Define communication 

Communication- process of exchanging information and meaning between or among individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, and behavior. Other words used to describe communication process include conversing, speaking, corresponding, writing, and listening.

Describe the main purpose of communication in business

Effective business communication is essential to success in today’s work environments. When business professionals clarify the purpose of their communication, they often develop a commitment to achieving goals

Explain the communication process model, (including the terms encode, breakdown, channel, decode, receiver, interference, feedback.) 

• Encoding- the process of selecting and organizing a message
• Breakdown- a lack of communication; a failure to exchange messages
• Channel- the way in which they communicate. Could be note, conversation, text, email
• Some channels take more time than others
• Sometimes multiple channels is good
• Decoding- the process of interpreting a message
• Receiver- person receiving the message
• Interference- also called barriers; numerous factors that hinder the communication process
• Feedback- a receiver’s response to a sender’s message.

The first step of the communication process model is when the sender encodes the message and selects channel and transmits the message. The receiver then decodes the message and in return encodes feedback and selects the channel to transmit back to the sender. The sender and receiver must learn to deal with the numerous factors that hinder the communication process.  These factors are referred to as interference.  The must block out any interference to avoid any breakdowns in the communication.

Explain the causes of communication interference

• There are many causes of communication interference. For example, differences in educational level, experience, culture, and other characteristics of the sender and the receiver increase the complexity of encoding and decoding a message.
• Physical interferences occurring in the channel include a noisy environment, interruptions, and uncomfortable surroundings.
• Other interferences include mental distractions, such as preoccupation with other matters and developing a response, rather than listening. 

What causes breakdown in decoding?       

• The sender inadequately encodes the original message with words not present in the receiver’s vocabulary, ambiguous or nonspecific ideas, or nonverbal signals that distract the receiver or contradict the verbal message.
• The receiver is intimidated by the position or authority of the sender, resulting in tension that prevents effective concentration on the message and failure to ask for clarification.
• The receiver prejudges the topic as too boring or difficult to understand and does not attempt to understand the message.
• The receiver is close-minded and unreceptive to new and different ideas. 

How does information flow in an organization? 

Both formal and informal communication systems exist in every organization

• Formal system exists to accomplish tasks
• Informal system includes the grapevine

 Communication flows upward, downward, and horizontally. 

Communication takes place at five different levels

• Intrapersonal- talking to yourself
• Interpersonal- talking to another person
• Group
• Public
• Organizational 

What is the difference between group, organizational and public communication? 

• Group- communication among more than two people with a goal of achieving greater output than individual efforts could produce
• Ex: Work group, project team, department meeting 
• Organizational- Groups combined in such a way that large tasks may be accomplished with a goal of providing adequate structure for groups to achieve their purposes 
• Ex: Company, organization
• Public- the organization reaching out to its public to achieve its goals with a goal of reaching many with the same message
• Ex: Media advertisement, website communication, annual report

Explain grapevine

The grapevine, often called the rumor mill, is perhaps the best-known component of the informal communication system. As a communication channel, the grapevine has a reputation for being speedy but inaccurate. In reality, the grapevine is no more or less accurate than other channels. The inaccuracy has more to do with the message input than with the output. 

• Upward Communication- generally a response to requests from supervisors
• Progress reports (spoken and written)
• Results/Accomplishments
• Problems/Clarifications
• Ideas/Suggestions
• Feelings/Attitudes 
• Downward Communication- flows from supervisor to employee, from policy makers to operating personnel, or from top to bottom on the organization chart
• Policies and Procedures
• Organizational goals and strategies
• Work Assignments
• Employee Development
• Job role/Responsibility
• Performance appraisal (formal and informal)
• Constructive criticism
• Deserved praise and recognition 
• Horizontal or Lateral Communication- interactions between organizational units on the same hierarchical level
• Coordination of interrelated activities
• Problem-solving efforts

Define and give example of ethics

• Ethics- the principals of right and wrong that guide one in making decision that consider the impact of one’s actions on others as well as on the decision maker. 
• Ex: To prevent an adverse effect on stock prices, corporate officers deliberately withhold information concerning a possible corporate takeover

