Instructor Resource
Dainton, Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Lecture Notes
Chapter 12: What Should a Communicator Do?
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to . . .
1. Explain the influences and effects consistently associated with the theories studied
3. Explain how the theories studied can assist in enhancing professional
communication skill
5. Apply individual theories to professional contexts
Summary
Chapter 12 synthesizes the theories presented throughout the text. First, we identify two decision
points communicators face: whether to be direct or indirect and whether to behave in a similar or
different manner compared with other communicators. These decisions were framed in the
balance of the effectiveness and appropriateness needed to be a competent communicator. Then
I. Conclusions about Communication
A. Direct or indirect
1. The first decision point is whether communicators ought to assert directly what
they are thinking or what they need
a. After reading Chapter 6, it is clear that different cultures hold different values
2. To be a competent communicator you need to consider not only whether you
think being direct might be appropriate behavior but also what the culture would
B. Reciprocate or compensate
1. Should a person communicate in a similar fashion to previous messages or
whether she or he ought to behave differently?
2. This question is at the core of numerous theories
a. Systems theory
II. Conclusions about Influences and Effects
A. Cohesion, connection, and in-groups
1. The degree to which individuals are connected with others is a function of the
communication experienced by those individuals
B. Context
2. Professionals should stop and think about the context in which communication
C. Expectations
1. A few theories make special note of individuals’ expectations, suggesting these
expectations play a role in your evaluation of communication events
2. Professional communicators should challenge their own expectations
D. Face and self versus other orientation
2. The advice taken from these theories is to recognize others’ needs to protect their
image
E. Individual qualities
1. Understanding one’s self and others is important for effective communication
2. Professional communicators should recognize others’ needs to protect their
image
F. Interest and involvement
2. Successful communicators cannot presume interactional partners or audience
members will naturally be engaged in a given topic
G. Needs
1. One way to engage communication partners is to recognize and seek to meet
their needs
2. Professional communicators ought to match particular messages to the needs of
those with whom they are communicating
H. Power and control
2. Competent communicators recognize not only obvious examples of power
enactment but also less obvious examples
I. Relationship
1. Diverse relationships call for varied types of communication
J. Rewards
1. Members of individualistic cultures ask, “What’s in it for me?”
2. Many theories discussed in this text explicitly recognize the power of rewards in
making sense of communication interactions. For example, EVT, URT, SET, and
CPM
K. Rules
2. Organizational communication focus on how contemporary organizations might
rethink reliance on rules
L. Social networks
1. Many theories focus not only on specific relationships we have with others but
on the patterns of relationships in which our lives are embedded
2. The network approach focuses on how we might understand social media
through an analysis of links with others
M. Uncertainty and ambiguity
2. It seems clear that uncertainty is often perceived as problematic and can drive a
1. Values and beliefs have a complex relationship with communication
2. Communication professionals should understand others’ values and beliefs and
to recognize the difficulty in asking people to change them
III. Returning to Communication Competence
A. Competent communicators are those who take a receiver orientation to
communication
B. According to Spitzberg and Cupach (1984, 1989), the development of
communication competence is contingent on three elements
2. Knowledge refers to knowing how to act