Business Courses/Organizational Behavior: Help and ReviewCourse
- AuthorJanelle Barowski
Janelle is a tutor for Nursing and Health Administration. She has an Associate's degree in Nursing from Middlesex College. She also has a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Nursing Administration and Leadership from Western Governors University. She currently is a practicing pediatric and geriatric nurse.
View bio - InstructorSusan Fenner
Susan has an MBA in Management from the University of North Alabama. She teaches online and campus-based Business courses.
View bio - Expert ContributorJerry Allison
Jerry holds a Doctor of Business Administration and a Master’s in Mathematics. He has taught business, math, and accounting for over 25 years.
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Learn the two-way communication definition and see what two-way communication is with examples. Explore two-way conversations and the different systems used.Updated: 11/21/2023
Table of Contents
- What is Two-Way Communication?
- Two-Way Communication Systems
- Two-Way Communication Examples
- Lesson Summary
- FAQs
- Activities
Two-Way Communication Thought Exercises
Discussion Question 1
Think of a situation where you were trying to tell someone something and that person did not get what you were trying to say. Why did the person not get your message? What factors contributed to your message not getting to the other person? What could you have done differently?
Discussion Question 2
Jill is an American who speaks only English. She is visiting Bonn, Germany, and is standing on the sidewalk of a busy and noisy street. Looking down the street, she sees a man dressed in Lederhosen step into the street as a speeding car is approaching him. She yells out in English for him to stop. Think about the different problems with communication in this scenario. Discuss this with others to come up with several communication complications.
Internet Research Project
Use an Internet search engine to search for the phrase 'communication noise'. What are the different types of noise? Provide examples of each. Find how each of these types create problems in two-way communication. Then write a report expressing your findings.
Possible Answers to Discussion Questions
1. You did not phrase the statement in a way that the other person could understand. There was a barrier between you so the other person could not hear clearly. There was excessive noise so the person could not understand you.
2. Possible communication barriers are language, street noise, distance, or the man could have been distracted by something else. These are all called "noise" in the terminology of communication.
Why is two-way communication important?
The two-way communication cycle is a complete verbal communication process that helps provide a smooth transmission of information. The response that the receiver sends provides essential feedback that enables the sender to know that their message was understood. This peace of mind is valuable to the hectic business environment.
What is an example of two-way communication?
Jimmy works at a small sub shop. When he receives an order from a customer at the counter, he repeats back the order before making it.
Table of Contents
- What is Two-Way Communication?
- Two-Way Communication Systems
- Two-Way Communication Examples
- Lesson Summary
Two-way communication is defined as when one person, the sender, transfers a message to another person, the receiver. When the receiver gets the message, they send back their response. This lets the sender know the information was received. This feedback is particularly important for the business world. The feedback is an assurance that the message was accurately received. This makes two-way communication a commonly used method within organizations that value effective communication.
Two-Way Communication Model
There are four main components of the two-way communication model. These include:
- Sender
- Receiver
- Message
- Response
The two-way communication cycle begins with the sender. This person will initiate the communication by having a message to send to another person. This other person is called the receiver. They will be the one who accepts the message that is conveyed by the sender. Once the receiver has obtained the message from the sender, they will decode it. Then, the receiver will respond to the sender. This serves as feedback to let the sender know their information was successfully transmitted and that the receiver understood their message.
Businesses use two-way communication systems to maintain contact with customers, as well as workers. It is particularly important to keep in contact with employees when they are not able to be supervised during their working hours. This ensures that if they have a question or run into trouble, there is a way to communicate with the appropriate people. Sometimes, workers do fieldwork that is away from their business hub. Communication systems ensure that they can still be contacted.
The two-way communication cycle is a complete verbal communication process that helps provide a smooth transmission of information. The response that the receiver sends provides essential feedback that enables the sender to know that their message was understood. This peace of mind is valuable to the hectic business environment, where communication is essential to maintaining a cohesive, productive workforce.
When two-way communication is used to foster conversation between two coworkers, it is called horizontal two-way communication. When this communication cycle is used between a manager and an employee, it is called vertical two-way communication. This can be useful in both realms because it gives the receiver the chance to ask for any clarification on directions that are being provided by the sender.
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Two-way communication systems can vary in sophistication and features. Some businesses will need systems that are more advanced than other businesses. When communication is an essential part of the job, two-way communication systems may be more complex. The business will be more apt to invest in expensive systems when they are an integral component of their business model.
When deciding on the type of two-way communication system, the business must decide on a few factors. They must take in the intended use of the two-way communication system. Someone who is using the communications device for a police station would have a different system than a larger hospital. The location of the people who are trying to communicate also has a deciding factor on what two-way system will be chosen. Two ships communicating on the ocean will need a different system than two teachers in a school.
The number of users will also help a business decision on the appropriate communication channel. A worldwide company with thousands of workers will have different needs than a small start-up company with a few dozen employees. The cost of the system will be another important factor when companies are deciding on a communication system. When communication is an integrated, crucial component of their day-to-day operations, a company is far more likely to spend a higher amount of money on a complex system than if communication is not as important. A pizza store may have a smaller budget for a communication system than a telemarketing company.
Finally, the frequency band is another factor to be considered. This refers to the specific range at which a communication system can function on radio frequencies. Companies will need to make sure they are operating on the same band frequency.
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The best way to understand two-way communication is through the use of examples. The following are examples of two-way conversations that are best suited for a particular type of two-way communication system.
- Jimmy works for the national grid and is reading meters out on the field. His car is equipped with a two-way radio system. When he hears his boss radio over that he has to check an additional meter that day, Jimmy radios back to confirm that he received the message.
