Type:
Solution Manual
Resource:
Business Communication Essentials
Edition:
4th Edition
Author(s):
Courtland L. Bovee John V. Thill Jean A. Scribner
CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION IN TODAY’S WORKPLACE 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 the six phases in the communication process. Five key ways to improve business communication are addressed in detail: committing to ethical communication, adopting an audiencecentered approach, improving intercultural sensitivity, improving workplace sensitivity, 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.
TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 1 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Transparency 1 Transparency 2 Transparency 3 Transparency 4 Transparency 5 Transparency 6
Content Understanding the Communication Process Communication Ethics Testing for Communication Ethics Cultural Differences Ethical Choices Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution)
CHAPTER OUTLINE Communicating in Today’s Global Business Environment Recognizing Effective Communication Understanding What Employers Expect From You Understanding the Communication Process Developing Your Business Communication Skills Committing to Ethical Communication Recognizing Ethical Choices .
64 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace Making Ethical Choices Adopting an Audience-Centered Approach Improving Your Intercultural Sensitivity Recognizing Cultural Differences Cultural Context Legal and Ethical Differences Social Customs Nonverbal Communication Overcoming Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping Writing for Intercultural and International Audiences Speaking with Intercultural and International Audiences Giving—and Responding to—Constructive Feedback Being Sensitive to Business Etiquette Using Communication Technology Effectively Keeping Technology in Perspective Using Tools Wisely Reconnecting with People Frequently Chapter Summary
TEACHING NOTES Communicating in Today’s Global Business Environment Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic channels. Internal communication refers to the exchange of ideas within an organization. External communication carries information into and out of the organization. Effective communication yields a number of important benefits for both you and your company: Faster problem solving Stronger decision making Increased productivity Steadier work flow Strong business relationships More compelling promotional messages Enhanced professional images and stronger brands Improved response from colleagues, employees, supervisors, investors, customers, and other important audiences In this course you will learn the following: How to create effective messages. How to improve your communication skills in an environment that provides honest, constructive criticism. How to collaborate in teams, listen well, master nonverbal communication, and participate in business meetings.
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How to write effective business messages using a three step process that can be applied to various communication contexts, including e-mail, instant messages, blogs, and online presentations.
Recognizing Effective Communication 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
Understanding What Employers Expect from You No matter what career field you select, your employer will expect you to be competent at a wide range of communication tasks. Employers expect you to be able to accomplish the following skills: Organizing ideas and information logically and completely Expressing ideas and information coherently and persuasively Reading and listening to extract the intended meaning from other people’s messages Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences Using communication technologies effectively and efficiently Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of highquality writing and speaking Communicating in a civilized manner that reflects contemporary expectations of business etiquette Adhering to applicable government regulations and guidelines Using your time productively
Understanding the Communication Process Communication is a dynamic, two-way process containing eight steps. It is helpful to understand these steps so that you may improve your own skills and be able to recognize the many places and ways in which communication can fail. The following eight steps make up the communication process: The sender has an idea. The sender encodes the idea in a message. The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium. The sender transmits the message through a channel. The audience receives the message. The audience decodes the message. The audience responds to the message. The audience provides feedback to the sender. This process of communication is a simplified model; actual communication is often more complicated.
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Developing Your Business Communication Skills Paying close attention to six themes will help improve business communication: Committing to ethical communication Adopting an audience-centered approach Improving intercultural sensitivity Giving—and responding to—constructive feedback Being sensitive to business etiquette Using communication technology effectively Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. Unethical communication can include falsehoods and misleading information (or exclude important information). Examples of unethical communication include the following: Plagiarism Selective misquoting Misrepresenting numbers Distorting visuals Deciding what is ethical can be quite complex. Every company has responsibilities to multiple groups of people inside and outside the firm, and those various groups often have competing interests. When individuals must choose between conflicting loyalties and weigh difficult trade-offs, they face a dilemma. An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut. An ethical lapse is a clearly unethical (and frequently illegal) choice. Employers have a responsibility to establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior. Many companies establish an explicit ethics policy by using a written code of ethics to help employees determine what is acceptable. Asking yourself six questions can help you make an ethical decision: Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately? What is your intention in communicating this message? What impact will this message have on the people who receive it, or who might be affected by it? Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm? Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time? Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed in tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the Internet? Would you be proud to describe your choice to someone you admire and respect? One helpful way to make sure your messages are ethical is to consider your audience. An audience-centered approach means focusing on and caring about the members of your audience (i.e., making an effort to get the message across in a way meaningful and respectful way to them).
