to participate in the meeting while recording the minutes.
What does a minute taker need?
a. Concise notes
b. Informative notes
Elements of Meeting Minutes
a. Heading
b. Attendees
c. Approval of previous minutes
d. Action items
e. Announcement
f. Next meeting details
g. Sign off signature

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 A meeting is a status arena. Members converge to check on the many things that concern the
development, most importantly of their businesses. Once issues are resolved, it would be easier
for any organization or group to proceed with plans. It is definitely a waste of time, money, and
effort if people attending are not aware of the strategies that contribute to a meeting’s success.
More accomplishments are gained if constituents are determined to learn the basics in conducting
a meeting.

INFO CORNER!

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE MEETINGS.

 You want an efficient and effective meeting, but recognize that group
communication by definition can be chaotic and unpredictable. To stay on track,
consider the following strategies:
 Send out the last meeting’s minutes one week before the next meeting.
 Send out the agenda for the current meeting at least one week in advance.
 Send out reminders for the meeting the day before and the day of the meeting.
 Schedule the meeting in Outlook or similar program so everyone receives a
reminder.
 Start and end your meetings on time.
 Make sure the participants know their role and requirements prior to the meeting.
 Make sure the participants know one another before discussion starts.
 Formal communication styles and reference to the agenda can help reinforce the
10 time frame and tasks.
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 Follow Robert’s Rules of Order when applicable, or at least be familiar with them.
 Make sure notes taken at the meeting are legible and can be converted to minutes
for distribution later.
 Keep the discussion on track, and if you are the chair, or leader of a meeting, don’t
hesitate to restate a point to interject and redirect the attention back to the next
agenda point.
 If you are the chair, draw a clear distinction between on-topic discussions and those
that are more personal, individual or off topic.
 Communicate your respect and appreciation for everyone’s time and effort.
 Clearly communicate the time, date and location or means of contact for the next
meeting.

COMMUNICATION via COMPUTERS (Electronic Correspondence)

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 It is a known fact that most of us rely more on computer-mediated communication than that
of the traditional way of transmitting information. The most widely used medium is electronic
mail or e-mail.
Problems with e-mails
Generally, complaints about e-mail are:
1. It is a poor medium for communicating emotions. It relies mainly on facial expressions
(emoticon) and other nonverbal cues.
2. It reduces politeness and respect. Messages are less diplomatic; it has low social presence
(impersonal), though messages are written but most likely it would never be spoken in face-
to-face communication.
3. It is a poor medium for ambiguous, complex, and novel situation. It limits communication
channels that transmit larger volumes of information; there is less feedback.
4. It contributes to information overload. Messages are created and copied to many people
without much effort.
E-mail Correspondence and Etiquette
Hasset (2003) states that e-mail is appropriate for short, rapid communication; therefore it
is not effective for conveying large amount/complex information. However, there are
instances that e-mails become formal and professional. Below are some points to consider
when writing formal and professional e-mails:
1. Consider the audience and occasion.
11 2. Use a courteous tone inGEC
your15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022
message.
3. Indicate the subject of the message.
4. Greet the addressee appropriately.
5. Organize your thoughts and communicate them clearly and concisely.
6. Keep e-mail messages brief and to the point.
7. Use proper English grammar and spelling; proofread before sending.
8. Sign your name to the message.
9. Read messages you receive carefully before responding.
10. If you need time to compose a reply, send a brief message acknowledging receipt and
communicating when you intend to respond in full.
According to Guffey (2008), many businesses use automated e-mails to acknowledge
communications from the public, or to remind associates that periodic reports or payments
are due. You may also be assigned to “populate” a form e-mail in which standard paragraphs
are used, but you choose from a menu of sentences to make the wording suitable for a particular
transaction.
Tips for Effective Business E-mails
Guffey (2008) suggests tips for effective business e-mails in his book Essentials of Business
Communication:

 Proper salutations should demonstrate respect and avoid mix-ups in case a

message is accidentally sent to the wrong recipient. For example, use a salutation
like “Dear Ms. X” (external) or “Hi Barry” (internal).

