Transcript Rhetorical Situation

Chapter 1
Establishing a Framework
for Business Communication
Business Communication, 14e
Lehman and DuFrene
Objectives
1.
Define communication and describe the main
purpose for communication in business
2.
Explain the communication process model and the
ultimate objective of the communication process
3.
Identify the five levels of communication
4.
Discuss how information flows in an organization
(formally any informally, and downward, upward, and
horizontally)
5.
Explain how legal and ethical constraints act as a
strategic force to influence the process of business
communication
Objectives
6.
Explain how diversity challenges act as a
strategic force to influence the process of
business communication
7.
Explain how changing technology acts as
strategic force to influence the process of
business communication
8.
Explain how team environment acts as a
strategic force to influence the process of
business communication
Purposes of Communication
 What
 The
is Communication?
process of exchanging information and
meaning between or among individuals through
a common system of symbols, signs, and
behavior.
Purposes of Communication
 People
communicate for three basic
purposes
 Inform
 Persuade
 Entertain
Purposes of Communication
 Managers
spend approximately 60 to 80
percent of their time involved in some
form of communication, including
 Attending
meetings, writing reports
 Presenting
information to groups
 Coordinating
work
 Evaluating/counseling
 Promotion
employees
Chapter 1
Communication Process Model
The Communications Process

Reasons for communication breakdowns at
the encoding stage. The sender uses:

Words not in the receiver's vocabulary

Ambiguous, nonspecific ideas that distort the
message

Nonverbal signals that contradict the verbal
message

Expressions such as “uh” or grammatical errors,
mannerisms, or dress that distract the receiver
The Communications Process

Reasons for communication breakdowns at
the decoding stage:

The sender inadequately encodes the message
(i.e. sends ambiguous ideas or uses contradicting
nonverbal signals)

The receiver is intimidated by the position or
authority of the sender

The topic is perceived to be too difficult to
understand

The receiver is unreceptive to new and different
ideas
The Communications Process

The receiver encodes a message to clarify any
misunderstandings—feedback

Feedback may be verbal or nonverbal
Interferences or barriers

Differences in educational level, experience, culture, . . .

Physical interferences

Supervisors that are too rushed or insecure to allow
subordinates to ask questions or offer suggestions
Sender Selects Appropriate Channel
And Transmit Message

Two-way, face-to-face


Two-way, not face, too, face


Informal conversations
Telephone conversations, online chat
One-way, not face-to-face

Written documents such as letters, memos,
reports, etc.
Chapter 1
Communication Channels
Receiver Decodes Message
 The
receiver is the destination of the
message
 The
receiver’s task is to interpret the
sender’s message (decoding the
message)
Receiver Encodes the Message
 Feedback-when
the receiver responds
to the sender’s message
 May
be verbal or nonverbal
 “Could
 “Yes
you clarify?”
I understand.”
Interferences Hinder the Process

Differences in educational level, experience,
and culture

Physical interferences in the channel such as
noisy environment, interruptions, etc.

Mental distractions such as preoccupation
with other matters and developing a response
rather than listening
Communicating within Organizations
 Organizational
structure-the overall
design of an organization
 Developed
to meet the company’s
specific needs and enhance its ability to
accomplish goals
Communicating within Organizations
 Organizational
communication
 Concerned
with the movement of
information within the company structure
Chief Executive Officer
VP of information technology
VP of operations
VP of finance
Levels of Communication
 Internal
messages-intended for
recipients within the organization
 External
messages-directed to
recipients outside the organization
Chapter 1
Levels of Communication
Group
Organizational
Intrapersonal
Public
Interpersonal
Levels of Communication

Five levels
1.
Interpersonal communication

individuals process information based on their
own experience

Takes place in the individual’s mind (self-talk)

May be positive and constructive, or negative
destructive
Levels of Communication
2.
Interpersonal communication

To people are involved in the process

Their goals are (1) accomplish the task that
confronts them (2) feel better about
themselves due to interaction
–
Sometimes called task of goals or maintenance
goals
Levels of Communication
3.
Group communication

Among more than two people

Combined efforts of a number of people to
result in greater output
Levels of Communication
4.
Organizational communication

