978-0133896787 Chapter 1 Part 1

1: Professional Communication in Today’s Digital, Social, Mobile World

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CHAPTER 1: PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION IN TODAY’S

DIGITAL, SOCIAL, MOBILE WORLD

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Chapter 1 focuses on the importance and benefits of becoming an effective business

communicator and highlights characteristics of effective communication. A definition of

effective communication is followed by a discussion of why communication is important in

business, and what it means to communicate effectively in today’s global business environment.

The eight phases in the communication process are also explored, and the traditional

“publishing” model of communication is compared with the newer, more interactive social

communication model.

Three key ways to improve business communication are addressed in detail: committing to

ethical communication, communicating in a world of diversity, and using communication

technology effectively. Examples of unethical communication practices and a discussion of how

to recognize ethical choices precede a list of questions to help a communicator make an ethical

decision. Readers will learn about ways to recognize cultural differences in areas such as cultural

contexts, ethics, social customs, and nonverbal communication. The suggestions for polishing

both written and oral intercultural skills can help a businessperson communicate more effectively

with those of differing cultural backgrounds, as can the list of tips for working in a culturally

diverse workforce. Readers are offered an overview of technologies that connect businesses, and

aspects of using communication technology effectively are presented. The information presented

in Chapter 1 provides a base for all the remaining chapters in the text.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Understanding Why Communication Matters

Communication is Important to Your Career

Communication is Important to Your Company

What Makes Business Communication Effective?

Communicating as a Professional

Understanding What Employers Expect from You

Communicating in an Organizational Context

Adopting an Audience-Centered Approach

Exploring the Communications Process

The Basic Communication Model

The Social Communication Model

The Mobile Revolution

Committing to Ethical Communication

Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas from Ethical Lapses

Making Ethical Choices

Communicating in a World of Diversity

The Advantages and Challenges of a Diverse Workforce

Key Aspects of Cultural Diversity

Cultural Context

Legal and Ethical Differences

Social Customs

Nonverbal Communication

Age Differences

Gender Differences

Religious Differences

Ability Differences

Advice for Improving Intercultural Communication

Writing for Multilingual Audiences

Speaking with Multilingual Audiences

Using Technology to Improve Business Communication

Keeping Technology in Perspective

Using Tools Productively

Guarding Against Information Overload

Reconnecting with People Frequently

Chapter Review and Activities

TEACHING NOTES

Understanding Why Communication Matters

You can have the greatest ideas in the world, but they’re no good to your company or your career

if you can’t express them clearly and persuasively.

Effective communication yields a number of important benefits for both you and your company:

 Increased productivity and faster problem solving

 Better financial results and higher return for investors

 Earlier warning of potential problems, from rising business costs to critical safety issues

 Stronger decision making based on timely, reliable information

 Clearer and more persuasive marketing messages

and lower employee turnover

Good ideas must be expressed clearly and persuasively. To develop effective messages, be sure

to follow these steps:

 Provide practical information.

 Give facts rather than vague impressions.

 Present information in a concise, efficient manner.

 Clarify expectations and responsibilities.

 Offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations.

Communicating as a Professional

professional.

Professionalism can be broken down into six elements:

 Be the best.

 Be dependable.

 Be a team player.

 Be respectful.

 Be ethical.

 Be positive.

competencies employers expect:

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 Actively listening to others

 Communicating effectively with people of diverse backgrounds

 Using communication technologies effectively and efficiently

 Following accepted standards of grammar and spelling for high-quality writing and

speaking

 Communicating ethically

 Managing time wisely and using resources efficiently

Readers will learn to differentiate between social, scholastic, and professional styles of

communication. They will look at the audience-centered approach to professional

etiquette.

Exploring the Communication Process

Communication is a dynamic, two-way process containing eight steps. It is helpful to understand

1. The sender has an idea.

2. The sender encodes the idea in a message.

3. The sender produces the message in a medium.

4. The sender transmits the message through a channel.

The communication process described above generally represents the traditional nature of much

business communication, which was primarily defined by a publishing or broadcasting mindset.

In contrast, a newer and increasingly effective social communication model has emerged,

characterized by communication that is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who

The Mobile Revolution

Some experts predict that mobile communication will change the nature of business

communication even more than social media has. Mobile devices are the primary communication

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Some companies now take a mobile-first approach in which websites are designed for optimum

The physical limitations of mobile devices require that messages be written and formatted

Mobile devices create a host of security and privacy concerns, but can enhance productivity and

Committing to Ethical Communication

Business communicators have a responsibility to communicate ethically with audiences. Ethics

are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Ethical

Examples of unethical communication include the following:

 Plagiarizing

 Omitting essential information

 Selectively misquoting

Deciding what is ethical can be quite complex.

Every company has responsibilities to multiple groups of people inside and outside the firm, and

Ethical dilemmas are not the same as ethical lapses. An ethical dilemma involves choosing

Employers have a responsibility to establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior. Many

Asking yourself six questions can help you make an ethical decision:

 Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately?