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  Subject lines should be clear, brief, and specific. This helps the recipient
understand the essence of the message. For example, “Proposal attached” or
“Your question of 10/25.”
 Close with a signature. Identify yourself by creating a signature block that
automatically contains your name and business contact information.
 Avoid abbreviations. An e-mail is not a text message, and the audience may not
find your wit cause to ROTFLOL (roll on the floor laughing out loud).
 Be brief. Omit unnecessary words.
 Use a good format. Include line breaks between sentences or divide your
message into brief paragraphs for ease of reading. A good e-mail should get to
the point and conclude in three small paragraphs or less.
 Reread, revise, and review. Catch and correct spelling and grammar mistakes
before you press “send.” It will take more time and effort to undo the problems
caused by a hasty, poorly written e-mail than to get it right the first time.
 Reply promptly. Watch out for an emotional response—never reply in anger—
but make a habit of replying to all e-mails within twenty-four hours, even if only
to say that you will provide the requested information in forty-eight or seventy-
two hours.
 Use “Reply All” sparingly. Do not send your reply to everyone who received the
initial e-mail unless your message absolutely needs to be read by the entire
group.
 Avoid using all caps. Capital letters are used on the Internet to communicate
emphatic emotion or yelling and are considered rude. st
12  GEC
Test links. If you15include
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a link,COMMUNICATION
test it to make sure| it1 isSemester,
complete.AY 2021-2022
 E-mail ahead of time if you are going to attach large files (audio and visual files
are often quite large) to prevent exceeding the recipient’s mailbox limit or
triggering the spam filter.
 Give feedback or follow up. If you don’t get a response in twenty-four hours, e-
mail or call. Spam filters may have intercepted your message, so your recipient
may never have received it.

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 INFO CORNER!
NETIQUETTE
We create personal pages, post messages, and interact via mediated technologies as a
normal part of our careers, but how we conduct ourselves can leave a lasting image,
literally. The photograph you posted on your Facebook or other social media platforms
may have been seen by your potential employer, or that nasty remark in a post may come
back to haunt you later. Some fifteen years ago, when the Internet was a new
phenomenon, Virginia Shea laid out a series of ground rules for communication online
that continue to serve us today.
Virginia Shea’s Rules of Netiquette

 Remember the human on the other side of the electronic communication.

 Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.
 Know where you are in cyberspace.
 Respect other people’s time and bandwidth.
 Make yourself look good online.
 Share expert knowledge.
13 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022
 Keep flame wars under control.
 Respect other people’s privacy.
 Don’t abuse your power.
 Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes (Shea, 1994).

Her rules speak for themselves and remind us that the golden rule (treat others as you
would like to be treated) is relevant wherever there is human interaction.
Tips for Effective Business Texting


Know your recipient; “? % dsct” may be an understandable way to ask a close
associate what the proper discount is to offer a certain customer, but if you are
writing a text to your boss, it might be wiser to write, “what % discount does
Murray get on $1K order?”
 Anticipate unintentional misinterpretation. Texting often uses symbols and
codes to represent thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Given the complexity of
communication, and the useful but limited tool of texting, be aware of its
limitation and prevent misinterpretation with brief messages.
 Contacting someone too frequently can border on harassment. Texting is a tool.
Use it when appropriate but don’t abuse it.
 Unplug yourself once in a while. Do you feel constantly connected? Do you feel
lost or “out of it” if you don’t have your cell phone and cannot connect to
people, even for fifteen minutes? Sometimes being unavailable for a time can be
healthy—everything in moderation, including texting.
 Don’t text and drive. Research shows that the likelihood of an accident increases
dramatically if the driver is texting behind the wheel (Houston Chronicle, 2009).
Being in an accident while conducting company business would reflect poorly
PURCOM MODULE 7 judgment as well as on your employer.
on your
 So, even when exchanging conversations online, good conduct needs to be observed. It does
not really impede the freedom of informality; it simply promotes quality thoughts and ideas
that are inherent in careful expression of oneself. As for professionals, much is required in terms
of posting announcements related to work or even posting personal concerns or inclinations.
BOTTOMLINE is: whoever you are, the moment you become a netizen, propriety should be
adhered to especially that you communicate not to be misjudged but to be understood.