5.
Groups need organizational support
Public communication

Organization reaches out to public to achieve
its goals

Utilizes media advertising or web sites
Chapter 1
Communication Channels
Formal Channels
Rules procedures, policy
created by management to
control individual and group
behavior
Informal Channels
Patterns that emerge as people
interact within a formal system to
create a satisfying environment
Chapter 1
Grapevine: An Informal
Communication Channel




Speedy but inaccurate (rumor mill)
Message passes from one to one until
it reaches the end of the line
No more or less accurate than
other communication channels
Message distribution is network in
nature rather than linear
Chapter 1
Flow of Info Within an Organization
Strategic Forces Influencing
Business Communication
Chapter 1
Strategic Forces Influencing
Business Communication
Legal and Ethical Constraints
 Personal
ethical standards will often
influence what they are willing to
communicate
 A system
of ethics built on honesty may
require that a message provide full
disclosure rather than shrouding the
truth
Legal and Ethical Constraints
 Six
out of ten Americans surveyed
admitted that they would probably trade
six months’ probation for an illegal $10
million
 The
pressure is felt most strongly
among lower-level manager who are the
least experienced doing their jobs (new
business school graduates)
Legal and Ethical Constraints

What can you do to prepare for dealing with
the pressure to compromise personal values?

Possess or develop a personal belief system on a
variety of issues and the courage to practice them

Learn to analyze ethical dilemmas (identify the
consequences of your actions) will help you make
decisions that conform to your own value system.
Do not become a puppet, controlled by the
motives of others.

Learn to analyze “the big picture” which includes
the price paid for your actions by others as well as
yourself
Legal and Ethical Constraints

The foundation for legal and ethical behavior

Ethics-The principles of right and wrong that guide
you in making decisions that consider the impact
of your actions

Acting ethically—the ability to do what you feel is
right when pressured to do otherwise
Legal and Ethical Constraints

Situations for possible ethical dilemmas:

A salesperson who travels feels cheated that personal
telephone calls are not reimbursed travel expenses
and over states car mileage to cover the cost of the
calls

To protect his job, a product engineer decides not to
question a design flaw in a product that could lead to
possible injuries or death in customers

To save money, a supervisor authorizes that a
software program be installed on fifty office computers
when only one legal copy was actually purchased
Legal and Ethical Constraints

Causes of illegal and unethical behavior

Excessive emphasis on profits

“Do whatever is necessary to increase the bottom line.”

Justify unethical acts because they are in the “best interest”

Obsession with personal advancement

Expectation of not getting caught

Unethical tone set by top management
Legal and Ethical Constraints
 Uncertainty
about whether an action is
wrong
 Unwillingness
right
to take a stand for what is
Chapter 1
Four Dimensions of
Business Behavior
Method for Determining A Proposed
Advisable Action (Pagano Model)

Answer six questions honestly
1.
Is the proposed action legal
2.
What are the benefits and cost to the people involved
3.
Would you want this action to be a universal standard,
appropriate for everyone
4.
Does this action pass the light-of-day test
5.
Does the action passed the Golden Rule test
6.
Does the action passed the ventilation test? Ask the
opinion of a friend with no investment in the outcome
Chapter 1
Diversity Challenges

International

Gender

Intercultural

Intergenerational
Diversity Challenges as a
Strategic Force
 Differences
between the sender and the
receiver in areas such as culture, age,
gender, and education require a
sensitivity on the part of both the sender
and receiver so that the intended
message is the one that is received
Diversity Challenges as a
Strategic Force
 Successful
communication must often
span barriers of language and almost
always requires the consideration of
differing world views resulting from
societal, religious, or other cultural
factors.
Diversity Challenges as a
Strategic Force

Communication Opportunities and Challenges
in Diversity
 International
issues. Worldwide
telecommunications and intense international
business competition have forced many
industries to expand into world markets.
 Intercultural
issues. Changing demographics
in the U.S. are requiring businesses to face
ethnic diversity in the workplace. The U.S. is
better described as a “mosaic” than a “melting
pot”
Managing a diverse workforce effectively will
require you to communicate with everyone
and to help all employees to reach their
full potential and contribute to the
company’s goals
Diversity Challenges as a Strategic
Force

Intergenerational issues. The “graying of
America” means the older segment of the
population is larger today than at any time
previously

Choose to continue professional activities

Control a great deal of wealth and resources
Diversity Challenges as a Strategic
Force

Gender Issues. Females have entered the job
market in great numbers.