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Improving intercultural sensitivity requires the realization of the interaction between culture and communication. Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior. Culture affects the way you think which, in turn, affects the way you communicate. With workplaces becoming more diverse in terms of race, gender, age, national and regional attitudes and beliefs, family structure, religion, native language, and educational background, you will be able to communicate more effectively if you heed the following tips: Assume difference until similarity is proved Withhold judgment Show respect Tolerate ambiguity Look beyond the superficial Recognize your own cultural biases Be flexible Emphasize common ground Deal with the individual Learn when to be direct Observe and learn Another successful tip to utilize when communicating with those from another culture is to unlearn the “Golden Rule,” which encourages you to treat others as you would like to be treated. Instead, you should treat others as they would like to be treated. One doesn’t have to become an expert in the details of every culture in which you do business, but strive to attain a basic level of cultural proficiency in the areas such as context, law and ethics, social customs, and nonverbal communication. Every attempt at communication occurs within a cultural context, the mixture of traditions, expectations, and unwritten social rules that help convey meaning between members of the same culture. 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 communication in high context cultures is building relationships, not exchanging information. Low-context cultures rely more on the explicit content and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. The primary task of communication in low context cultures is to exchange information. Legal and ethical behaviors are also affected by cultural context. Persons from highcontext cultures put less emphasis on the written word and consider personal pledges more important than contracts. Legal systems differ from culture to culture.
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68 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace Four basic principles can help keep an intercultural message ethical: Actively seek mutual ground Send and receive messages without judgment Send messages that are honest Show respect for cultural differences Rules governing social customs differ from culture to culture. Some rules are formal and specifically articulated (e.g., table manners) and some are informal and learned over time (e.g., the comfortable standing distance between two speakers in an office). Nonverbal communication is a vital part of the communication process. Nonverbal communication includes everything from facial expressions to style of dress. Interpreting nonverbal communication according to your own culture can be dangerous. Even simple hand gestures change meaning from culture to culture. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group. Xenophobia, a fear of strangers and foreigners, is an extreme reaction for ethnocentric individuals. Stereotyping occurs when one assigns a wide range of generalized—and often inaccurate— attributes to individuals on the basis of their membership in a particular culture or social group. Cultural pluralism is the practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms. The following simple habits can help you avoid the negativity of ethnocentrism and the oversimplification of stereotyping: Avoid assumptions Avoid judgments Acknowledge distinctions To help you prepare effective written communications for multicultural audiences, remember these tips: Use plain English Be clear Address international correspondence properly Cite numbers carefully Avoid slang and be careful with jargon and abbreviations Be brief Use short paragraphs Use transitions To help you prepare effective oral messages for those who English is not their native language, remember these tips: Speak clearly, simply, and relatively slowly Look for feedback Rephrase if necessary Clarify your true intent with repetition and examples Don’t talk down to the other person
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Learn important phrases in your audience’s language Listen carefully and respectfully Adapt your conversation style to the other person’s Check frequently for comprehension Clarify what will happen next You will encounter many situations where you are expected to give and receive feedback regarding communication efforts and you’ll want to be able to so constructively. Constructive feedback, sometimes called constructive criticism, focuses on the process and outcomes of communication, not on the people involved. Destructive feedback delivers criticism with no effort to stimulate improvement. When receiving constructive feedback, avoid the urge to defend your work or deny the validity of the feedback. Remain open and realize that feedback is a valuable opportunity to learn and improve. An important element of audience-centered communication is etiquette, the expected norms of behavior in a particular situation. Your behavior can have a profound influence on your company’s success and your career. Long lists of etiquette “rules” can be overwhelming. Fortunately, three principles will get you through any situation: Respect Courtesy Common sense 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.
OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Getting off to a good start is essential to a successful term. Students will most likely experience some anxiety about the course requirements and content. Taking the time to provide an overview of the various chapters and elements of communication they will study can help overcome this initial uneasiness. 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. Help students understand that these problems can occur with the sender, the message, the channel, or the receiver. This may also be a good time to have students develop a list of some of the barriers to effective communication that either a sender or a receiver may experience.