• Excessive emphasis on profits- Managers are often judged and paid on their ability to increase business profits.
• Misplaced corporate loyalty- misplaced sense of corporate loyalty might cause an employee to do what seems to be in the best interest of the company, even if illegal or unethical.
• Obsession with personal advancement- Employees who wish to outperform their peers or are working for the next promotion might feel that they cannot afford to fail
• Expectation of not getting caught
• Unethical tone set by top management
• Uncertainty about whether an action is wrong
• Unwillingness to take a stand for what is right

 What is the framework for analyzing ethical dilemmas: the 4 dimensions

• Dimension 1- Illegal and unethical
• Dimension 2- Illegal yet ethical
• Dimension 3- Legal yet unethical
• Dimension 4- Legal and ethical

Identify and describe ethnocentrism, stereotypes, chronemics,  proxemics, haptics, kinesics  

• Ethnocentrism- the assumption that one’s own cultural norms are the right way to do thing
• Chronemics- study of how a culture perceives times and its use
• Proxemics- study of cultural space and requirement
• Kinesics- the study of body language, which is not universal, but instead is learned from one’s culture
• Haptics- any form of nonverbal communication that involves touching 
• Stereotypes- mental pictures that one group forms of the main characteristics of another group creating preformed ideas of what people in this group are likes

What are the 6 steps to the process of planning and preparing messages? 

1.     Determine the purpose and select an appropriate channel

2.     Envision the audience

3.     Adapt the message to the audience’s needs and concerns

4.     Organize the message

5.     Prepare the first draft

6.     Revise and proofread for accuracy and desired impact

Explain how to envision audience; list the characteristics of an audience. 

• To envision an audience, first focus on relevant information you know about the receiver. The more familiar you are with the receiver, the easier this task will be. When communicating with an individual, you immediately recall a clear picture of the receiver- his or her physical appearance, background, values, opinions, preferences, and so on. Most importantly, your knowledge of the receiver’s reaction in similar, previous experiences will aid you in anticipating how this receiver is likely to react in the current situation.
1. Age
2. Economic level
3. Educational/occupational background
4. Needs and concerns of the receiver
5. Culture
6. Rapport
7. Expectations

Explain how you would adapt your presentation to each of these?

What is credibility?  

Credibility- the quality of being believable or worthy of trust

What the difference between sender and receiver centered communication? 

• Sender centered communication- involves using the “I”
• Receiver centered communication- involves using “You”

How do you cultivate a “you” attitude? 

What is goodwill? 

Goodwill arises when a business is worth more than its tangible assets. Things such as a good name and reputation, a desirable location, a unique product, and excellent customer service.

What’s the difference between euphemistic and negative tone?  Give examples

• Generally, euphemistic tones are recognized expressions for what they are- unpleasant ideas presented with a little sugar coating.
• Euphemism- kind word substituted for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant
• Ex: prison (negative) correctional facility (Euphemism)

Why use connotative tone cautiously?  What should you do instead?  

Why use specific language?  Give example 

• To help the receiver understand your message easily, select words that paint intense, colorful word pictures. Creating clear mental images adds energy and imagination to your message, thus increasing its overall impact.
• General: The public outcry was huge
• Specific: More than 3 million emails were received from the public

What is the difference between passive and active voice?  Define and give examples

• Passive voice- when the subject of a sentence is the receiver of an action
• The project plans will be revised by the chief engineer
• Active Voice- the subject is doing the action
• The chief engineer will revise the project plans

Why outline before communication? 

• Outlining before communicating provides numerous benefits:
• Encourages accuracy and brevity- reduces the chance of leaving out an essential idea or including an unessential idea
• Permits concentration on one phase at a time
• Saves time in structuring ideas
• Provides a psychological lift
• Facilitates appropriate emphasis of ideas

What causes you to choose between inductive and deductive sequencing? Define

• Deductive- a message in which the major idea precedes the details
• When the message will please the receiver
• When the message is routine (will not please nor displease)
• Inductive- a message in which the major idea follows the details
• When the message will displease the receiver
• When the receiver might not be interested (will need to be persuaded)

How do you sequence minor ideas? 

• For determining the sequence of minor ideas that accompany the major idea, the following bases for idea sequence are common:
• Time: When writing a report or email message about a series of events or a process, paragraphs proceed from the first step through the last step
• Space: If a report is about geographic areas, ideas can proceed from one area to the next until all areas have been discussed
• Familiarity: If a topic is complicated, the presentation can begin with a known or easy-to-understand point and proceed to progressively more difficult points
• Importance: In analytical reports in which major decision-making factors are present, the factors can be presented in order of most important to least important, or visa versa
• Value: If a presentation involves major factors with monetary values, paragraphs can proceed from those with greatest values to those with least values, or vice versa.

