Business Communication Theories

Business Communication Theories

Looking to learn the various types of business communication theories? Every employee of an organization is bound to follow the rules and regulation, which is set for them. This makes the system of the organization ideal and comfortable for all the employees to work.

Here is the thing that is also important to know that the organization should select the channels of the communication wisely because these channels build a culture for them. If cultures are set casually, this means the performance of the organization is less efficient, and for efficient performance, effective business communication is really important to have.

Through the use of different traditional approaches, we may easily come to know the ways of effective communication. These approaches are probably known as communication theories. These communication theories give us a path to make a road map for business organizations.

Types of Business Communication Theories

There are different types of business communication theories, which are freely practicing all over the world. Below are 17 different types of communication theories, you need to be aware of them all.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The theory proposed that people are likely to avoid the experience of dissonance as it is not acceptable for them to agree with. They wish to avoid such feelings without listening to anyone’s views, as the views of other people are debatable.

Communication Accommodation Theory

This theory covers the motivational aspects and results of the transference of communication styles between two people. Theorists proposed that people transfer their communication styles into two ways: convergence and divergence.

People with a strong ethnic background will try to transfer their styles through divergence in order to highlight the importance of their identity in a group. Powerless or helpless people transfer communication styles through convergence when they need social acceptance.

Coordinated Management of Meaning

People create meanings through the coordination of conversation. When stories are told, coherence occurs, and when these are made alive coordination occurs. The theorists of CMM proposed that a strong relationship exists between a person and his society. By following a hierarchy people draw meanings from the messages, which are conveyed to them.

Cultivation Analysis

This theory focuses on the mediating factor of communication. They proposed that television plays a very important part of Communication. People of modern culture get information from a mediated source rather than from a direct source.

So, mediating sources help in developing a sense of reality. Though these mediums are so effective, it has some side effects, like excessive interaction with them may create violence.

Cultural Approach to Organizations

Cultural approach theorists stressed on the importance of culture. They assumed that people resemble animals and love to be involved in a network. They also proposed that every organization has different symbols that convey a particular meaning. The culture of an organization is represented by rituals and stories.

Symbolic Interaction Theory

This theory proposed that people make communication by creating symbols, and assign them meanings accordingly by the associations of events and places. This theory derived from the American pragmatism, especially from the work of George Herbert Mead.

Dramatism Theory

The theory compares communication with a drama. As for dramas, a situation, script, and actor are required, the same thing is demanded by Dramatism business communication theory.

This theory is presented by Kenneth Burke as a meta-method of analyzing human relationships, and this indicates that a successful rhetorical critic is the one who provides meaningful communication to its rhetoric by developing a sense of identity among them.

Expectancy Violations Theory

Expectancy Violation Theory studies the ways of developing Nonverbal Messages. It proposed that whenever the rules of communication are violated, this violation may be taken favorably or unfavorably by analyzing the situation, and also by considering how the receiver has perceived that violation and what imagination/idea he has formed about the violator.

Face-Negotiation Theory

This theory talks about the ways of facing conflict situations on an individual or on a collective level. This theory is concerned with face management as it stressed on how people of different cultures face conflicts. There are two ways that describe the conflict negotiation of different cultures that are Self-face and other-face.

Groupthink

The theorists of groupthink theory proposed that the groupthink process arises when highly committed groups fail to handle different problems. It also proposed that people will avoid sharing unfamiliar ideas with their group members. When this situation occurs the groups make wrong decisions that have long-lasting effects.

Muted Group Theory

Muted Group Theory proposed that as compared to women, men are served better by languages like European Americans are served better than African Americans. Due to this reason, men are proffered clearly than women in various experiences. This deficiency in language tells women cannot express their ideas clearly as compared to men in public.

Organizational Information Theory

It proposed that organization makes communication in an ambiguous way. In addition the members of the organization interpret this information through a process of sense-making through the selection of information. Hence the organization is considered successful if it is able to avoid such ambiguity.

Relational Dialectics Theory

This communication theory indicates the importance of relationships is communication. Although it is a fact that people face the push and pull of desires, and desire to have security and openness in their personal relationships. People cannot balance the conflicting desires of life in relationships, and it impacts communication freely.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Whenever strangers meet, they at once wish to remove their uncertainties of different situations. So their level of uncertainty is expressed by their behavior and the thinking power.

They are often not sure about their acts as they are not clear how to behave in front of people in a certain situation. Therefore this uncertainty is found both in relations and individuals levels. According to this theory, people communicate to reduce uncertainties.

Social Exchange Theory

This theory proposed that the major aspect of relationships is the satisfaction of both the people’s self-interest. Social exchange theorists expressed that self-disclosure is not a bad thing and it absolutely compliments relationships. This theory views interpersonal exchanges corresponding to economic exchanges, where people get satisfied after a proper return on their investments.

Social Penetration Theory

Social penetration theory proposes that relationships develop in unpredictable ways. Hence the theorists proposed that the primary way that a progressing relationship is self-disclosure. Self-disclosure develops more close relationships, which are threatening for individuals.

Organizational Information Theory

For a successful organization, it is really important to have all the necessary information, which is required to achieve goals. The theory proposed that the behavior of the people and productivity are affected by the communication within the organization. The main objective is to reduce the doubts in order to extract the relevant information from the extra ones.

These are the various communication theories proposed by different theorists with their own points of view. It is not necessary that these theories should be acceptable for everyone. Moreover at some point, these theories may be controversial.