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70 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace Discussing the importance of selecting the correct channel for communicating a message will also help students better understand the importance of each step of 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 advertisements, human resource documents (including applications and annual reviews), information on company Web sites, and many others. Stress that some of the examples will be written and some will be oral. Invite students to provide other examples of situations in which ethical issues arise when communicating as a business employee. This discussion can lead to a dialogue about recognizing and making ethical choices. Apply Your Knowledge Exercise 5 and Practice Your Knowledge Activities 2 and 9 offer students practice in making ethical choices. 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 always expected to give in to the other companies’ practices. Other students may suggest that if employees with different cultural backgrounds want to work in U.S. organizations, then they should be expected to adapt completely to U.S. cultural norms. Provide class time to discuss the benefits a diverse workforce brings to any organization. Focus on the benefits of respecting and acknowledging other cultures. Stress the idea of a win-win solution for companies with different cultural traditions. 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 extensively, they may not understand how differently business is conducted in other countries. Provide examples of how to conduct business with firms in South America, Japan, Germany, France, and so forth. Or, have students do some research on the Internet to find country-specific information about business negotiations, high- and low-context cultures, and social customs (other than just dress and dining issues), all of which they can share with the class. Although students should be able to define stereotyping, ethnocentrism may be a new concept. Engage students in a discussion of the term, giving examples to distinguish between ethnocentrism and stereotyping. Help students develop an understanding of how both concepts can contribute to ineffective communication. 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 encountered in these situations and ask what a businessperson can do to reduce those problems. Building on the oral communication
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discussion, help students develop a list of things they should do and things they should avoid when writing to an intercultural audience. 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 the United States, they may not share the same cultural background. Pointing out such differences can help students understand that we all need to follow the tips provided for improving workplace sensitivity. This may be a good time to have students complete the Practice Your Knowledge Activity 14 to help them understand that differences also exist in relation to gender, age, and physical abilities.
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 information about each other. You can either provide a list of facts you want the students to inquire about or invite the class to prepare a list of things they would like to know about each other. Once the students have completed their interviews, ask them to introduce each other using the information they gathered in their brief interviews. To put your students further at 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 own interpretation of the communication process by drawing a communication model and labeling the various parts. Have the teams share and discuss their models with the rest of the class. Transfer models to transparencies so students will be able to comment as a group and retention will be greater. This activity can help students comprehend the communication process while emphasizing that different ways of illustrating a concept or process can be acceptable. Another alternative to this assignment would be to ask students to come up with a metaphor for the communication process (e.g., the communication process could be compared to playing billiards, with the pool player being the sender, the cue ball would be the message, the pool table would be the channel, and the ball the player wishes to hit would be the receiver).
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72 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 3. Ethical Communication. Assign students to work in teams of 2-3. Each team should prepare a list of ethical and unethical business communication examples it has heard or read about in recent months. Students may also include some examples from their places of employment. To help students get started, you may want to mention some communication examples from Tyco, ENRON, WorldCom, Martha Stewart’s company, and other organizations that have come under fire in recent years for unethical communication actions. Based on examples the teams identify, conduct a discussion about committing to ethical communication, recognizing ethical choices, and making ethical choices. 4. Culture. Ask students to assume that they have traveled to another part of the country and have stopped to talk with a resident of the region. Ask students to prepare a list of the points they would mention if the local resident asked the students to describe the culture in which they currently live. This activity should generate some lively discussion about the various aspects of culture, especially if some class members are from different parts of the United States or from different countries. Students may also begin identifying misconceptions that others may have about the students’ local culture, thus leading to a discussion of stereotyping and ethnocentrism. 5. Intercultural Sensitivity. Assign student teams to research a particular culture to identify differences in social customs and preferences or rules for conducting business. Make sure some of the students research high-context cultures and others research low-context cultures. Ask each team to share its findings in class. Use these findings as a basis for a discussion of high- and low-context cultures, social customs, and ethical issues in other cultures. 6. Intercultural Sensitivity. Invite a panel of businesspeople who grew up in different cultures to address your class. Ask panel members to comment on cultural differences in such areas as context, ethics, social customs, and nonverbal communication. Also ask them to share their knowledge about rules for conducting business in their cultures. If the panel contains persons from several different cultures, this should encourage a significant amount of discussion about intercultural communication. 7. Teamwork Exercise. Divide students into groups of 6-8 and give each group a ball. Tell the group that its “mission” is to make sure each member of the group touches the ball at least once and that the team completing the task the fastest wins. (Students will often pass the ball around the group as fast as possible. Give them several chances to try new techniques or, if they do not seem to be trying new techniques, encourage them to do so. Generally, one or two groups will figure out that if one person holds the ball in the center and the other students touch the ball simultaneously, they have discovered the quickest way to complete the task.)