VIRAL MESSAGES
Viral messages are words, sounds, or images that compel the audience to pass them along. They
prompt people to act, and mobilize communities. Community mobilization has been studied in
many ways and forms (Freire, P., 1970). We mobilize communities to leave areas of disaster, or to get
out and walk more as part of an exercise program. If we want people to consider and act on a
communication message, we first have to gain the audience’s attention. In our example,
communities were mobilized to share word of Jacksons’ passing. Attention statements require sparks
and triggers. A spark topic “has an appeal to emotion, a broad base of impact and subsequent concern,
and results in motivating a consensus about issues, planning, and action” (McLean, S., 1997).
In the example of Michael Jackson, the consensus may be that he died under suspicious
14 GECit15could
circumstances, but in other examples, PURPOSIVE
be that COMMUNICATION | 1stbeing
the product or service Semester, AY 2021-2022
discussed is the next
cool thing. The message in social marketing and viral messages does not exist apart from individuals
or communities. They give it life and attention, or ignore it.
If you want to design a message to go viral, you have to consider three factors:

 Does it have an emotional appeal that people will feel compelled to share?
 Does it have a trigger (does it challenge, provide novelty, or incorporate humor to motivate
interest)?
 Is it relevant to the audience?

An appeal to emotion is a word, sound, or image that arouses an emotional response in the
audience. Radio stations fill the airwaves with the sounds of the 1980s to provoke an emotional
response and gain a specific demographic within the listening audience. The day after the
announcement of Michael Jackson’s death broke, you could hear his music everywhere. Many
people felt compelled to share the news because of an emotional association to his music, the music’s
association to a time in their lives, and the fact that it was a sudden, unanticipated, and perhaps
suspicious death.
A trigger is a word, sound, or image that causes an activity, precipitates an event or interaction, or
provokes a reaction between two or more people. In the case of Michael Jackson, the triggers
included all three factors and provoked an observable response that other forms of media will not
soon forget. His death at a young age challenged the status quo. In the same way, videos on
YouTube have earned instant fame (wanted or unwanted) for a few with hilarious antics, displays
of emotion, or surprising news.

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 The final ingredient to a viral message is relevance. It must be immediately accessible to the
audience, salient, and important. If you want someone to stop smoking, graphs and charts may
not motivate them to action. Show them someone like them with post-surgery scars across their throat
and it will get attention. Attention is the first step toward precontemplation in a change model that
(Prochaska, J. and DiClemente, C., 1982) may lead to action.

INFO CORNER!
What was once called “word of mouth” advertising has gone viral with the introduction of social
marketing via the Internet. What was once called a “telephone chain,” where one person called
another in order to pass along news or a request in a linear model, has now gone global. One
tweet from Twitter gets passed along and the message is transmitted exponentially. The post to
the Facebook page is seen before the nightly news on television. Text messages are often real
time. Radio once beat print media to the news, and then television trumped both. Now person-to-
person, computer-mediated communication trumps them all at the speed of light—if the message
is attractive, relevant, dramatic, sudden, or novel. If no one bothers to pass along the message, or
the tweet isn’t very interesting, it will get lost in the noise. What, then, makes a communication
message viral?

Let’s look at the June 2009 death of Michael Jackson for an example of a viral message and see
what we can learn. According to Jocelyn Noveck, news of his death spread via Twitter, text
messages, and Facebook before the traditional media could get the message out. People knew
15 about the 911 call fromGEC
Jackson’s home before
15 PURPOSIVE it hit the mainstream
COMMUNICATION | 1media.
st
By theAY
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broke, it was already old (Noveck, J., 2009).

People may not have had all the facts, but the news was out. Communities, represented by
families, groups of friends, employees at organizations, had been mobilized to spread the news.
They were motivated to share the news, but why?

MEMORANDUM
A Memorandum is written to communicate policies, procedures, or related official business
within an organization. It is often written from a one-to-all perspective. The purpose of a
memorandum is to inform, but it occasionally includes an element of persuasion or a call to action.
All organizations have informal and formal communication networks.
A memo (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is normally used for communicating policies,
procedures, or related official business within an organization. It is often written from a one-to-all
perspective (like mass communication), broadcasting a message to an audience, rather than a one-
on-one, interpersonal communication. It may also be used to update a team on activities for a
given project or to inform a specific group within a company of an event, action, or observance.
Memo Format
A memo has a header that clearly indicates:

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 1. Sender
2. Recipients
3. Title of the individual/s
4. Date
5. Subject line
6. A message that contains a declaration, a discussion, and a summary.

