It is difficult to appreciate the relevance of Interpersonal and Mass Communication in Business organisations without understanding the term “interpersonal relationships”.
Interpersonal relationships are “associations between two people who are interdependent, who use some consistent patterns of interaction, and who have interacted for an extended period of time”.
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication therefore happens when people who are involved in interpersonal relationships communicate. This surely occurs in every business organisation where people (employees, employers, customers, consumers, clients, suppliers, shareholders e.t.c.) interact based on their knowledge of personal characteristics, qualities or behaviours of one another.
The overall communication climate in an organisation is dependent on the interpersonal relationships that exist there. Where there is a positive working relationship between and among workers, departments and the external environment, trust, respect, progress and success are not far from such an establishment.
This is exhibited in the way people talk and write to each and one another, the non-verbal cues they use and the way they manage diversities.
Since an organisation is a communicating group, everybody would need to work on his or her listening, writing and speaking skills, as well as the non-verbal skills to become effective team member.
Mass Communication
Mass communication is also known as mediated communication which involves sharing of messages among audiences outside face-to-face interaction or not necessarily in the same geographical environment.
This happens through the mass media like television, newspapers, magazine, radio, internet etc. Organisations use these media of mass communication to raise awareness among the external publics, inform them about her products and activities and encourage them to buy.
Through mass communication, people outside the organisation are kept in constant touch with the organisation.
Today, apart from advertising their products on TV and radio, in newspapers and magazines and doing publicity, organisations have websites and use other ICT tools to promote their products and images.
