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© 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.
Business Communication: In Person, In Print, Online
INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE
Chapter 1
Understanding Business Communication
Overview
The communication process begins with a need, and the sender
interprets the context, identifies and analyzes the audience,
determines objectives, chooses the medium, and creates the message.
The audience interprets the message and provides feedback, creating a
new message.
The communication process travels within formal and informal
networks. Communication is challenging when interrupted by verbal or
nonverbal barriers.
Audience and communication objectives play an important role in
selecting communication media for a message. Both oral and written
channels include traditional and technology-based media, such as
social media, corporate blogs, and others.
9e
© 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
Teaching Suggestions
Resources
LO1: Identify the components of communication.
INTRODUCE the concept of business communication. Highlight the
importance of communication for any job—the substantial rewards of
effective communication and the risks of communication failures.
DISCUSS the major components of communication. Clarify that the process
is not linear and could involve divergent steps—it’s not a perfect model.
14-week business: Ask students for examples of communication they
received at a recent job, and then walk through the components of
communication with these examples.
14-week non-business: Ask students for examples of communication they
encountered in various business-related situations (e.g., as customers) and
then walk through the components of communication with these examples.
• Which of these verbal barriers do you find most damaging to
communication?
• From your experience, have you seen examples of barriers interfering
with communication?
• What is the best way to overcome these barriers?
FACILITATE a discussion about non-verbal barriers to communication.
INSTRUCT students to work in teams. Invite them to do the following tasks:
• Discuss distractions. In what ways do you multitask? What is helpful and
potentially harmful about the way you multitask?
© 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
Resources
LO2: Identify the major verbal and nonverbal barriers to
communication.
• Brainstorm a list of solutions (e.g., turning off Facebook alerts). Which
can you apply to the way you work?
DISTRIBUTE the handout “Do You Know These Terms?” and ask students to
define each term:
Term
Definition
OS
Operating system
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group
(compression technique for color images)
retweet
Sending tweets others wrote on Twitter
POS
Point-of-sale
hacker
Person who breaks into computers and
computer networks
followers
Twitter users subscribing to receive others’
updates
spam
Use of electronic messaging systems to send
unsolicited bulk messages
thumbnail
Reduced-size versions of pictures, used to
help in recognizing and organizing them
© 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. 4
Resources
LO2: Identify the major verbal and nonverbal barriers to
communication.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language
patch
A quick fix for a programming defect
CAD
Computer-aided Design
INSTRUCT students to work in teams, and show the Aggresshop Retail Store
video. Invite students to discuss the questions from the PPT slide in their
teams first; then have them share their team’s opinion with the rest of the
class.
14-week business: INTRODUCE the story, “Study Shows Value of Internal
Social Networks,” on www.bizcominthenews.com.
Discuss the study and ask students to share their experiences working for
organizations. Have they had access to internal social networks, such as
Yammer? What has been their experience? In what ways did the network
help and hinder their work?
© 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
Resources
LO3: Describe criteria for choosing communication media.
14-week non-business: INTRODUCE the story, “More Teens and Young
Adults Use Tumblr than Facebook,” on www.bizcominthenews.com.
Facilitate a discussion comparing social media sites, such as Facebook,
Tumblr, and Twitter. How are students using each? Which are most
valuable for which business purposes?
14-week non-business: SHOW Up in the Air video clip (send email to
amynewman@cornell.edu for the clip). Discuss with students the
possibility of using videoconferencing to announce layoffs.
• In the recipient’s inbox
• In the recipient’s deleted folder or trash
• On the recipient’s computer server
• In forwarded recipients’ inboxes, deleted folders, or servers
• In print
• On many websites, including social networking sites
© 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. 6
Resources
LO4: Avoid potential legal consequences of communication.
14-week business: REFER TO the story, “Emails Reveal Legal Bill Padding,” on
www.bizcominthenews.com. Invite students to complete the following:
Imagine that you are the chief legal officer of a major company. Write an
email to all employees to reinforce your communication policy. How can
you remind people to protect their email and other communications?
INTRODUCE the story, “Ethical Social Media Marketing Aer the Boston
Bombing,” on www.bizcominthenews.com.