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 22) 1. Effective communication benefits you and your organization in the following ways: faster problem solving; stronger decision making; increased productivity; steadier workflow; stronger business relationships; more compelling promotional messages; enhanced professional images and stronger brands; and improved response from colleagues, employees, supervisors, investors, customers, and other important audiences. 2. Culture influences the way you think, which naturally affects the way you communication as both a sender and a receiver. 3. Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society (they define the boundary between right and wrong). Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. 4. An audience-centered approach means focusing on and caring about the members of your audience—making every effort to get your message across in a way this is meaningful and respectful to the audience. 5. Technology can’t match the rich experience of person-to-person contact. Visiting with others in person allows you to pick up on nonverbal cues and engage in a more meaningful conversation. Communicating in person also allows you to become more than a voice on the phone or a name on a screen.
APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 22) 1. This exercise should help students organize their thoughts about how communication keeps organizations running, what business tasks require communication, and how communication benefits business organizations. Students should also realize that effective communication helps employees feel as if they are a part of the business process because they feel supported in their efforts and rewarded for their accomplishments; they also believe that their comments, suggestions, and problems will receive fair consideration, so any problems among co-workers are quickly and easily resolved. Knowing the company’s objectives and having clear instructions on how to accomplish their tasks makes employees confident in their work. 2. Only by understanding the process of communication can you determine whether each step has been completed successfully. Communication cannot occur if any step in the process is blocked. By understanding the process, you can determine where the problem lies and correct it (e.g., you can determine whether you have chosen an improper channel and medium for transmitting the message or if your receiver is from a different culture). Your knowledge of the communication process helps you send messages that are ethical, audience-centered, and interculturally sensitive.
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74 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 3. This question will help students consider the growing problems faced by employees from foreign cultures. The discussion should be lively with regard to just how much the company is responsible for learning about and adapting to the cultural backgrounds of its employees. 4. Since an audience-centered approach means focusing on and caring about the members of your audience, including making every effort to get your message across in a way this is meaningful and respectful to the audience, featuring readers’ comments on a corporate blog allows the audience to participate in the conversation. 5. Writing documents for superiors is usually a part of your job. Business documents often bear the signature of someone who did not actually write them. Yet one person repeatedly taking credit for another’s work may also come to be seen as unethical behavior. So, when should action be taken? Of course, once the decision to take action has been made, you don’t want to embarrass your boss or risk your relationship with a direct confrontation. The best tactic may be to keep quiet for now and find ways to clarify your role through informal lines of communication whenever you’re working on a report for your boss. In situations like this, word of mouth generally spreads quickly up the organizational ladder.
PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 23) Activities 1.
The slang and acronyms contained in the message are too informal for members of the audience and will probably confuse them. Words and phrases such as ASAP, our little family, high time, shaking hands across the sea, pleased as punch, my level best, and sell you on America will seriously impair their ability to understand your boss’s message. A fair suggestion would be to rewrite the message, omitting all cultural based expressions and idioms. This message is not audience-centered as the writer has not considered others’ perceptions and backgrounds.
2.
The ethics of each situation may be decided as follows: a. De-emphasizing negative test results is an ethical lapse that could affect lives in some situations; for example, when women suffered from defective breast implants. b. Using equipment at home would be ethical, especially if permission was obtained. c. Helping a friend would be ethical, unless “privileged” information was being conveyed without permission. d. Using allocated funding for unnecessary purchases is unethical. It would be better to justify the need for next year’s budget than to preserve it by cheating.
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3.
Students might mention the employees should always consult a company’s code of ethics (if one exists) before writing anything associated with the company. Students opposed to the ban may argue that it is an individual’s ethical responsibility to alert the public to serious concerns about an organization and that a policy that bans criticism is unfair and unjust. Additionally, they might note that a blog containing valid criticism of the company may appear as more authentic and credible than blogs that just praise a company. Others supporting the ban may argue that any external communication about a company must be examined by that company since an employee could post something untrue; moreover, if employees are being paid to blog, then the company has a right to edit content.
4.
