McGraw-Hill/Irwin

2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, All Rights Reserved

How to use this book

Chapter outlines, learning objectives, and
headings all provide previews of the
contents. They can give you hooks on
which to hang the information you are
reading.
Examples of written documents provide
illustrations of effective and ineffective
communications. Comment in red ink
highlight problems; those in blue ink note
effective practices

How to use this book

Words & phrases in bold are defined in
the glossary at the end of the book.
Sidebars provide workplace examples of
ideas discussed in the text. They are
categorized for you by the icons that
appear beside them.
o
o
o
o
o

On-the-job examples have flip chart icons.

Ethics & legal examples have scale icons.
Technology examples have laptop icons.
International examples have globe icons.
Fun examples have balloon icons.

How to use this book

Chapter summaries at the end of each
chapter, and reviews questions at the
beginning of each set of chapter exercises,
help you review the chapters for retention.
The last problem in each set of chapter
exercises is an ongoing case to provide you
with a richer context for problem solving. It
involves the home store chain Mosaic &
various characters: Yvonne, Demetri, and
Sarah (Three main characters)

Succeeding in Business
Communication and
Management
Types
Purposes
Audiences
Benefits and Costs
Criteria

Goodwill
Conventions
Analysis
Problem Solving

1. The Nature of Communication

What is Communication?
Is Communication a natural process?
Can it be learned/improved?
Am I a good Communicator?
If yes, why? If no, why?
Is Communicating easy?
Do I enjoy Communicating? If yes, why? If
no, why?
Who do I communicate?

Definition
Communication is the major
way we influence the behavior
of others
Communication
is
the
transmission of a message
between two or more people

Six Major Variables in the

Communication Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The Sender/Encoder
The Message
The Channel
The Receiver/Decoder
Perception
Feedback

Communication Barriers
Meaning barriers: problems with meaning,
significance, and the sending and
reception of the meaning of the message.
Organizational barriers: problems with
physical distance between members;
specialization of task functions; power,
authority, and status relationships; and
information ownership.

 Interpersonal barriers: problems with the

climate of the relationship, values held,
and negative attitudes held by the
participants.
Individual barriers: problems with individual
competencies to think and act, which
would include physical ailments or
handicaps, and problems with individual
skills in receiving and transmitting
information, which would include poor
listening
and
reading
skills
and
psychological consideration

 Economic, geographic, and temporal

barriers: problems with time and dollar
costs, different locations, and the effects of
time upon reception of the message.
Channel and media barriers: problems that
confront the issue of how to best
communicate a message. (For example, it
is best to transmit a message face to face
rather than in writing?)
Technological barriers: problems with too
much information for the capacity of the
recipient.

Types of Communication
Verbal
Face-to-face
Phone
conversations
Informal meetings
Presentations
E-mail messages
Web sites

Nonverbal
Computer graphics
Company logos
Smiles
Size of an office
Location of people
at meetings

1-24

Communication Ability = Promotability

Good communicators
earn more

Good communicators
make good managers
1-25

Essentials to cover for Chapter 1

Communication helps organizations and
the people in them achieve their goals. The
ability to write and speak well becomes
increasingly important as people rise in an
organization.
People put things in writing to create a
record, to convey complex data, to make
things convenient for the reader, to save
money, and to convey their own message
more effectively.

Essentials to cover for Chapter 1

Internal messages go to people inside
the organization. External messages
go to audience outside: clients,
customers, suppliers, stockholders,
the government, the media, and the
general public.

Succeeding against the Odds

Communication skills as a technique
of survival.
Had to communicate or die.
Among other things, if we want to
communicate with employees,
managers, and even competitors we
must ask ourselves not what we
want but what they want.

Communication Purposes
All business communication has three
basic purposes
To inform (explain)
To request or persuade (urge action)
To build goodwill (make good image)

Most messages have more than one

purpose (multiple purposes)

1-29

Audiences
Internal
People inside organization
Ex: subordinates, superiors, peers

External
People outside organization
Ex: customers, suppliers, distributors,
unions, stockholders, potential
employees, government agencies, the
press & the general public.
1-30

Figure 1.2.
Example of External Audiences
Subsidiaries
Customers
Clients
Stockholders
Investors
Lenders

Unions

Professional services
Suppliers
Distributors
Wholesalers
Franchisees
Retailers
Agents

Employment
agencies
General public
Potential
employees,
stockholders,
customers
Special interest
groups

Legislators
Gov.
Courts
Competitors
Trade assns.