16 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022

Memo purpose

A memo’s purpose is often to inform and represent the business or organization’s interests, but it
occasionally includes an element of persuasion or a call to action. All organizations have informal
and formal communication networks. The unofficial, informal communication network within an
organization is often called the grapevine, and it is often characterized by rumour, gossip, and
innuendo. On the grapevine, one person may hear that someone else is going to be laid off and
start passing the news around. Rumours change and transform as they are passed from person to
person, and before you know it, the word is that they are shutting down your entire department.

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 One effective way to address informal, unofficial speculation is to spell out clearly for all
employees what is going on with a particular issue. If budget cuts are a concern, then it may be
wise to send a memo explaining the changes that are imminent. If a company wants employees to
take action, they may also issue a memorandum.

INFO CORNER!
Five tips for effective business memos

1. Audience orientation

Always consider the audience and their needs when preparing a memo (or any message for that
matter). An acronym or abbreviation that is known to management may not be known by all the
employees of the organization, and if the memo is to be posted and distributed within the
organization, the goal is to be clear and concise communication at all levels with no ambiguity.

2. Professional tone

Memos are often announcements, and the person sending the memo speaks for a part or all of the
organization. Use a professional tone at all times.

3. Subject emphasis

17 The topic of the memo is normally

GEC 15 declared
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descriptive. If the memo is announcing the observance of a holiday, for example, the specific holiday
should be named in the subject line—for example, use “Thanksgiving weekend schedule” rather
than “holiday observance.”

4. Direct format

Some written business communication allows for a choice between direct and indirect formats, but
memorandums are almost always direct. The purpose is clearly announced immediately and up-
front, and the explanation or supporting information then follows.

5. Maintain objectivity

Memos should have an objective tone without personal bias, preference, or interest on display.
Avoid subjectivity.

BUSINESS LETTERS

Letters according to Bovee & Thil (2010) are brief messages sent to recipients that are often
outside the organization. They are often printed on a letterhead paper, and represent the business or
organization in one or two pages. Shorter messages may include e-mails or memos, either hard
copy or electronic, while reports tend to be three or more pages in length.
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
A business letter is a formal letter with six parts:

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 The Heading
The heading contains the return address with the date on the last line. Sometimes it is necessary
to include a line before the date with a phone number, fax number, or e-mail address. Often there is
a line skipped between the address and the date. It is not necessary to type a return address if you
are using stationery with the return address already imprinted, but you should always use a
date. Make sure the heading is on the left margin.

Example:
Ms. Jane Doe
543 Washington St
Marquette, MI 49855
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
June 28, 2011 

Recipient’s Address
This is the address you are sending your letter to. Be sure to make it as complete as possible so it
gets to its destination. Always include title names (such as Dr.) if you stknow them. This is, like the
18 other address, on the left margin.GEC If a 15 PURPOSIVE
standard 8 ½” xCOMMUNICATION
11” paper is folded| 1in Semester,
thirds to fitAYin2021-2022
a standard
9” business envelope, the inside address should appear through the window in the envelope (if
there is one). Be sure to skip a line after the heading and before the recipient’s address, then skip
another line after the inside address before the greeting.
The Salutation
The salutation (or greeting) in a business letter is always formal. It often begins with “Dear
{Person’s name}.” Once again, be sure to include the person’s title if you know it (such as Ms.,
Mrs., Mr., or Dr).  If you’re unsure about the person’s title then just use their first name. For example,
you would use only the person’s first name if the person you are writing to is “Jordan” and you’re
not sure if he or she is male or female. The salutation always ends with a colon.
The Body
The body is the meat of your letter. For block and modified block letter formats, single space and
left justify each paragraph. Be sure to leave a blank line between each paragraph, however, no
matter the format. Be sure to also skip a line between the salutation and the body, as well as the
body and the close.
The Complimentary Close

The complimentary close is a short and polite remark that ends your letter. The close begins at the
same justification as your date and one line after the last body paragraph. Capitalize the first word

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 of your closing (Thank you) and leave four lines for a signature between the close and the
sender’s name. A comma should follow the closing.
The Signature Line
Skip at least four lines after the close for your signature, and then type out the name to be signed.
This often includes a middle initial, although it is not required. Women may put their title before
had to show how they wish to be addressed (Ms., Mrs., Miss). The signature should be in blue or
black ink.

