Deck 1: Establishing a Framework for Business Communication

Question 1

What are the three purposes for which people communicate? What percentage of a manager's time is spent communicating? Give examples of the types of communication managers use.

Answer 1

Communication is a process of exchanging information's and messages. There are 3 basic reasons for which people communicate:-
1. To inform :
It includes exchange of any kind of information. For example, supervisor of an organisation telling employees about the strategies of the organisation.
2. To persuade:
Such communication is done for the purpose of convincing or persuading someone. For example, sales person talks with the customer to sale his product.
3. To entertain:
This includes the purpose of entertaining the audience through communication process. For example: cracking the jokes.
A manager spends typically 60 percent - 80 percent of its time involved in the communication.
A manager communicates through various ways but most basic ways of communications are:-
1. Report writing about the plans and goals or organisational policies, attending meetings.
2. Communicating with audience face to face.
3. Communicating about the management policies and operations.
4. Counselling and evaluating the employees.
5. Promoting companies products and services.

Question 2

What aspect of cultural diversity do you feel will impact you most in your career: international, intercultural, intergenerational, or gender? Explain your answer, including how you plan to deal with the challenge.

Answer 2

Cultural diversity has been rising due to increasing globalisation. Now the whole world is open as a market and resources are optimum to go international for seeking business.
The various aspects of cultural diversity which affect the communication between people are -
1. International issues: This includes the challenges faced due to difference in the language, behaviour, ethical and legal attributes among different nations.
2. Intercultural issues: The cultural difference between two individual creates the challenge. Something that is acceptable in ones culture may be prohibited in others.
3. Intergenerational issues: There are countries which are considered as "greying country". This indicates the average age of the citizens of the nations. Due to increased life span and low birth rate, the average age of work force of such nations is 40 years.
4. Gender issues: Over the years participation of women in the employment has increased. Some of the nations support the women employees with favourable policies whereas there are some nations where male dominancy is higher.
Intergenerational issue is one of the aspects of the cultural diversity which may impact ones career most. There can be two kinds of situations that can be faced due to intergenerational issue.
1. Greying country
2. Young country
Greying country: These countries have average age of the citizens as 40 or more. More adults then youngsters can be easily observed. Career growth is slow in these countries as the positions do not get vacant easily.
People prefer to work till older ages due to the benefits like medical insurances provided by the organisations.
Young country: These countries have more youngsters then the older people. Due to high number of young individual competition is higher in the job field. Communication in organisation is easier because age gap is not large.
The way in which such issues can be dealt is that one should try to gain more and more knowledge about the other generation as well. This will help to reduce the communication gap resulting into lesser work place challenegs.

Question 3

Describe the fi ve stages in the communication process using the following terms: (a) sender, (b) encode, (c) channel, (d) receiver, (e) decode, (f) feedback, and (g) interferences or barriers.

Answer 3

A communication process includes the 5 stages:-
1. Sender :
Sender is a person who decides or starts the process of communication. Sender carefully designs the message of the communication.
2. Encoding:
Encoding is the process of organising the message before sending it. The message should be encoded in such a way that it receive as close as possible to the original message.
3. Decoding:
Decoding is the process of interpreting the message by the receiver. The purity of the message received depends upon the encoding done by the sender.
Different people decode a message in different ways, so while encoding the message it receiver perceptions should be kept in mind.
4. Feedback:
Response to the message given by the receiver is called as the feedback. It can be given in a verbal that is through words or non verbal that is through gesture.
5. Interference:
Interferences are the disturbance occurred during the communication process. These disturbances may occur due to difference in culture, age, economic strata, education or due to poor selection of channel of communication.
Communication process can be represented as:-

Question 4

Lack of Internet access is causing some nations to be classified as information "have nots." What international communication problems could result?

Question 5

What is the difference between intrapersonal and interpersonal communication?

Question 6

Considering the four strategic forces discussed, how is business communication today different from that of 30 years ago? In what ways is it easier? In what ways is it more difficult?

Question 7

How is the formal flow of communication different from the informal flow of communication?

Question 8

What are some common causes of unethical behavior in the workplace?

Question 9

Describe several intercultural communication barriers and how they might be overcome.

Question 10

Describe several ways that communication technology can assist individuals and organizations.

Question 11

What legal and ethical concerns are raised over the use of technology?

Question 12

How does communication in work teams differ from that of traditional organizations?

Question 13

Why has communication been identified as perhaps the single most important aspect of teamwork?