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 Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm?

One helpful way to make sure your messages are ethical is to consider your audience. An

Communicating in a World of Diversity

Improving intercultural sensitivity requires the realization of the interaction between culture and

communication.

A diverse workforce offers a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas, helps companies

understand and identify with diverse markets, and enables companies to benefit from a wider

Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for

behavior. Although diversity is often narrowly defined in terms of ethnic background, a more

Culture affects the way you think which, in turn, affects the way you communicate.

Cultural competency is an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the

Every attempt at communication occurs within a cultural context, which includes:

 Patterns of physical cues

 Environmental stimuli

 Implicit understanding of how to convey meaning between members of different cultures

High-context cultures rely less on the explicit content of the message and more on the context of

nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. The primary role of

Low-context cultures rely more on the explicit content and less on circumstances and cues to

Legal and ethical behaviors are also affected by cultural context.

Rules governing social customs differ from culture to culture. Some rules are formal and

Nonverbal communication is a vital part of the communication process. Nonverbal

Cultural differences can also influence perspectives on age. In some cultures, youth is associated

Also, multiple generations in the workplace present another dimension of diversity. Each

Perspectives on gender also vary across cultures, resulting in vastly different views of men and

women in business. Gender influences workplace communication in several important ways:

 Perception of men and women in business varies between cultures

Religious differences can lead to a great deal of controversy since religion is one of the most

personal and influential aspects of life.

Working effectively with others whose hearing, vision, cognitive ability and/or mobility differ

from yours requires respect and care. Follow the tips below to communicate more effectively in

cross-cultural situations:

 Avoid ethnocentrism (the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards,

behaviors, and customs of one’s own group).

To help you prepare effective written communications for multicultural (and multilingual)

audiences, remember these tips:

 Use plain English.

 Avoid words with multiple meanings.

 Avoid slang and be careful with jargon and abbreviations.

 Be brief.

To help you prepare effective oral messages for those for whom English is not their native

language, remember these tips:

 Speak clearly, simply, and relatively slowly.

 Look for feedback, but interpret it carefully.

 Rephrase if necessary.

Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to improve the communication process, and

you’ll need to know how to use a variety of these technologies on the job. To communicate

effectively, you’ll need to keep technology in perspective, use technological tools productively,

and disengage from the computer frequently to communicate in person.

Using Technology to Improve Business Communication

Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to facilitate the communication process. The

benefits of technology are not automatic—to communicate effectively, keep technology in

perspective:

 Use technological tools productively.

When sending a message, ensure it is meaningful and important to the receiver. As the receiver,

try to control the number and type of messages received. Focus on job-related messages.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE

Getting off to a good start is essential to a successful term. Students will most likely experience

Although students will typically follow along with an explanation of the model of the

communication process presented in the text, take time to discuss the model in class and provide

numerous illustrations. Provide examples of feedback that is immediate e.g., feedback given in a

face-to-face conversation) versus feedback that is delayed (e.g., a letter to a newspaper editor).

Provide examples that illustrate where problems can arise within the communication process.

Students should all be able to provide examples of unethical business actions; however, they may

not have viewed some of these as ethical issues as they relate to communication. Engage students

by discussing communication documents such as product warranties, product assembly

instructions, customer service documents, telephone conversations, marketing brochures and

Helping students understand the importance of intercultural sensitivity often becomes a

challenging task. During the class coverage of this topic, some students may argue that if a

company from another part of the world wants to do business with a U.S. firm, then the other

organization should adjust to U.S. business practices. Some will ask why U.S. companies are

The idea of high-context and low-context cultures will undoubtedly be very new to students.

Give various examples of how the context can affect business negotiations, ethical decisions, and

the manner in which business is conducted. Since many students may not have traveled

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Although students should be able to define stereotyping, ethnocentrism may be a new concept.

Students may not have had an opportunity to write messages to someone with another cultural

background, but they may have numerous examples of communicating orally with someone who

speaks more than one language. Lead a discussion about problems and successes they have

Some students may be employed by companies with a diverse workforce. Lead a discussion to

help the entire class identify the responsibilities a businessperson has to communicate effectively

with co-workers. Help students understand that even though employees were born and raised in

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES

1. Get Acquainted. To help start the class and the term in an enthusiastic manner, ask students

to work in teams of two and interview each other. Give students five minutes to gather

ease, you may want to participate by giving them comparable information about yourself.

This exercise will help students get to know each other and develop a level of comfort with

classmates early in the term.

2. The Communication Process. Assign students to work in teams. Each team should prepare its

emphasizing that different ways of illustrating a concept or process can be acceptable.

3. Mobile Communication. Ask students about their opinions on “radical connectivity.” As a

eventually, as business professionals.

4. Ethical Communication. Assign students to work in teams of two or three. Each team should