What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Policy for leaving Sias to find work: All seniors should remain at Sias during the first semester. Seniors who desire to get a job during the first semester must get official written approval from the President or the Dean of the School of Foreign Languages. The class website is siasbuscomm.weebly.com Also the CAS system at cas.sias.edu.cn Chapter 1 Topics: Definition of business communication Organization and its structure Internal business communication External business communication We begin now with Section 1.6: Corporate Culture and Internal Communication Corporate Culture the established values, beliefs, and principles in an organization that motivate it to achieve its goal. Corporate Culture can relate to: What a company considers valuable What a company considers valuable Ethics Ethics Degree of emphasis on Human Resources Degree of emphasis on Human Resources Style of dress Style of dress Corporate Culture greatly affects the Internal Communication of a company. Good management should be able to influence a strong corporate culture. (example: Yueshan-Phoenix on p. 16) It is the customary and often unexpressed way of perceiving and doing things. The official culture and the actual culture are often not the same Management will often try to affect the culture through the formal communications such as mission statements. Internal and External Communication can both be divided up into formal and informal communication. Look at Fig. 1.7 on page 18. FORMAL Communication Activities like: speech, product presentation, business letter, reports, memos,s and advertisement etc. Does not always have to be long, might only be a few words. Serious and exact; therefore, it calls for good preparation: set goals, anticipate questions. Written communication requires special tact (usually cannot defend yourself; takes longer to see reaction). FORMAL Communication This is the official and more stable lines of communication. This is the official and more stable lines of communication. Most companies will have a preferred form of communication used to conduct business. INFORMAL Communication Known as the grapevine (also watercooler talk). It is unpredictable It is unpredictable It goes across levels It goes across levels It carries more information than the formal communication It carries more information than the formal communication It is highly selective It is highly selective It helps to determine the course of the organization. It helps to determine the course of the organization. INFORMAL Communication Mostly made up of personal communication Complex and changes often Managers cannot control it but they can influence it by making good management decisions Managers must encourage talk that will benefit the company Business Communication is a small part of the field of Communication. Therefore, to better understand Business Communication, we must understand the basic principles of Communication Theory. Verbal Communication communication that is carried out either in oral or in written form. In other words, it is communication that takes place with the use of words. VC is characterized by the following three attributes: 1) Expresses all kinds of ideas. 2) Keeps and disseminates information. 3) More clarified and efficient than other ways. 1) Expresses all kinds of ideas. Verbal communication can BEST express all the ideas we want to communicate. For example: You are able to talk about things with your coworkers and ask for their opinions. In order to see what your employees think, you can send out a survey through. 2) Keeps and disseminates information. Verbal communication can be kept and stored. We can store information in many different things: 2) Keeps and disseminates information. Computers can make us feel like we are connected to the whole world! They are an example of how we disseminate VC. Disseminate = to spread (like throwing seeds) With the internet, we can spread VC all over the world in a matter of seconds! 3) More clarified and efficient than other ways. Verbal communication has far more detail than nonverbal communication. Can be used to communicate complex ideas in a very fast way. Results in real understanding. For example: A long distance telephone call to talk about the economy. This kind of communication is broad and not very precise. This kind of communication is broad and not very precise. For example, a frown on your forehead could mean you are worried or that you have a headache The meaning may multiply across cultures so we must look for the intended meaning. Nonverbal Communication communication which is not carried out in words, but through: voice qualities facial expressions gestures body movements or body language time attitudes toward space touch In other words, it is communication that takes place WITHOUT the use of words. Voice Quality When we talk to people, what strikes us first is their voice. A persons voice can either please us or annoy us. 3 Major Elements of Voice Quality: 1) VOLUME 2) RATE 3) PITCH 3 Major Elements of Voice Quality 1) VOLUME - The loudness of ones voice. Loud volume can communicate authority. Medium volume can communicate professionalism. 2) RATE The speed at which one speaks. Even though business is busy, you should try to speak at a normal rate. ( words/minute) Fast rates communicate being hurried or impatient. During speeches, slower rates help the audience listen to the message communicated. Voice Quality 3) PITCH The rise and fall of ones tone. High-pitched tones make people take notice. Maybe makes them feel nervous (scolding) Makes them pay attention (crowded room) A skillful use of pitch can have a dramatic effect. In order to master voice quality, only one thing can be done FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Movements relating to ones face (eyebrows, eyes, and mouth). Researchers say that muscles in the face can make more than 7,000 different expressions! Eyebrow movement: Westerners use more eyebrow movements to convey messages than Easterners do. It is said that Westerners can send up to 28 different messages through eyebrow movements! Eye Contact: Eye contact is very important it is described as the window of ones mind. In America, you cannot get a good job if you do not look directly at the interviewers eyes. If you look someone in the eye you are communicating honesty and sincerity. Eye Contact: As shown in the case study on page 61, eye contact can help one feel trust. Avoiding eye contact communicates hiding. However, some cultures (e.g. Asian & African) see direct eye contact as being rude. Avoiding eye contact communicates respect. The Smile: Smiling is contagious! Customers want to see happy employees (especially in service