- Sarah works for the police station, and they also use a two-way radio station. However, theirs is more complex, and multiple officers are on the same station. When she hears about a robbery in progress over the radio, she radios her response that she will head over to the location. She can hear that multiple other officers are also heading that way.
- Janelle works for a large company with multiple locations across the United States. Due to the time difference, they use a chat feature to talk to each other. They can be messaged directly, or they have group messages depending on their project for that day. It is company policy that Janelle responds within 15 minutes of receiving a chat notification.
- Melissa works at a hospital as a nurse. She hears a code blue over the intercom. Melissa runs to the nearest hospital phone to phone her supervisor to let them know she is responding to the code.
- Sami is a pilot who is preparing to land. She uses her radio system to call down to air traffic control to see if she is clear for landing. Air traffic controllers radio to all the other planes, telling them to pause their landings. Once all the other planes have responded, the air traffic controllers tell Sami she is all set to land her plane.
- Allie is a teacher at a school. She uses a chain email to let the other specialists know that one of her students has a new communication plan. The other teachers confirm through email that they received her information on the updated plan.
- Johnny works at a small pizza shop. When he receives an order from a customer at the counter, he repeats back the order to ensure that it is correct before making it.
Two-way communication centers around the sender and their message being received by the receiver, who then sends back their message. Businesses will have various two-way communication methods, depending on how busy they are and the complexity of their communication.
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Two-way communication is when one person, the sender, transmits a message to another person, the receiver. When the receiver gets the message, they send back their response. This lets the sender know the information was received. The four parts of this communication system include the sender, the receiver, the message, and the response.
This type of communication is essential in the business world because feedback ensures that a message was received and understood. Businesses can invest in complex two-way communication systems when communication is necessary. Two-way communication systems can be simple or complex. There is a lot of variety in the types of systems that can be used. When deciding on what type of communication system a business needs, the intended use, the frequency, and the number of users are all factors that need to be considered.
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Video Transcript
What Is Two-Way Communication?
'Can you hear me now? How about now?' Who can forget that iconic commercial for wireless phone service where the hapless signal tester is wandering the countryside looking for feedback? His quest for a response to his message is an attempt to engage in two-way communication with the person on the other end. Let's look at a simple model for two-way communication.
Two-way communication is when one person is the sender and they transmit a message to another person, who is the receiver. When the receiver gets the message, they send back a response, acknowledging the message was received. The model looks like this:
Two-way communication is essential in the business world. Messages are transmitted between employers, employees, customers, and other stakeholders, and feedback is required to be certain that the message was received and understood.
Two-Way Communication Systems
Many businesses and municipal services rely on two-way communication systems to stay in touch with their employees on site and in the field. Some of the most common examples of two-way communication systems are the radio, telephone, and computer-aided dispatch systems used by police, fire, and emergency response personnel. These systems allow dispatchers and supervisors to keep in touch with individuals and to coordinate the activities of groups of responders.
Two-way communications systems are also routinely used in the construction and building trades, public transportation, the trucking industry, and aviation by commercial and non-commercial pilots, just to name a few.
Two-way communication systems vary greatly in sophistication and special features. They range from simple handheld two-way transceivers that use a single dedicated channel to more complex systems that allow a large number of users to share several channels. The type of system chosen depends on many factors, such as the intended use, the location, the number of users, the frequency band, and the cost of the system. Regardless of the type of system chosen, the one common feature is that all of the components must be compatible and work together to support a common purpose.
Examples
Jack is an on-call service technician for a large medical supply company. At 3:00 a.m., he is awakened to the sound of his BlackBerry signaling an incoming email. The email from the dispatcher alerts him to an emergency call from a local hospital. The anesthesia cart in the operating room is malfunctioning, and there is an operation scheduled for 7 a.m. that morning. Jack sends an email back to the dispatcher letting them know he received the service call, and then he phones the client to get the details and to let them know he's on the way.
On the way to the hospital, Jack spots a fast food restaurant and turns into the drive-thru lane. A little shot of caffeine is just what the doctor ordered! He's surprised to see two cars ahead of him, but he inches his way up to the crackling speaker and places his order for a large black coffee, no sugar. Then he makes his way to the window, pays for the coffee, and thanks the clerk before getting back on the road.
Jack pulls into the hospital lot and finds a parking spot near the emergency room door. Experience has taught him that this is the only entrance open at 3:00 a.m. As he exits the vehicle and makes his way to the entrance, an ambulance pulls up to the hospital doors. Two paramedics jump out and race to the back of the ambulance. The driver has a handheld radio, and Jack hears her inform the ER staff, via the dedicated radio channel, that they are at the doors and headed in.
Did you spot all the examples of two-way communication? Check your observations against the following list:
- The email exchange with the dispatcher
- The phone call with the client
- The conversation to place his coffee order at the drive-thru
- The face-to-face conversation with the clerk when he picks up his coffee at the window
- The paramedic's conversation with the hospital staff
As you can see, two-way communication is essential in the day-to-day operations of many businesses. In our short example, you can see how it was used by Jack's employer, the fast food franchise, the ambulance company, and the hospital.
Think back about your own day today. How many examples of two-way communication can you recall?
Lesson Summary
Two-way communication is when someone sends a message to another person and the person receiving the message sends back a response. Two-way communication can take place face-to-face or remotely.
Many businesses routinely engage in two-way communication with their employees and customers as a normal and necessary part of their operations. Some businesses and municipalities invest in complex two-way communication systems when communication is an essential function of the job, as in the case of emergency responders.
Learning Outcomes
After you have finished, you should be able to:
- State an example of two-way communication
- Explain how two-way communication can be used in a business
- List some possible characteristics of a two-way communication system
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