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REVIEW QUESTIONS & SUGGESTED ANSWERS
1. How is the use of technology impacted by legal limitations and requirements?
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which allows companies to monitor email usage for
2. What can you do to limit the excessive amount of email that lowers productivity?
Email overload can be moderated by the following:
3. What practices should be followed to avoid sending a “flame”?
To prevent a possible flame, avoid sending messages that provoke a strong emotional response
4. How does communication differ when emailing, instant messaging, and texting?
In instant messaging, spelling and grammar matter less than with traditional email because the
5. Discuss the legal issues related to the use of email.
6. How does writing for a weblog differ from writing for a website? What precautions
should be followed?
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
1
Weblogs are not always sanctioned by the company they represent. Some blogs are simply
7. What guidelines apply to recording an effective voice message? to leaving an effective
voice message on another’s phone?
To record an effective voice mail greeting, (a) update often to reflect schedule and special
To leave an effective voice mail message, (a) speak slowly and clearly and repeat name and
8. Describe the courteous use of a cell phone.
9. Which communication channels are preferred when sending a message that is personal
or confidential? Why?
10. Describe three business communication situations in which a technology channel would
be inappropriate for exchanging information. Explain your choices.
Firing an employee—a message this negative and life-changing for a receiver should be given
more emphasis and importance than electronic communication allows.
11. How is web communication different from other forms of business communication?
How is it similar?
Web communication is different than more traditional forms of business communication because
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
2
FEATURED ASSIGNMENTS
1 Communication Technology Success Stories: Conduct an electronic search to locate an
article that deals with the successful use of electronic communication in a company or
organization. Prepare an abstract of the article that includes the following parts: (1) article
citation, (2) name of organization/company, (3) brief description of communication
technique/situation, and (4) outcome(s) of the successful communication. As an alternative to
locating an article, write about a successful communication situation in the
organization/company for which you work.
1. Assessing Effectiveness of Web Communication: Visit the Web Pages that Suck website
created by Vincent Flanders or visit a site selected by your instructor. Select five
organizations’ websites to examine, or visit sites selected by your instructor. Select all five
organizations from one of the following categories: service, retail, education, manufacturing,
or recreation. Critique each of the sites, placing them in rank order of effectiveness. Use a
computer projection system to demonstrate the best site to the class, explaining its exemplary
features.
2. Critique of Email Messages Produced by Real Companies: Locate a company example of
both a well written and a poorly written email message. Analyze the strengths and
weaknesses of each document. Be prepared to discuss your analysis in class.
After removing identifying information, make a visual of selected email messages brought in by
3. Enhancing Telephone Etiquette: In today’s world, most initial contact with a person is via
the telephone, so those important first impressions are dependent on practicing proper
telephone etiquette. Make a list of ideas for increasing levels of telephone courtesy as an
image and trust builder. Prepare a brief presentation providing suggestions for placing calls,
answering calls, and taking telephone messages.
The student’s presentation should:
Emphasize the need for courtesy and a positive attitude at all times, under all circumstances.
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
3
4. Etiquette Assessment: In small groups, discuss incidents of inappropriate cell phone
behavior you have experienced in a school, work, or public setting. Explain how each
incident affected the individuals involved. Discuss etiquette rules you believe are critical for
courteous, productive cell phone use. Are some etiquette rules appropriate for business calls
but not for personal calls or vice versa? Prepare a brief presentation on the Dos and Don’ts
of Cell Phone Usage.
A good presentation will:
Use anecdotes to introduce the idea that cell phones have etiquette rules just as any other
An exceptional presentation will:
ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENT
1. Electronic Communication Usage Policy: As with other electronic communication channels,
technology often advances faster than the organization’s ability to develop adequate
procedures for using it. Using your group members’ own work experience and information
obtained from an online search, develop a company policy that applies to acceptable use of
email, instant messaging, and weblogs. Address such issues as message security, company
monitoring of messages, appropriate message content, etc. Provide a detailed explanation of
acceptable email and instant messaging usage that employees can follow consistently. Send
your policy as an attachment to an email message to your instructor; or, if directed, bring a
copy of the policy to class for discussion.
CASE ASSIGNMENT
WYNDHAM VACATION OWNERSHIP UTILIZES WEB TO PROVIDE OWNER
SATISFACTION
From its beginnings in the late 1960s, vacation ownership has become the fastest growing
segment of the U.S. travel and tourism industry. Today more than three million households have
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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bought into vacation ownership, an industry that produces more than $7 billion a year in sales.
