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Business
Communication
Foundations
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 2

Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, you will be able to

“They know I’m listening, and that 1 Explain what effective communication is
alone improves relationships.” 2 Discuss five developments in the workplace that are intensifying the need to
communicate effectively
—Robert Scoble
Microsoft employee and publisher 3 List and briefly define the six phases of the communication process
of the popular Scobelizer blog, 4 Identify four ways to improve business communication
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com 5 Differentiate between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse
6 Define and briefly discuss four types of cultural differences that can affect
communication

Microsoft’s Robert Scoble was among the first business professionals to recognize the rev-
olutionary impact that blogging, the practice of writing online journals, was going to
have on business communication. In sharp contrast to traditional corporate communica-
tions, which can come across as impersonal, remote, and even defensive, Scoble’s blog is
highly personal and quite candid. He even links to blogs that criticize his employer. The
online conversation may not always be comfortable from Microsoft’s perspective, but that
drawback is far outweighed by the value of maintaining effective communication
between the company and its customers.1

Succeeding Through Effective Communication

Every business organization Professionals such as Robert Scoble understand that achieving success in today’s work-
needs effective communication, place requires the ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of audiences.
both internally and externally.
Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages. During your career,
you’ll communicate with a wide range of audiences. Internal communication refers to
the exchange of information and ideas within an organization. You will receive numerous
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

messages from colleagues and supervisors, and you’ll be expected to convey information
to audiences throughout the company as well. In contrast, external communication
carries information into and out of the organization. Companies constantly exchange
messages with customers, vendors, distributors, competitors, investors, journalists, and
2 community representatives.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 3

For any audience, communication is effective only when the message is under- Effective communication delivers a
stood and when it stimulates action or encourages the audience to think in new ways. variety of important benefits.

Effective communication yields a number of important benefits for both you and your
company:

■ Quicker problem solving

■ Stronger decision making
■ Increased productivity
■ Steadier work flow
■ Stronger business relationships
■ More compelling promotional messages
■ Enhanced professional image
■ Improved response from colleagues, employees, supervisors, investors, customers, and
other important audiences

People aren’t “born” writers or speakers. The more they write and speak, the In this course, you will learn how to
more their skills improve. This course teaches you how to create effective messages create effective business messages.
and helps you improve your communication skills through practice in an environ-
ment that provides honest, constructive criticism. By working hard in this course
to improve your communication skills, you’ll gain a distinct advantage in today’s job
market.
No matter what career you pursue, this course will help you discover how to collabo-
rate in teams, listen well, master nonverbal communication, and participate in productive
meetings. You’ll learn about communicating across cultural boundaries. You’ll learn a
three-step process that makes it easier to write effective business messages, and you’ll get
specific tips for writing a wide variety of messages, from e-mail and instant messages to
blogs to online presentations. Plus, you’ll learn how to write effective résumés and job
application letters and how to handle employment interviews. Throughout this book,
you’ll see numerous examples with helpful comments to guide you through your own
communication efforts.

Preparing for Today’s Dynamic Workplace

Good communication skills are more vital today than ever before because people need to Effective communication helps people
adapt to a workplace that is constantly changing. Effective communication will help you adapt to change.

meet challenges such as advances in technology, the need to manage vast amounts of
information, the growth of globalization and workforce diversity, and the increasing use
of teams in the workplace.

■ Communicating amid advancing technology. From instant messaging (IM) and

blogs to wireless networks and video-enabled mobile phones, technology has revolu-
tionized the way businesspeople communicate. Used intelligently, these tools
can increase the speed, reach, and effectiveness of your communication efforts and
enable you to collaborate with others virtually anywhere on Earth, any time of the day.
Figure 1.1 provides an example of effective communication using e-mail. In almost
every aspect of business these days, you’ll be expected not only to communicate well
but to do so using a variety of communication technologies.
■ Communicating in the age of information. In today’s workplace, you must know how
to find, evaluate, process, and share information effectively and efficiently. Plus, you
must be able to use what information you receive to make strong, speedy decisions.
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Unfortunately, people are so inundated with information today that they tend to
ignore messages they see as less important. Your challenge is to get your audience’s
attention so that they will read and respond to your messages.
■ Communicating globally and within a culturally diverse workforce. Chances
are good that your business career will require you to communicate across national or 3

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 4

4 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

FIGURE 1.1 Technology and Communication: Effective E-Mail

Notice how this message is more formal and “professional sounding” than the e-mail messages you probably
send to your friends and family. Except for short messages between close colleagues and team members, most
businesses will expect you to communicate with a style that is more formal than the style to which you are currently
accustomed.