Media

Foreign
governments
and offices
1-31

Internal Documents produced in

one organization

External Documents produced in

one organization

Definition of '10-K

Benefits and Costs

Effective communication
Saves time
Makes efforts more effective
Communicates points more clearly
Builds goodwill

Poor communication

1. Stiff,
legal lan
guage
2. Selfi
sh tone
3. Main
point bu
rie
4. Vagu
e reques d
ts
5. Misu
sed wor
ds

Wastes time
Wastes efforts
Loses goodwill
Creates legal problems

1-35

Criteria for Effective Messages

Clear
Complete
Correct
Saves receivers time
Builds goodwill

1-36

Goodwill = Positive Image

A goodwill message
Presents positive image of
communicators and their
organization
Treats audience as a person,
not a number
Cements good relationship
between audience and
communicator

432
1-37

Fastest Ways to Lose Goodwill

Use improper courtesy titles
Employ bureaucratic and legalistic
language
Convey a selfish tone
Bury the main point
Make a vague request
Misuse or misspell words
1-38

Further References

Some significances
Observation about many people from the U.S
Observation about the English
An observation about Japanese children
The meaning of lowering ones eyes in Japan
Why looking at someone for a long time may be
consider disrespectful
The meaning of widened eyes in Chinese culture

In many Western society

NOT maintain good eye contact is
regarded as being suspicious or shifty
character

Americans
Avoiding eye contact is regarded as
unfriendly, insecure, untrustworthy,
inattentive and impersonal.

In Japan
Lowering ones eyes when speaking to a
superior is a gesture of respect

In Great Britain
To show politeness, the English are taught
to pay strict attention to a speaker, to
listen carefully, and to blink his eyes to let
the speaker know he or she has been
understood as well as heard.

In China
Chinese persons widened eyes as an
expression of astonishment instead of as a
danger signal.

In Africa
In Nigeria, having longer looking time, but
prolonged eye contact from an individual
of lower status is considered disrespectful.

Class activities:
Before receiving a visitor from a foreign
country or before travelling abroad you
need to think about the cultural issues that
may affect the relationship.
Suggest some basic research that you should do
before receiving your visitor, or before travelling.
What issues should you think about?

Key areas that need to be mentioned:

The actual political areas are mentioned:
Stability
Trends
Outlook

Infrastructure
Telecommunication
transportation

Religion / language
Geography / history
Culture/customs
People
Food / drink / socializing

Attitudes/families
Business customs / conventions

Before meeting business partners and fellow

professional from other countries, you could
find out about their country:

Political situation
Cultural and regional differences
Religion
The role of women in business and in society as a
whole
Transportation and telecommunication system
The economy
The main companies
The main imports and exports
The market for the industrial sector which interests you
competitors

You might also want to find out:

Which topics are safe for small talk
Which topic are best avoided

If you are going to visit another

country, find out about:
The conventions regarding socializing
Attitudes toward foreigners
Attitude towards gifts
The extent to which public, business and
private lives are mixed or are kept separate
Conventions regarding food and drink

You might also like to find out about

The weather at the relevant time of the year
Public holidays
The conventions regarding working hours
Leisure interests
Tourism
Dress
Body language
language

Cultural diversity and socializing

Welcoming visitors
Welcome to
My names
Arriving
Hello, My names from
Ive an appointment to see
Sorry Im a little late / early
My plane was delayed

 Introducing someone
This is He/Shes my Personal Assistant
Can I introduce you to He/Shes our (Project Manager).
Id like to introduce you to
Meeting someone and small talk
Please to meet you.
Its a pleasure.
How was your trip? Did you have a good flight/trip/
journey?
How are things in (London)?
How long are you staying in (New York)?
I hope you like it.
Is your hotel comfortable?
Is this your first visit to (Berlin)?

 Offering assistance
Can I get you anything?
Do you need anything?
Would you like a drink?
If you need to use a phone or fax,
please say.
Can we do anything for you?
Do you need a hotel/taxi/any travel
information etc.?

 Asking for assistance

There is one thing I need
Could you get me
Could you book me a car/taxi/hotel ?
Could you help me arrange a flight to ?
Can you recommend a good restaurant?
Id like to book a room for tomorrow night.
Can you recommend a hotel?

THANK YOU!