Chapter 1 - Understanding Business Communication Flashcards
Communication
Sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages.
The communication model consists of five components
The stimulus, filter, message, medium, and destination
Stimulus
An event that creates within an individual the need to communicate
Filter
Our knowledge, experience, and viewpoints that help us interpret (decode) the Stimulus.
Message
The information to be communicated
Audience
Who receives your communication
Medium
How the message is transmitted
Destination
The message reaches its destination and, if successful, is perceived accurately by the receiver.
Communication is not a ____, ____ process.
linear, static
Three types of communication make up an organization’s formal communication network
Downward, upward, and lateral
Downward communication
Flow of information from managers to their employees (people who report to them)
Cascading communication
Information flows from one level in an organization down to another
Issue with downward communication
Managers assume their employees receive and understand their messages
Upward communication
Flow of information from lower-level employees to upper-level employees or managers
Lateral Horizontal communication
Flow of information among peers within an organization
Cross-functional communication
Lateral communication across different departments, divisions, or branches
Informal communication network
(Grapevine) Transmits information through unofficial channels within the organization
Rather than trying to eliminate the grapevine, competent managers…
Pay attention to it and act promptly to counteract false rumors
Examples of verbal barriers
inadequate knowledge or vocabulary, differences in interpretation, language differences, inappropriate
use of expressions, overabstraction and ambiguity, and polarization
Inadequate knowledge or vocabulary
You must know enough about both your topic and
your audience to express yourself precisely and appropriately
Differences in interpretation
Sometimes senders and receivers attribute different meanings to the same word or attribute the same meaning to different words
Denotation
Defines its meaning
Connotation
Indicates our associations with the word
Interpreter
For oral communication
Translator
For written communication
Slang
An expression, often short-lived, identified with a specific group of people
Jargon
Is the technical terminology used within specialized groups
Euphemisms
Expressions used instead of words that may be offensive or inappropriate
Abstract word
Identifies an idea or a feeling instead of a concrete object
Concrete word
Word that identifies something that can be seen or touched
Ambiguous terms are …. for business communication
terms such as a few, some, several, and far away, may be too broad
Polarization
Competent communicators avoid inappropriate either/or logic and instead make the effort to search for middle ground words to best describe a situation
Examples of nonverbal barriers
Inappropriate or conflicting signals, differences in perception, inappropriate emotions, and distractions
Inappropriate or conflicting signals
When verbal and nonverbal signals conflict, we tend to believe the nonverbal messages because they are more difficult to manipulate than verbal messages
Differences in Perception
How people perceive a message contributes to their mental filter
Inappropriate Emotions
Too much emotional involvement can
be an obstacle to communication
Noise
Environmental or competing elements that hinder
your ability to concentrate can affect communication
Examples of competing noise
Too many projects, meetings, or emails
Face-to-face meetings are the most…
Personal form of business communication and the best choice for building relationships
______ is often the default
communication channel
in organizations
For short messages and quick questions, these channels are ideal
Instant and Text Messaging
Social media is about ______
Conversation
Web 2.0
Encourages online interaction, has opened the door for people to participate on the web. 2.0 technologies include blogs, wikis, video, and social networking sites
Intranet
For employee access only
Extranets
Private networks for people outside the company; customers or franchisees
User-generated content (UGC), or Consumer-generated media (CGM)
blog entries, product reviews, videos, or other messages posted about a company
Companies use blogs to …
Connect with employees and customers
Vlog
Video blog
Microblogs
Blogs used for short messages with timely information. Twitter, a popular microblogging site
Multimedia
Incorporate several forms of media. Corporate videos, for example, can promote products and services, illustrate product functionality, address crisis situations, and excite prospective employees
Podcast
Audio and video files that contain information
Social network
Communities of people who share common interests or activities
Multicommunicating or synchronous
(at the same time), overlapping conversations
Mashups
Web applications or pages that combine content from
different sources
Geolocation services
Display mashups based on where you are
Ethics
System of moral principles
Professional ethics
Defined by an organization. Employees and members are expected to follow these guidelines, which define what is right or wrong in the workplace — often beyond established laws
Social ethics
Defined by society
Individual ethics
Defined by the person and are based on family values,
heritage, personal experience, and other factors
Three reasons people make unethical decisions
Convenience, embracing ethics could limit ones ability to succeed, we rationalize our choices (situational ethics)
Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
(being socially responsible) companies consider the public’s interest in their business practices