industries). This makes them feel at ease. Not just employees, but also managers should be trained on how to smile correctly. The Smile: There are many cultural differences to consider. Some cultures like Germany or Sweden only reserve smiles for close friends or relatives and real joy. Greeks express anger with a smile In most cultures it is way to greet other, create harmony and goodwill.. GESTURES: The way we move to communicate something. Different gestures express different messages, and some gestures seem to be known by all. GESTURES: Gestures may have different meanings in different regions of the world. Examples: OK sign Peace sign Shaking head Yes or No Left-handed handshake (page 64) Make sure to be culturally sensitive, because we now live in a global marketplace. POSTURE: Posture refers to our body positions as a whole. Acts like a liberal messenger, sending messages for us, even if we dont intend to. Posture is determined by our subconscious. Therefore, we must be cautious of our natural habits. POSTURE: For example: When you sit in an upright position, you communicate you are interested and energetic. POSTURE: For example: When you are sitting with a hand supporting your head, you give others the impression that you are either deep in thought, or tired. SPACE: In communication, space refers to the distance between two communicators. The distances communicate messages. Intimate (within 50 cm) used for an extreme sense of closeness. Physical contact is very easy here. Personal (50cm 1.2m) mostly used for casual conversation. A good handshaking distance. Social (1.2m 3.7m) Best used for interviews or business talk. Not good for personal information. Public (3.7m or more) Used for speeches or for making the listener feel like an audience member or observer. SPACE: Space speaks. Changes in distance communicate a message. For example: Going from personal to intimate can make the other uncomfortable or communicate the wrong idea. Going from intimate distance to personal distance might make the other person feel rejected (case study on p. 67). Also, the way an environment is arranged can communicate messages (office size, height of the speaker, etc.). Different attitudes about being on time in different cultures. Monochronic: Time is linear always moving ahead In the west, we say time is money. Expect events to happen at the scheduled time Polychronic: Flexible time indefinite view of time Difference in lead time for appointments Scheduled time is an objective, if possible Studies show that: Babies need to be touched to grow and thrive and Older people are healthier mentally and physically when they are touched. Different across cultures: Holding hands opposite sex Hand shake Greeting with a kiss Hugs Color carries different meanings in different cultures. Red = good fortune in China Black = joy in Japan, death in USA White = funerals in the east, used at weddings in the west. Height equals status in many culture. Executives on the top floor Being tall will help a man be more successful CLASS ACTIVITY Make a group of 3 5 people. Each group will prepare a SKIT based on a nonverbal element. The goal of the skit is demonstrate Good and Bad Nonverbal Communication. 3 or more actors is needed in each group. For example One will be an employer trying to hire a new employee. One will be someone with a GOOD nonverbal quality. One will be someone with a BAD nonverbal quality. Though Verbal and Nonverbal Communication are critical for communication study, there are more key basic elements: Message Sender Receiver Channel Perception Feedback Message A message carries ideas from one person to another and it can be delivered either in a verbal or nonverbal way. See Fig. 2.1 on page 69 When determining the best way to communicate a message, think about efficiency and dependability Remember, verbal and nonverbal messages can be combined. Sender & Receiver The Sender is the person sending the message. The Receiver is the person/people receiving the message. Sender & Receiver In some forms of communication, the Sender and Receiver stay the same. written communication In other forms, the Sender and Receiver are interchangeable; they switch roles. Oral Communication (Dialogue) Channel Channel refers to the ways of sending and receiving messages. Examples of communication channels: Oral Channels characterized by directness and promptness. face to face, phone, voic , etc. Written Channels help people memorize the message , letters, memos, etc. Formal Channels Downward, Upward, and Horizontal Communication Informal Channels The grapevine. *Choosing the channel to best communicate your message is a VERY important skill to learn and develop. Feedback Feedback refers to the reaction from the message receiver to the message sender. You can think of feedback in the following ways: Positive vs Negative Internal vs External Pg 74 & 75 Communicator 1 1. Senses a communication need 2. Defines the problem 3. Searches for a solution 4. Selects a course of action ( type, content, format, channel) 5. Composes the message 6. Delivers the message Communicator 2 1. Receives the message 2. Interprets the message 3. Decides on a response 4. May send a responding message GROUP DISCUSSIONS Read Case Analysis on pages Answer questions 1-3. GROUP DISCUSSIONS Read Case Analysis on pages Answer questions 1-3. The quiz is based on Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. The focus will be on the things we talked about in class. (So, going to the website to review the PPT is a good idea!) siasbuscomm.weebly.com The quiz will have 10 questions. Some questions will be choose the best answer. Some questions will be asking you to write a short answer. There may be questions topics discussed in class that is not in the book The quizzes are worth 5% of your total grade. Get into your groups from the previous activity You will see a scenario on the screen. You are in leadership at your company. (the boss, manager, etc) I will give you a few minutes to talk and discuss how you would handle the situation. (How would you deliver the message?) Choose only 1 method of communication to deal with the situation and be prepared to share it with the class. I will call out a group at random. One person from the group must share the groups answer. Part of the business will be relocated to a different Province. Management will change employees pay schedule. 5 members of a team of 15 people in the distribution section of a business must be laid off (lose their job). A meeting is being held to celebrate the retirement of a member of the firm who has been with the company for 30 years. Several customers are threatening to report the company to authorities after they got ill from eating food produced by the firm.