COMMUNICATION FOR BUSINESS
TASK 1
- Review your chosen organization’s website and select a piece of
text that directly communicates a key message to its customers.
You must critically analyze its message in terms of clarity,
readability, the quality of being coherent and easily understood
and appropriateness. For example, you may refer to:
• The suitability of the content.
• The length of sentences.
• The length of paragraphs.
• How sentences are used and combined.
• The inclusion of lengthy or unnecessary words and phrases.
• The use of formatting and structure.
• The appropriateness of the writing style for the intended
audience.
NB: Provide evidence from the web page to support each of these
points.
“150 Years and Beyond: Growing with the Nation. Through innovation, good governance,
professional management and strategic partnerships, the John Keells Group is a trusted
name and an integral part of the Sri Lankan economy.”
One of the major messages that John Keells Holdings PLC conveys to its
customers is displayed on the official site of the company. It is written: 150
Years and Beyond: Developing with the Nation. The John Keels Group is a
reputed name and part and parcel of the Sri Lankan economy through
innovation, good governance, professional management and strategic
partnerships. It is a brand promise statement reminding the reader of the
legacy, values, and contribution of the company to the development of the
country.
Clarity wise, the message is simple and conveys the long tradition of the
company and its adherence to ethical business practices. The term 150 Years
and Beyond is an instant indication of the heritage and reliability of the
company, the rest of the sentence defines the pillars of their success. The
statement that Sri Lanka is the most esteemed organization, however, is
very daring and would have been supported with evidence or a softer tone of
voice to make it more credible.
Readability wise, the sentence is of moderate length but in a good structure.
It employs a parallel structure to enumerate values- innovation, good
governance, professional management and strategic partnerships, which is
effective to ensure rhythm and clarity. The language is professional, with
such words as integral and entity, which suit a business reader, although
might be too abstract for an average consumer.
The message is coherent. It has a logical flow of the history of the company
to its guiding principles and then its reputation. This development supports
the brand identity and complies with the positioning of the brand as a
diversified conglomerate. The sentence is not grammatically incorrect, but it
would be better to divide it into two smaller sentences to make it easier to
reach a wider audience.
The message is not filled with any unnecessary fillers. Nevertheless, such
terms as professional management and strategic partnerships may be
simplified or divided into smaller parts that are easier to digest.
The word entity can be substituted by organization or company so that the
message is more relatable. The message text style and format are suitable in
case of home page banner or introductory section. To enhance the scan
ability, the values may be presented in the form of bullet points or bold. This
would assist users to understand the core principles of the company in a very
fast manner.
Lastly, the suitability of the message is highly appropriate to the audience. It
addresses investors, partners, and professionals in a formal, inspirational
manner. The theme of national development and the aspects of good moral
standings are potent in the Sri Lankan context where corporate legacy and
development are so much important.
All in all, the message by John Keells is clear, coherent and professionally
written. It might be even more accessible and effective in the broad audience
with slight modifications to the sentence structure and words.
TASK 2
- Select one business message, such as an email, memo, or press
release. Discuss the following:
• Clarity, conciseness, and professionalism
• Use of appropriate tone, grammar, and vocabulary
• Formatting and readability
• Ways to avoid ambiguity or confusion
• Suggestions to improve message effectiveness Link your
discussion to principles from the lectures.
Explain how external business communication is important to
your chosen organization. Provide examples of how the
organization communicates with customers, suppliers, investors,
and other stakeholders, and explain the impact of this
communication on the organization’s reputation and
relationships.
The press release also presents the key operational and financial
successes such as the introduction of two big investments City of Dreams
Sri Lanka and West Container Terminal (WCT-1). It states:
“These landmark developments represent transformative opportunities, poised to serve
as catalysts for economic growth, reinforcing Sri Lanka’s position as a logistics and
leisure hub in the region.” (John Keells Holdings PLC, 2025)
One of the powerful examples of the external business communication is
a recent press release of John Keells Holdings PLC entitled JKH records
strong recurring EBITDA of Rs.15.91billion in Q4 2024/25. The message
will emphasize the financial performance and strategic investments made
by the company such as the City of Dreams Sri Lanka and the West
Container Terminal (WCT-1). According to the release, the landmark
developments are the opportunities of transformation, which will become
the drivers of economic development, supporting the status of Sri Lanka
as the logistics and leisure center in the area (John Keells Holdings PLC,
2025).
This is an aspirational statement and conveys the role of the company in
the national development. Clarity wise, the message has been authored
professionally, and it is well understood in terms of strategic intent.
Nevertheless, such expressions as poised to serve as catalysts might be
made more straightforward such as expected to drive, to make it more
understandable and accessible. Its language is formal and suitable for the
intended audience who are investors, analysts, and government
stakeholders.
The grammar is right, and the tone is confident and progressive, which is
in line with the brand name of the company. The press release is well
formatted making it easier to read. It has headings, financial highlights in
form of bullet points and separated paragraphs. It is a structure that
enables the reader to find important information fast. Nevertheless, the
paragraphs are thick, and the sentences or subheadings can be shorter to
make the scanning easier.
To eliminate uncertainty, the message may contain certain measures or
timeframes to justify statements concerning economic effect and the
outcomes of the project.
Some of the recommendations that can be made to enhance the
effectiveness of the message are simplifying complicated expressions,
including quantifiable information, and using visual aids like graphs or
infographics. These improvements correspond to the concepts of
business communication lectures, like writing to the audience, avoiding
complications, and using formatting to control the attention of readers.
John Keels Holdings PLC cannot do without external business
communication.
The company communicates with the customers via brand websites such
as Keels Super where the company tells customers about promotions and
service updates. It informs suppliers through procurement portals and
partnership announcements, which creates collaboration and supply
chain efficiency.
Quarterly financial reports and disclosures are made to investors, and this
instills confidence and satisfies regulatory demands. Another way the
company engages with the community and the government is the CSR
activities, such as Plastic cycle or English Language Scholarships, which
are disseminated through press releases and social media. Such
communications build the company reputation and strengthen relations
with the key stakeholders.
To conclude, John Keells Holdings PLC relies on external communication to
strengthen its brand, establish trust and match stakeholder expectations
to corporate behaviors. The clearness, professionalism, and strategic tone
of its press releases are also a part of its image in the eyes of the people
and its success in its operations.
REFERENCE:
- John Keells Holdings PLC, 2025. Largest Listed Conglomerate in the Colombo Stock
Exchange. [online] Available at: [Link] [Accessed 15 Oct. 2025]
- John Keells Holdings PLC, 2025. JKH records strong recurring EBITDA of Rs.15.91 billion
in Q4 2024/25. [online] Available at: [Link]
ebitda-of-rs-15-91-billion-in-q4-2024-25 [Accessed 15 Oct. 2025]
- John Keells Holdings PLC, 2025. News and Press Releases. [online] Available at:
[Link] [Accessed 15 Oct. 2025]
- John Keells Holdings PLC, 2025. About Us. [online] Available at:
[Link] [Accessed 15 Oct. 2025]
Sathurshika 13B