Functions of Communication in a Business

Successful communication is a key issue in the business environment, but before a manager or employee can start to improve his/her communication skills it is important to first look at the functions of communication in a business.

Communication serves four major functions within a group or organisation:

• Communication acts to control member behaviour in several ways. Organisations have authority hierarchies and formal guidelines that employees are required to follow e.g. to communicate grievances they must first discuss it with their immediate supervisor.
• Communication fosters motivation by clarifying what needs to be done, how well people are doing, and what can be done to improve performance.
• Communication provides a release for the emotional expression of feelings and for fulfilment of social needs. For some people, their workgroup is a primary source for interaction.
• Communication provides the information that individuals and groups need to make decisions by transmitting the data to identify and evaluate alternative choices.

None of these functions should be more important than the others. Almost every communication interaction that takes place in a group or organisation performs one or more of these four functions.