After researching Cisco’s Code of Business Conduct, students might mention the following examples that violate the Code of Business Conduct: • Cisco employees and members of their immediate families engaging in a direct or indirect financial relationship with other businesses that could cause divided loyalty. • Cisco employees not receiving written permission from the Cisco vice president for their organization before beginning any employment, business, or consulting relationship with another company. • Employees serving on outside Boards of Directors or Technical Advisory Boards of a profit-making organization not seeking, prior to acceptance, written approval. • Not disclosing or seeking approval of an investment more than one percent of total outstanding shares of a public company by the Review Board. • Requesting or negotiating a fee or receiving any form of compensation (except the novelties, favors, or entertainment described below) from the organization that requested the speech, unless the employee first receives express authorization from the Cisco department vice president; or not donating a fee to the Cisco Foundation or other non-profit charitable organization. • Not receiving written permission from the Cisco department vice president before developing, outside of Cisco, any products, software, or intellectual property that is or may be related to Cisco’s current or potential business.
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Offering or accepting cash or cash equivalent (such as loans, stock, stock options, or other monetary instruments such as bank checks, traveler’s checks, money orders, investment securities or negotiable instruments). Offering, accepting, or participating in any favors, gifts or entertainment or other situations that are unsavory, or otherwise violates Cisco’s commitment to diversity and mutual respect, or that would reasonably cause any customer or Cisco employee to feel uncomfortable, such as “adult entertainment.”
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Offering favors, gifts or entertainment over $100 USD per year to any individual to a single customer, vendor or supplier— unless prior written approval of department vice president AND HR manager has been obtained. Accepting favors, gifts or entertainment over $100 USD per year from any single customer, vendor or supplier—unless prior written approval of department vice president AND HR manager has been obtained.
Students might list the following opportunities for Cisco employees to report ethics violations or ask questions regarding ethical dilemmas: • Employees could contact Cisco’s general counsel • Employees could send e-mail to auditcommittee@externalcisco.com or ethics@cisco.com • Employees could mail a letter to a private outside mailbox • Employees could call several individuals • Employees could issue internal complaints via the internal website 5.
Student answers might mention that every employee is a representative of the organization and employee behavior should protect the company’s reputation; thus, all employees should receive etiquette training. Answers might also focus on the changing workplace with more emphasis placed on teams and flattened management hierarchies; with these changes, more and more employees might be coming into contact with high-profile clients.
6.
In these memos or speeches of introduction, students should include information about their majors, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and future career plans. This activity should give you an idea of the level of your students’ writing or speaking skills, as well as help you get to know them.
7.
Before writing the report, the author will want to know a. The audience’s culture (so that cultural biases can be avoided) b. The audience’s level of knowledge about the subject (so that the report’s style, content, organization, and tone will reflect that level) c. The environment in which the report will be received (to compensate for any noise interference) d. Whether the report will be read directly by the intended audience or will first pass through several layers of gatekeepers (so that anticipated distortions can be minimized before the report is read and summarized by gatekeepers) e. The audience’s gender and family status (because child-care may be viewed from a different perspective by men, women, parents, and nonparents)
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This exercise challenges students to apply their understanding of the communication process. Ask them to be specific about how they encoded and transmitted the idea they wanted to share; also ask them to explain exactly how they knew whether the message had been accurately decoded. Students might identify such barriers as a difference in perception due to differences in age, background, culture, or language; a lack of credibility, precision, congeniality, or control; a lack of information about the audience; a misunderstanding caused by unfocused, incoherent, or sloppy communication; one party being sidetracked or bringing up unnecessary information; an inability to relate new information to existing ideas; or the noise from environmental distractions, including the emotional states of the people involved or a person’s poor listening ability.
9.
This exercise asks students to consider a possible ethical dilemma: choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear cut. Students might mention that if employees are violating company policy, then they should be reported; however, others might mention that the boss is unfairly taking advantage of the fact that this person has numerous friends within the company. The questions that need to be asked before the employee makes a decision include: has the situation been defined fairly and accurately, what is the intention of communicating this information, what impact will this information have on the people who are affected by it, will this information achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm, will this decision seem unethical in the future, and are we comfortable with this decision (would both parties be proud to describe the situation to someone they respect)? Students might also wish to discuss whether or not the company has a code of ethics, whether or not employees are aware of company policies and the consequences for violating them, and whether or not the boss has asked others to report this type of information to her as well.
10.
After studying the examples included in this chapter, students may recognize the dropped eyes, soft tone, and vague answers as the Japanese businessperson’s way of showing respect and saying no indirectly so that the Canadian negotiator would be able to save face.
11.
Students may find that it’s difficult, even with their own understanding of the expressions, to translate the entire context of these phrases. For instance, “He couldn’t hang,” loses a little something when it’s translated to, “He couldn’t hold out and remain calm until the situation concluded or changed.” That’s why slang emerges in the first place—to fill a unique, idiosyncratic language void. This exercise might serve as a good jumping-off point for a lively class discussion.