Enclosures
If you have any enclosed documents, such as a resume, you can indicate this by typing
“Enclosures” one line below the listing. You also may include the name of each document.
Format and Font
Many organizations have their own style for writing a business letter, but here are some common
examples.

Block
The most common layout for a business letter is called a block format. In this format, the entire
letter is justified to the left and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.

Modified Block
19 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022
Modified block is another popular type of business letter. The body of the letter and the sender’s
and recipient’s addresses are left justified and single spaced. However, in this format, the date
and closing are tabbed to the center point.
Semi-Block
The least used style is called a semi-block. In it each paragraph is indented instead of left
justified.
Font
The standard font for business letters is Times New Roman, size 12. However, fonts that are clear
to read such as Arial may be used.

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 INFO CORNER!
STRATEGIES FOR WRITING EFFECTIVE LETTERS

Remember that a letter has five main areas:

 The heading, which establishes the sender, often including address and date
 The introduction, which established the purposes.
 The body, which articulates the message.
 The conclusion, which restates the main point and may include a call to action.
 The signature line, which sometimes includes the contact information.

Always remember that letters represent you and your company in your absence. In order to
communicate effectively and project a positive image:

 Be clear, concise, specific and respectful.

 Each word should contribute to your purpose.
 Each paragraph should focus on one idea.
 The parts of the letter should form a complete message.
 The letter should be free from errors.

23 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022

LESSON 6: BASIC OF WRITING

LET’S READ!

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 The term writing is defined as the activity or skill of marking coherent words on paper
and composing text. Unfortunately, this area is being neglected to its due importance. However,
writing is a way to inform, educate, express human emotions, knowledge and etc.
Each writer is entitled to his/her own style of writing, which reflects his/her, personality. While
some people are born with the quality to write well, others can learn it with some effort.
Nevertheless, each piece of writing requires distinct style and tone which can decide on the basis
of the content. No matter what you write is still and should be relevant to what you decide to
compose, basing to what your intentions might be.
FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES OF WRITING:

 EXPOSITORY WRITING:
Expository writing‘s main purpose is to explain. It is a subject-oriented writing
style, in which authors focus on telling you about a given topic or subject without
voicing their personal opinions. These types of essays or articles furnish you with
relevant facts and figures but do not include their opinions.
KEY POINTS IN WRITING AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY OR ARTICLE:
 Usually explains something in a process.
 It is often equipped with facts and figures.
24  It is usuallyGEC
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logical order and
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Example:
“Air pollution is one of the most dangerous forms of pollution. A biological,
chemical, and physical alteration of the air occurs when smoke, dust, and any
harmful gases enter into the atmosphere and make it difficult for all living beings to
survive as the air becomes contaminated. Burning of fossil fuels, agriculture related
activities, mining operations, exhaust from industries and factories, and household
cleaning products entail air pollution. People release a huge amount of chemical
substances in the air every day. The effects of air pollution are alarming. It causes
global warming, acid rains, respiratory and heart problems, and eutrophication. A lot
of wildlife species are forced to change their habitat in order to survive.”

 DESCRIPTIVE WRITING
Descriptive writing‘s main purpose is to describe. It is a style of writing that
focuses on describing a character, an event, or a place in great detail. It can be
poetic when the author takes the time to be very specific in his or her
descriptions.