Issues concerning sex discrimination

Sexual harassment and a hostile working environments
Diversity Challenges
The culture of a people is the product of their living
experiences within their own society

Cultural and Communication

Culture is learned by people over time

Components of culture are interrelated. In the
U.S., pursuit of happiness = the pursuit of property

Culture is shared

Subcultures-cultures within cultures. Share some traits
that derive from the main culture
Diversity Challenges
 Culture
and Communication (cont.)
 Culture
provides standards for behavior
 Provides
a feeling of identity
 Provides
a feeling of being a part of
something larger than themselves
Problems arise because people assume their
cultural norms are right and their patterns of
behavior are universally valued
Diversity Challenges
 Barriers
to Intercultural Communication
 Stereotypes
 Forming
a mental picture of the main
characteristics of another group
 To
view another person as a representative of a
class of people rather than an individual
Diversity Challenges
 Barriers
to Intercultural Communication
 Chronemics
 The
study of how a culture perceives time and
its use
 U.S.—”Time
is money!”
 North Americans
with punctuality
& Europeans—Concerned
Diversity Challenges
 Barriers
to Intercultural Communication
(cont.)
 Personal
space requirements
 Proxemics—Study
of cultural space
–
Large offices for higher status—not job requirements
–
Personal space is used for communication
Diversity Challenges
 Barriers
to Intercultural Communication
(cont.)
 Body
language
 Kinesics
–
Nodding of heads
–
Feet on the floor
Chapter 1
Barriers to Intercultural
Communication

Ethnocentrism

Stereotypes

Interpretation of time

Personal space requirements

Body language

Translation limitations

Lack of language training
Chapter 1
Impacts of Technology

Data collection and
analysis

Clearer and more
effective messages

Distance overcome

Legal and ethical issues
Data Collection And Analysis

Two advantages of electronic
communication
1.
Electronic searches of organizational databases
and electronic networks can be done in a fraction
of the time of manual searches of printed
sources
2.
Vast amounts of information available allow
researchers to develop better solutions to
problems
Data Collection And Analysis
 Databases
offer these advantages
 Data
organization-ability to organize large
amounts of data
 Data
integrity-assurance that data is
accurate and complete
 Data
security assurance that data is secure
Tools for Shaping Clearer And More
Effective Messages
 Documents
that took days to produce
during b.c. (before computers) can be
created in hours or less
 Word
processing software
 Expedites
 Improve
production of a document
quality
Tools for Shaping Clearer And More
Effective Messages


Collaborative software

Assist groups in writing collaboratively

Authors work on documents at the same time
Graphics software

Surpasses word processing by using typography
and design elements
Tools for Shaping Clearer And More
Effective Messages

Presentation software


Allow speakers to develop dynamic multimedia
presentation visuals which combine texts,
graphics, animation, sound, and video
Web publishing tools

Facilitate the creation of web pages for posting to
the Internet
Communicating Quickly and
Efficiently over Long Distances

Electronic mail or e-mail

Instant messaging

Voicemail

Facsimile or fax

Telecommuting

Cellular telephone

Electronic conferencing
Legal and Ethical Implications of
Technology
 Issues
of ownership
 Copyright
of documents transmitted over
the Internet
 Issues
of access
 Threats
to individual privacy
Chapter 1
Purposes of Group
Communication

Achievement or Task Purpose
— To serve on a decisionmaking or problem-solving
group
— To get the job done

Maintenance or Social Purpose
— To assist in the betterment of
individual members from a
behavioral point of view
— To develop group morale
Chapter 1
Team Environment
Organization of the Future
Small group with
complementary
skills working
together for a
common purpose
A Way to Remain Competitive
in a Global Market
Chapter 1
Synergy
The whole is greater than
the sum of the parts.
Chapter 1
Benefits of
Work Teams

Make workers happier by causing them to
feel they are shaping their jobs

Increase efficiency by eliminating layers of
managers passing down orders and
monitoring performance

Enable a company to draw on the skills and
imagination of the whole work force
Chapter 1
Important Team Skills

Problem solving and goal setting

Conflict resolution

Distributed leadership skills

Commitment to evaluate the group process

Ability to understand needs of co-workers

Effective communication skills

Ability to deal with barriers