Timeshare resorts are found across the globe in popular vacation areas near beaches, rivers and
lakes, mountains, and even major cities. By locking in the purchase price of accommodations,
vacation ownership helps assure consistent pricing for future vacations. And through vacation
exchange programs, timeshare owners have the flexibility to travel to popular destinations around
the world.
Wyndham Vacation Owner-ship, Inc., (WVO) the world’s largest timeshare company,
owns more than 140 resorts with more under development under two primary consumer brands:
Fairfield Resorts and Trendwest Resorts. It was the first timeshare company to use a flexible
points-based system successfully. The company’s point system enables more than 750,000 owners
to purchase an allotment of points rather than a specific timeframe at a particular location. The
points can then be used as an exchange value like currency. Members have the freedom to choose
the resort locations, dates, unit sizes, and lengths of stay of their annual vacations. ”According to
Franz Hanning, WVO president and CEO, “a big key to our growth and success over the years is
that we’ve always treated our owners like family.”
In 2001, when Franz Hanning took over as president and CEO of Fairfield Resorts, which
in 2006 became Wyndham Vacation Ownership, he already had two decades of management
experience with the growing company and had been instrumental in the creation of timeshare
points program. Since the launch in 2000 of the company’s comprehensive web-based vacation
planning site, members have convenient access to the information and planning flexibility they
want. According to Hanning, members enjoy the ability to check point balances and expiration
dates online, 24 hours a day, and they consider the service one of the most valuable benefits the
company offers them. While personalized telephone assistance is also available, the website is the
current information delivery system of choice, with the majority of the company’s 750,000
owners active online.
Prior to the introduction of web-based vacation planning sites, vacation arrangements
were typically made by telephone, necessitating several lengthy calls to obtain information and
confirm options. WVO members have enjoyed greater communication power since the advent of
the company’s comprehensive web-based vacation planning site. Full-service travel planning
capabilities allow site visitors to
use the site’s search function to select resorts by destination, features, and amenities.
access photos, maps, directions, resort activity calendars, local attractions, and even virtual
tours of affiliated resorts.
make airline, hotel, and car rental reservations.
take advantage of special cruise and package deals.
obtain door-to-door directions and current weather reports for all WVO resorts.
look up point requirements to stay at any of the WVO resorts and affiliates.
The ability to share information effectively is a primary advantage of electronic
communications. The Wyndham Vacation Ownership (WVO) website enables members to be
their own trip planners. In addition to checking point balances and expiration dates online,
members can also plan their own resort reservations and exchanges online. After a secure log-in
to the members-only section of the site, owners can access their personal account data. The site’s
interactive Points Calculator allows members to obtain instant information on the number of
points they will have available on a given travel date, even several years into the future.
Additionally, the Vacation Break Travel feature offers an online solution for booking travel
reservations that combines the best of e-commerce with the exceptional professional service you
expect from a travel consultant. Members can also consider owners-only exclusive offers such as
discounted resort condo rentals and click on links to recommended sites for travel-related goods
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
5
and services. Members can also use the WVO website to make discounted reservations at
participating Wyndham hotels. “We’re proud to offer our owners this value-added benefit, which
establishes a precedent for the future timeshare and hotel growth opportunities,” says Hanning.
A glimpse of the vast travel-planning information available to WVO members is
viewable at the public website. Hanning sees the Vacation Planning website as extending the
firm’s commitment to offering diverse marketing channels and reaching new consumers with
more product choices. The Web provides an organization with a highly interactive medium for
communicating with its various stakeholders, including customers, employees, business partners,
investors, and the general public. Not only can various types of company information be
presented, but the site can open the door to participation and discussion.
Current news releases, expanded services, and corporate philosophy and values can all be
communicated via the company website. Comments and inquiries are also easily posted for
efficient company response.
Sources: 500,000 and growing. (2005, July 1). Lodging and Hospitality, 22; Fairfield Resorts. (2005, May 25). Fairfield
Resorts celebrates major milestone reaching 500,000 owners. Retrieved August 2, 2005, from
https://www.fairfieldresorts.com/ffr/href.co?id=NEWS-0000023.
Activities
1. How has the effective communication of information via WVO’s website
empowered members?
2. How does WVO expect to benefit from the website?
3. Locate the following article that provides further elaboration on how
organizations can avoid common website problems to use their sites as positive communication
tools:
4. Visit the Wyndham Vacation Ownership website at
http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com. Review the site options and available information.
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Compose a brief report to your instructor that describes how WVO is using its web page to
communicate with owners, potential owners, and employees. Submit to your instructor as an email
attachment.
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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