KEY POINTS IN WRITING A DECRIPTIVE ESSAY OR ARTICLE:

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  It is often poetic in nature.
 It describes places, people, events, situations, or locations in a highly
detailed manner.
 The author visualizes what he or she sees, hears, tastes, smells, and feels.
Example:
“You dream of fried bananas, sizzling hot in bubbling coconut oil, golden
brown, its sweet aroma bringing back childhood memories of your mother in
the kitchen — happy times. With a metal spatula, you lift the banana-halves
from the wok and roll them in a mound of precious sugar. The irresistible
sight of the white grains of sugar clinging to the red-brown surface make
your mouth water, pushes your sister's words out of your mind: "No matter
what happens, don't leave the house."

 PERSUASIVE WRITING

Persuasive writing‘s main purpose is to convince. Unlike expository writing,

persuasive writing contains the opinions and biases of the author. To convince
others to agree with the author‘s point of view, persuasive writing contains
justifications and reasons. It is often used in letters of complaint, advertisements,
or commercials, affiliate marketing pitches, cover letters, and newspaper opinion
and editorial pieces.
KEY POINTS IN WRITING A PERSUASIVE ESSAY OR ARTICLE:
25 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022
 Persuasive writing is equipped with reasons, arguments, and
justifications.
 In persuasive writing, the author takes a stand and asks you to agree with
his or her point of view.
 It is often asks for readers to do something about a situation (this is
called a call to action).
Example:
“Are you tired of seeing your paychecks slashed by unjust tax deductions? We
work hard to provide for our families and then wind up only being able to live
paycheck to paycheck. If you vote for me, I'll make sure your taxes are lowered
and you get the government services that you depend on. Imagine everything
you'll be able to do with more wiggle room in your monthly income. Cast your
vote today.”

 NARRATIVE WRITING
Narrative writing‘s main purpose is to tell a story. The author will create different
characters and tell you what happens to them (sometimes the author writes from
the point of view of one of the characters- this is known as first person narration).
Novels, short stories, novellas, poetry, and biographies can all fall in the narrative
writing style. Simply, narrative writing answers the question: What happened
then?”

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 KEY POINTS IN WRITING A NARRATIVE ESSAY OR ARTICLE:
 A person tells a story or event.
 Has characters and dialogue.
 Have definite and logical beginnings, intervals, and endings.
Example:
"The barber was cutting our hair, and our eyes were closed—as they are so likely
to be... Deep in a world of our own, we heard, from far away, a voice saying
goodbye. It was a customer of the shop, leaving. 'Goodbye,' he said to the
barbers. 'Goodbye,' echoed the barbers. And without ever returning to
consciousness, or opening our eyes, or thinking, we joined in. 'Goodbye,' we
said, before we could catch ourselves."—E.B. White "Sadness of Parting."

LESSON 7: SHORT REPORTS

LET’S READ!
26 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022
A short report is a formal document written to inform a specific audience about a certain
subject that has an impact on their lives. Such type of work is used more in business,
journalism, and science rather than as the university assignment. They differ from
ordinary ones not only in size but also in the purpose of writing and structure. Short
report writing is more focused and, therefore, broken into fewer sections. It is very
difficult to find an example of the outline for the given task as the structure depends on
the purpose and topic. Hence, it is better to organize each report individually making it as
brief and coherent as possible. You may still use the following short report example and
alter it accordingly for every occasion.
A short report consists of significant information of a particular topic that is meant to
inform a reader. A report may either be oral or written in the report form of a memo or a
letter.
HOW TO WRITE A SHORT REPORT:
1. To do this, you first need to identify your topic. With a topic in mind, it will be easier for
you to specify the key points that need to be emphasized in the report.
2. Next, you have to arrange these points in a logical order.
3. Once this is done, identify sub-points that provide supporting details to the main point of
your free outline.

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 4. Finally, review the outline you have made. This will allow you to make the necessary
changes for parts that do not make much sense.
KEY POINTS IN WRITING A SHORT REPORT:
1. Summary (briefly overviews the research and includes basic information about it).
2. Background (shows the significance of the study and provides readers with more details).
3. Procedure (presents methods that have been used to conduct research).
4. Discussion (reviews and analyzes findings, shows limitations of an investigation).
5. Conclusions (summarizes key points and the main idea of the study).
6. Recommendations (provide guidance for the further research and present writer's
interpretation of a problem and its solution).

27 GEC 15 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION | 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022

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