Oral Communication:

While an organisation cannot function without written communications of several kinds, yet a significant percentage of information is communicated orally. It has been observed that managers spend 60 to 80 percent of their work time in oral communication. Oral communication has the merit of being instantaneous. Commonly, the spoken word is a less complicated way of getting one's ideas across, if articulated well. Also, it offers the possibility of two-way information flow, and thus less possibility of misunderstanding. The creation of a less formal atmosphere and generation of fellow feelings are other advantages of oral communication.

Therefore, the oral communication also has drawback. It is less effective for presenting complicated and lengthy data. Because there is no record, it is subject to misinterpretation and the effects of barriers arising from interpersonal relationships. That is why although negotiating with management, unions emphasize on written commitment.

The selection of the mode of communication is, commonly speaking, determined through the situation. Therefore, the use of both will very frequent strengthen and reinforce a message. For instance, the study material for this course is the written communication. It will be fortified subsequently by oral communication in video-conferencing sessions. The two together, we hope, will additional increase your understanding of the concepts and application of management.