14-week non-business: Invite students to discuss the ethical implications of
the situation. Use the following discussion starters:
14-week business: Using the same story, have students complete the
© 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. 7
Resources
LO5: Communicate ethically.
following:
Write an email to the CEO of NBC explaining your position on the
topic. Have students choose: either urge the company to change the
campaign or show support for their efforts.
REFER TO the story, “George Takei’s Ghost Writer Fesses Up,” on
www.bizcominthenews.com. Have students debate whether this situation
is unethical. Encourage them to consider when paying for tweets or
Facebook posts may cross an ethical line.
14-week business: INVITE students to work in groups to talk about their
experiences at work. Pose the following questions:
• If you uncovered wrongdoing at work, what avenues would you take to
report the issue?
• What resources may be available within your company?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of using these internal
channels first?
© 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. 8
Solutions to Exercises
3Ps in Practice: Media Choice to Communicate a Decision
Process
1. What do you want to achieve with your message? Consider both short- and long-term
objectives.
I want to come to a compromise with my boss. In the short-term, I would like to convince
her to abandon the campaign. In the long-term, I want her to see that our company
shouldn’t encourage negative body images. In an ideal situation, we will have a more
positive series of slogans on T-shirts and other apparel, whether it concerns body image
or not.
permit open communication, show body language, and allow for immediate responses.
Having a difficult discussion in a one-way form of communication, such as an email or a
letter, leaves a lot up to interpretation.
I am having a difficult discussion with my boss to tell her that I won’t do a job that she
asked me to do. The sensitivity of the situation drives my decision as well as the logistics
of whether we can meet in person.
medium would be the best way to deliver this message. One thing we must consider is
that she sent the request to me via email. The best option may be to schedule a time to
meet with her via email; then, we can talk in person.
better reach the target market. I will make it clear to her that her idea is not one that I am
ethically comfortable with, and I’ll think about questions that my boss may ask to prepare
answers for them. She could respond negatively, but by allowing open dialogue (asking
questions, receiving answers), I will try to convince her to steer away from this idea.
© 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. 9
1. Identify communication components in a current news story.
Students are encouraged to select a news story of interest and identify the communication need,
sender, message, audience, and response. Students may reference www.bizcominthenews.com
to find a recent story.
Following are examples of the communication components involved in the news story “Try
Protein Instead of Meat at Taco Bell” (June 26, 2013).
Communication Need: The idea of “meat” has gotten a bad reputation.
Sender: Taco Bell’s marketing department
Message: Taco Bell offers “protein,” not “meat.” Protein is associated with healthy and delicious
food; on the other hand, meat is associated with unhealthy eating. One medium to communicate
this message may be the menu (i.e., offering options on the “Power Protein Menu”).
Audience: Customers of Taco Bell
Response: Customers may be more excited to try the “protein-related” items on the Taco Bell
menu. Concerns about mystery meat and pink slime may decrease as the company uses the
word protein in lieu of the word meat.
critically about how their experiences, culture, emotions, personality, knowledge, socioeconomic
status, and demographic variables affect their interpretation of messages.
• Downward communication: information ows from a manager to his or her employees.
• Cascading communication: information ows from one level down to another.
• Upward communication: information ows from lower-level employees to upper-level
employees or managers.
• Lateral (horizontal) communication: communication ows among peers.
© 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. 10
4. Describe a company’s grapevine.
Encourage students to analyze the informal communication network of the company they
discussed in Exercise 3. Ensure that students discuss both possible positive and negative aspects
of the grapevine. Management should have an understanding of the company grapevine and be
© 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. 11
Communication barriers between the sales associate and the shopper made for an unpleasant
shopping experience. The most obvious barrier is nonverbal: the customer does not make eye
contact and turns her body away from the sales associate. Instead, she could be clear: “Thank
you for your help, but I would rather just browse on my own for a while.” At the end of the
interaction, the customer asks for an item to distract the associate so that she can run out of the
store. She could have handled this differently (although, of course, the associate should have
paid attention to nonverbal cues).
Much of their communication failures stem from the different goals of the two individuals in this
interaction. The sales associate has been trained to sell items to each individual in the store. She
wants to be helpful and available to assist the shopper in any way possible (to get a high
commission!). Although the shopper seems disinterested in the associate’s suggestions, the
associate continues to recommend new items and provide commentary on what the shopper is
doing. The sales associate may perceive the shopper’s disinterest as dissatisfaction with the
merchandise, so she hopes that additional suggestions and commentary may lead the shopper
to an item she wants to purchase.
