Graduate Employees and Workplace Oral Communication 3.4 Forms of Workplace Communication Oral communication pervades business operations and takes many forms.
Communication is now two-way.
However, this view needs to be contextualised to the complexity of the process underpinning effective oral communication which has been discussed previously. Carnavale et al Footnote 59 extol the value of active listening in the workplace, which involves eyes as well as ears and takes account not only of the words spoken, but also the way they are spoken. This corresponds with our previous point, that employees should be equipped with the resources to comprehend organisational, social, political and power structures so as to be better placed to communicate competently, thereby minimising miscommunication and providing a means for success in job tasks and ultimately for career progression. More particularly, Marginson Footnote 63 explains that there is a strong emphasis on marketing and client relations in the contemporary competitive Australian workplace. These views are supported by a United States study of managers and their classifications of entry level needs and uses of business employees Footnote 64 .