Cambridge O Level Business Studies · Syllabus 7115 · People in Business
Effective Communication
What is Effective Communication?
The sending of a message through a suitable medium so that it reaches the intended receiver, is understood as the sender intended, and allows feedback where a response is needed. Communication that has been sent is not necessarily communication that has been understood: the process is complete only at the receiver's understanding, which is why feedback is part of the model rather than an optional extra.
This definition is part of the People in Business chapter in Cambridge O Level Business Studies.
Effective Communication in context
Organisation is the framework that turns a motivated workforce into coordinated action: an organisational chart sets out levels of hierarchy, chain of command and span of control, and managers plan, organise, coordinate and control the work within it. Delegation passes authority to a subordinate while accountability for the outcome stays with the manager, and autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leadership each suit different situations rather than one style being universally best. Recruitment, selection and training then supply and develop the people who fill that structure, and effective communication, understood by the receiver and confirmed by feedback, is what lets instructions and information actually move through it.