BCOM 3950 - Study Guide Test 1

Chapter 1 9 questions

The value of communications

Flattened management hierarchies
More participatory management people are allowed to participate in the
decisions that companies make
Heightened global competition will need to develop skills and use them to
communicate with people from different cultures
Innovative technologies need to learn how to use email, fax, instant messaging,
text messaging, etc.
New work environments - more people working from home and being virtual
team members

What is communication communication is the transmission of information and
meaning from one individual or group to another.

5 Steps of the communication process:
Idea formation when a sender of a certain communication has a specific
idea, which could be influenced by their mood, frame of reference,
background, culture and physical make up
Message encoding converting the idea into a message, which could be easily
understood by the person receiving the message whether it is a verbal or
written one.
Message transmission Message travels over a channel. It could be
transmitted through many different forms of transmissions, such as fax,
spoken word, etc.
Message decoding When the receiver receives the message and understands
the meaning of the message. It is hard to achieve success and deliver a
meaningful message.
Feedback This helps the sender understand whether or not the receiver
actually understood the meaning of the message.

Intercultural Communication

Verbal and nonverbal messages are difficult to interpret when people come from different
cultures. There are special sensitivity and skills needed.

Low vs High Context

Low Context countries such as Germany, North America, France and Britain
Assume the listeners know very little and must be told almost everything.
People tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented. Words can be taken
literally.

High Context countries such as China, Japan, and Arab countries
May not take words literally. The meaning of a message may be implied from
social or physical setting.
Terms

Encoding converting the idea into words or gestures that will convey
meaning.
Channel The medium over which the message is transmitted.
Decoding translating the message from its symbol form into meaning
Feedback helps the sender know that the message was received and
understood
Noise anything that disrupts the transmission of a message in the
communication process

Chapter 2 9 questions

Effective writing

Purposeful You will be writing to solve problems and conveying
information. You will have a definite purpose to fulfill in each message.
Persuasive You want your audience to believe and accept your message
Economical You will try to present ideas clearly but concisely. Length is
not rewarded
Audience oriented You will concentrate on looking at a problem from the
perspective of the audience instead of seeing it from your own

Writing Process

Prewriting the first phase of the writing process involves analyzing and
anticipating the audience and then adapting to that audience (25% planning
and worrying)
Writing The second phase involves researching, organizing, and then
composing the message. (25% organizing and composing)
Revising The third phase involved revising, proofreading, and evaluating
your message. (45% revising 5% proofreading)

Best Way to deliver message

Audience Oriented
Profiling the audience must know about your audience and identify the
appropriate tone, language, and channel for your message
Responding to the Profile after profiling the audience you can decide
whether the receiver will be neutral, positive, or hostile toward your message

Chapter 3 9 question

What info do you need?

Formal Research Methods
Search manually
Access electronically
Go to the source
Conduct scientific experiments
Informal Research Methods
Look in the files
Talk with your boss
Interview the target audience
Conduct an informal survey
Brainstorm for ideas

Clear and concise writing

Direct vs Indirect

Business messages are typically direct and indirect. Direct is when the main idea of the
message is first followed by details and explanation or evidence and indirect is when the
main idea is following an explanation and evidence.
Direct when you expect the user to be pleased, mildly interested or neutral

Saves time
Sets proper frame of mind
Prevents frustration

Indirect unwilling, displeased, hostile
Respects the feelings of the audience
Encourages a fair hearing
Minimizes a negative reaction

Active vs Passive voice

Active voice sentences are preferred because the subject is the doer of the action.

Sentence errors

Chapter 4 9 questions

Clear, concise writing

Eliminating Flabby Expressions getting rid of the fluff in sentences
Limiting Long Lead-ins delete unnecessary introductory words
Dropping Unnecessary There is/are and It is/was Fillers
Getting rid of redundancies - getting rid of reparative fluff

Document design (readability)

Employing White Space use bullets, numbered lists, short paragraphs and
effective margins
Understanding Margins and Text Alignment align to the left and do not
align to the left and right because it messes up the readability of the document.
Also use ragged-right margins without justification
Choosing Appropriate Typefaces For business purposes, you should choose
from serif or san serif categories. Times New Roman is a typeface with serifs;
Arial is a typeface without serifs
Capitalizing on Type Font and Sizes - adds emphasis to your words, you can
use caps, boldface, italic, underline, outline, and shadow
Numbering and bullet lists for quick comprehension it helps understand a lot
better and quicker
Adding heading for visual impact effective tool for highlighting information
and also help writers to organize information and enable readers to absorb
important ideas

Best wording

Dumping Trite Business Phrases words that are considered business like
should really be revised and looked over to make sure there isnt any fluff
Avoiding Jargon and Slang Jargon is terminology unique to certain
professions; it should be reserved for individuals who understand it. Dont use
it in your everyday business environment. Slang sounds fashionable, but it
lacks precise meaning and should be avoided in business writing
Dropping Clichs Do not drop clichs that are dull and often ambiguous
Unburying Verbs Burying verbs in wordy noun expressions weakens
business writing
Controlling Exuberance avoid excessive use of advert intensifiers, such as
very, definitely, quite, completely, extremely, really, actually etc.

Draft, rough edit, fine edit, proofread

Proofreading generally a waste if the document is not complete
Spelling Making sure all words are spelled correctly
Grammar Keeping proper grammar
Punctuation Making sure intro clauses are followed by
commas and so on.
Names and numbers making sure everything is correct
Format
o Routine documents need light proofreading
o Complex and routine documents will be best proofread if proofreading
from a hard copy

Chapter 5 6 questions

Effective subject lines

Subject lines summarize the purpose of the message in abbreviated form.

Opening and closing

Opening with the main idea direct email and memos open by revealing the main idea
immediately. This is usually used in emails and memos where the information is not
sensitive and where the readers are in a hurry to find out what the message is all about.

Closing with a Purpose Generally close an email or a memo with 1. Action information,
dates or deadlines 2. Summary of the message, 3 Closing thought

Using email vs Memo

Knowing when to send an email or a memo email is appropriate for short, informal
message that request information and send respond to inquiries. Memos are appropriate
for delivery of confidential data, such as salary or employee review information

Components of emails and memos
Writing a subject line both emails and memos must include a subject line

Formatting emails
Greeting shows friendliness and indicates the beginning of the message
Body use standard caps lower case letters
Closing lines include contact information
Formatting Memos
Forms and Margins Date, To whom the message is being delivered, From
whom the message is being delivered, and a Subject line

Chapter 7 8 questions

3 Goals

Primary Goals
Make the receiver understand the bad news
Help the receiver accept the bad news
Maintain a positive image of you and your organization

Order for bad-news messages

Buffer Open with a neutral but meaningful statement that does not mention
the bad news
Reasons Explain the causes of the bad news before disclosing it
Bad news Reveal the bad news without emphasizing it. Provide an
alternative or compromise, if possible
Closing End with a personalized forward-looking, pleasant statement. Avoid
referring to the bad news.

Why Indirect

Indirect pattern softens the impact of bad news by giving reasons and explanations first.
It is easier for someone to understand the bad news when they are broken gradually.

Buffer introduces the message with a neutral statement that makes the reader continue
reading
Best News
Compliment
Appreciation
Agreement
Fact
Understanding


Challenges of bad news

Apologies
Apologize sincerely
Accept responsibility
Poor apology could cause potential problems
Conveying Empathy empathy involved understanding and entering into the feeling of
someone else
Presenting the reasons explaining clearly, explaining company policies, choosing
positive words, showing that the matter was treated seriously,