• Passive voice is useful for the following purposes:
• Concealing the doer (“The reports have been compiled.”)
• Placing more emphasis on WHAT was done and who or what it was DONE TO than on who DID it. (“The reports have been compiled by our sales representatives”)
• Subordinating an unpleasant thought or avoiding finger-pointing. (”The Shipping department has not been notified of this delay” rather than “You have not notified the shipping department of this delay”)

• Emphasis techniques include sentence structure, repetition, words that label, position, and space and format.
• Sentence structure: For emphasis, place an idea in an independent clause; for de-emphasis, place an idea in a dependent clause.
• Repetition: To emphasis a word, let it appear more than once.
• Words that label: For emphasis or de-emphasis, use words that label ideas as significant or insignificant
• Position: To emphasis a word or idea, position it first or last in a sentence, clause, paragraph, or presentation.
• Space and Format: More space devoted to a topic attaches special significance to that topic. Similarly, a topic that receives an especially small amount of space is de-emphasized. The manner in which information is physically arranged affects the emphasis it receives and consequently the overall impact of the message. 

Topic Sentence- a sentence that identifies the portion of the topic being discussed and presents the central idea of the paragraph. 

• Repeat a word that was used in the preceding sentence.
• Use a pronoun that represents a noun used in the preceding sentence.
• Ex: … to Take this responsibility. It can be shared…
• Use connecting words
• Ex: However, therefore, yet, nonetheless

• Enumerations- to emphasize units in a series, place a number, letter or bullet before each element
• Enumerated or Bulleted Lists- can be used to chunk and add even greater visual impact to items in a series.
• Headings
• Tables and graphs- used to simplify and clarify information and to add to variety to long sections of dense text
• Lines and borders- Horizontal and vertical lines can be added to partition text or to focus attention on a specific line.

• Opening- states the pleasant or main idea
• Body- provides details and explanation
• Closing- Reminds receiver of the good news or main idea, and includes a future-oriented closing thought

• Begins with a easy-to-write sentence
• Gets attention by responding to the audiences desire to know
• Puts reader in a good frame of mind in order to be receptive to details
• Allows easy movement through the details after the main idea is presented
• For deductive letter, use bullets  

• Positive news
• Thank you and appreciation
• Apologies
• Routine claims
• Order Acknowledgements
• Credit information message
• Messages extending credit

• Send in a timely matter- within 2 or 3 days
• Avoid exaggerated language that is hardly believable- receiver might find them unbelievable and insincere
• Make specific comments about outstanding qualities or performance

Explain the difference between routine and persuasive claims and explain how to write them.  

• Routine claims are messages that assume that a claim will be granted quickly and willingly, without persuasion.
• Limit message to single idea expressed in meaningful subject line
• Emphasize main idea in the first sentence
• Provide explanation
• End on positive note, reminding reader of immediate need
• Persuasive claims are messages that assume a claim will be granted only after explanations and persuasive arguments have been presented
• Gain reader's attention
• Develop central appeal that emphasizes an incentive for making the adjustment
• End with request for adjustment you consider fair

• Adjustment message are messages that are fair responses by businesses to legitimate requests in claim messages by customers. It’s a good thing because company’s can gain a reputation for standing behind their goods and services. A loyal customer is likely to become even more loyal after a business has demonstrated its integrity.
• Resale- a discussion of goods or services already bought

1.     Open by extending credit and acknowledging shipment of an order

2.     Indicate the basis for the decision to extend credit and explain the credit terms

3.     Present credit policies

4.     Communicate a genuine desire to build a strong business relationship 

When writing procedural messages what guidelines should you follow? 

1.     Begin each step with an action statement to create a vivid picture of the employee completing the task

2.     Itemize each step on a separate line to add emphasis and to simplify reading

3.     Consider preparing a flow chart depicting the procedures

4.     Complete the procedure by following your instructions step-by-step to correct any errors you made

5.     Ask a colleague or employee to walk through the procedures because it will help you identify any ambiguous statements, omissions or relevant information, and other problems