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Students should find this assignment interesting. A number of books are available on international business communication, and many of them provide country-by-country information. As an option, you may suggest that some students pick two countries and compare their customs, describing the similarities and differences in nonverbal communication, meeting protocol, decision-making processes, and so on. To make this activity more focused, assign each student or team one type of business practice, such as gift giving, and ask them to describe how that practice varies in a dozen or so countries.
13.
The role-playing should reveal how easily we slip into ethnocentric and stereotypical viewpoints—which interfere with business communication even when the difference is one of age, gender, or physical ability. To deal with the problem, try to view issues from the other person’s perspective.
14.
Students might suggest that the marketing director should recognize the impasse as cultural and drop the demand for a detailed contract before the whole deal falls through. After requesting an adjournment, the marketing director should do some research to learn about the Chinese representative’s culture. Then the marketing director could try an approach more attuned to Chinese cultural practices and suggest a compromise that will allow both parties to save face and achieve their mutual objectives.
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 25) 1.
Be predictable. Refer mainly to your own behavior. Let bygones be bygones. Don’t demand instant appreciation. Reinforce tiny changes for the better.
2.
You must create a balance of respect and understanding in the workplace to have happy and optimally productive workers. In addition to this, it is important that you AND your employees are aware of the importance of respecting diversity when dealing with your clients. When you work effectively with your community, both you and the community benefit.
3.
Incivility, rudeness, and lack of etiquette are common occurrences in our daily lives. In business, bad etiquette can spell the loss of income, contracts, and loss of respect from employees and clients alike.
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IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 25) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Nouns (p. 25) 1. Give the balance sheet to Melissa. 2. We’d like to order 50 more satchels for Craigmont Stores, and 3 each for the other stores on our list. 3. Tarnower Corporation donates a portion of its profits to charity every year. 4. Which aluminum bolts are packaged? 5. Please send the Joneses a dozen of the following: stopwatches, canteens, headbands, and wristbands. 6. The technician has already repaired the machine for the client. 7. An attorney will talk to the group about incorporation. 8. After her vacation, the buyer prepared a third-quarter budget. 9. The new flat monitors are serving our department very well. 10. Accuracy overrides speed in importance. 11.
copies
Make sure that all copys include the new addresses.
employees’ the Red Cross drive.
Ask Jennings to collect all employee’s donations for
13. sons-in-law / businesses his two online business’s.
Charlie now has two son-in-laws to help him with
14.
parentheses your reports.
Avoid using too many parenthesises when writing
15.
Ness’s / week’s a weeks work.
Follow President Nesses rules about what constitutes
12.
Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 26) 1. If a broken-down, unproductive guy like Carl can get a raise, why can’t a takecharge guy like me get one? 2. Visit our website and sign up for “On Your Toes,” our free newsletter that keeps you informed about promotions, discounts, and Internet-only specials.
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80 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 3. As of March 2007, the Board of Directors has nine members, including three women, one African-American, and one Hispanic American. 4. We urge you, as one of the nearly three [or: 3] million New York Life policyholders eligible to vote, to approve the new investment advisory agreement. 5. Gerrald Higgins, Vice President for Marketing, told reporters that Capital One provides financial services to one-fourth of homes in the United States. 6. Our customer relations associates work with people every day to answer questions, provide assistance, and solve problems. 7. If tenants breach the lease, the landlord is likely to file legal action against them to collect on the remainder of the lease. [Preferable to: If anyone breaches the lease, it is likely that the landlord will file action against him or her to collect on the remainder of his or her lease. “Anyone” and “they” could also be replaced by “you,” which changes verb agreement.] 8. The IRA is one of the most common plans for the self-employed because it’s simple to set up and administer. 9. My advice to you is to put your mission statement on your website. 10. According to Karen Smith’s report, many small-business owners don’t recognize the full effect that layoffs and terminations can have on the motivation of surviving employees. 11. To facilitate the processing of your U.S. tax return, use the mailing label and barcoded envelope enclosed in your tax package. 12. The NASE have implemented an exciting array of programs that make it easy for you to voice your legislative opinions and concerns. 13. Keep in mind the old saying “When you laugh, the world laughs with you; when you cry, you cry alone.” 14. Albert Edmunds and I are owners of the real estate firm of Edmunds & Cale, which has recently opened a new office in San Diego County. 15. The memo implied that the economic downturn will have a greater effect on the company’s bottom line than we previously assumed; this was the worst news we could have received.
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