The shopper, however, finds the sales associate overbearing and just wants to browse. She
avoids the associate, does not make eye contact, and continues to be dismissive. Although the
sales associate intends to be helpful and friendly, the shopper finds her annoying and leaves the
store as a result.
© 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. 12
Hey Christina,
Did you happen to see the game last night? It was incredibly action-packed. When the
Yankees had bases loaded and the next player was at bat, I was hoping for a home run, a
grand slam, but then they grounded into a double play! How disappointing.
I hope tomorrow’s game is better.
Jon
hoping that he would hit the ball far enough so that he could run around all four bases
because then the Yankees would score four runs with one hit—one for each player on base
plus the batter. But we hit a ground ball, yielding outs at both second and first base. How
disappointing.
I hope tomorrow’s game is better.
Jon
• Jargon is more effective only when the reader fully understands; otherwise jargon will have a
negative effect (misunderstandings and possibly bad feelings).
© 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. 13
10. Analyze print communication.
Students should use print media from around the campus to analyze. Posters or “quarter card”
advertisements are some examples. Print media can make a different impact on individuals than
technology-based media. Students should evaluate the effectiveness of the print media and
whether a digital form should be used as a supplement or a replacement. With their experience
online, students should have no trouble identifying alternatives for print: websites, Facebook,
© 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. 14
allow sales associates to ask
questions and get an immediate
response. Sales associates are all
located at the store, so an in-person
meeting is easy, but the sales
managers may need to hold more
than one to accommodate different
shifts.
Meeting
Additionally, I would invite all
corporate employees to an optional
meeting to review more details and
answer questions. This will allow me
to answer particular questions and
address concerns.
Sign on stores
customers’ email addresses, then an
email should be sent; otherwise, a
letter may be sent to a home
address.
In addition to the direct
communication, managers should
post signs on all store windows for
customers who drop by. This should
be a standardized poster that the
© 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. 15
corporate office creates and sends to
all stores.
Suppliers
Letter or email
All suppliers should receive a letter
or email from the company
explaining which stores will be closed
and when so they can adjust their
deliveries accordingly.
© 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. 16
Thanks again for letting me know,
Kendra
15. Research a lawsuit about communication.
Students can search online to find a possible lawsuit example. Students’ analysis of the
questionable communication should be directed towards the correct audience—a competitor to
the company in question. As students identify aws in the company’s behavior, they should
© 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. 17
We did not know that you had resources from another company, and we would like to look at
the other orientation program. Using the program from Levine and Wollinger, we can better
understand what an effective program looks like. We will then be able to use the information
from our research and the other law firm to create an excellent and new program.
Although it would be simpler to just use the other program, we would like to create our own
because we have been working on it all summer and that is our understanding of our role on the
project. Additionally, we wouldn’t feel comfortable turning in another law firm’s orientation
project as our own. Within a week, we will have finished creating a program that you will want to
use.
Please send us the program you have, and let us know if you have any other feedback.
Intern Team
19. Discuss ethical dilemmas.
You may facilitate a discussion that includes the following:
1. Confidentiality: What you know about your employee’s pending plans is not a
consideration here. Despite any personal feelings, it is not your place to violate the
expectation of confidentiality your boss has placed upon you. Even though you would
not want to be in this situation yourself, breaking confidentiality for only one
employee’s benefit would create an unwanted image of favoritism. One alternative is
to tell your boss about the situation and leave the final decision there. (Students may
discuss the situation in Exercise 13 here. Larson did violate company confidentiality.
Perhaps he had alternatives, for example, moving up the date to communicate the
© 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. 18
4. Hiring: The ability to communicate effectively on any job is an integral part of a
candidate’s job qualifications. You’ll need to decide whether the lack of that ability is
critical and, if so, whether it can be remedied. Consider your own feelings if you were
about the assistance you were giving your friend. Perhaps compromise with your
friend, to give advice that pushes him or her in the right direction for finding the
for lowering productivity and morale—and possibly losing a good worker. You might
consider changing the policy, raising the salary cap, or employing other options to