Helps people grasp

key content
IM project team
immediately by
using an informative
subject line IM strategy meeting, Tues., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Fills in missing
Uses a friendly Hi Team,
information so that
greeting without everyone can grasp
being too casual The instant messaging (IM) consultant we discussed at last week’s status meeting is available to meet the importance of the
with us next Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. For those of you who missed the meeting, Walter Johnson has message; reminds
helped a number of customer service organizations implement IM programs. He’s agreed to spend
readers what IM
several hours with us before submitting a project proposal for our new IM system, both to learn about
our needs and to answer any questions we have about IM. stands for
Emphasizes the
importance of the This meeting is a great opportunity for us to learn about IM applications in customer service, so let’s Makes a specific
meeting make sure we get the most out of it. I’d like each of the project leaders to brainstorm with your teams request
and prepare questions that are relevant to your specific parts of the IM project. Please e-mail these
questions to Pete (peter.laws@sprenco.com) by the end of the day Thursday, and he’ll forward them to
Mr. Johnson before the meeting.

Offers remote workers Details:

Tuesday, March 12
a chance to participate,
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
without making anyone Mt. Shasta room
feel guilty about it We’re ordering in sandwiches; please register your choice on the intranet by Monday at 5:00 p.m.
(WebEx is an online
meeting system) For those of you who can’t attend in person, please dial in on the conference line. You’ll be able to see Invites questions
the PowerPoint slides via WebEx, as usual. If you have any questions about the meeting, feel free to ahead of time so that
drop by my office any time on Friday.
they don’t derail the
Closes with a warm, Thanks, meeting
personal tone Shari

Provides additional Shari Washington

information and Group Manager, Retail Systems
alternative contact Office: 747-579-1852
Mobile: 747-443-6868
options by including
an e-mail signature

cultural borders. For instance, of the top ten export markets for U.S. products, only
two (Canada and Great Britain) have English as an official language, and Canada has
two official languages, English and French.2 Within the United States, some companies
and brands that you may think of as American (including Ben & Jerry’s, Dr. Pepper,
Pillsbury, Carnation, and Shell Oil) are in fact owned by organizations based in other
countries.3 Moreover, the workforce in both the United States and other countries is
becoming more diverse as countries look worldwide for talent and employees look
worldwide for opportunities. To communicate effectively with these varied audiences,
you’ll have the challenge of understanding other people’s backgrounds, personalities,
and perceptions.
■ Communicating in team-based organizations. Many successful companies today
no longer limit decisions to a few managers at the top of a formal hierarchy. These
organizations use teams and flexible industry partnerships to collaborate and make
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

fast decisions. As Chapter 2 discusses in detail, before you can function in a team-
based organization, you must understand how groups interact. You must be a good
listener and correctly interpret the nonverbal cues you receive from others. Such interaction
requires a basic understanding of the communication process in organizational settings.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 5

1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 5

Understanding the Communication Process

Communication is a dynamic, two-way process that can be broken down into six phases
(see Figure 1.2):

1. The sender has an idea. You conceive an idea and want to share it. The communication process starts with
a sender having an idea, then encoding
2. The sender encodes the idea. You decide on the message’s form (words, facial the idea into a message that is
expressions, gestures, illustrations, and so on), length, organization, tone, and transferred to a receiver.
style—all of which depend on your idea, your audience, and your personal style
or mood.
3. The sender transmits the message. To transmit your message to your receiver,
you select a communication channel such as the telephone, a letter, an e-mail—
even a facial gesture. This choice of channel depends on your message, your audi-
ence’s location, the media available to you, your need for speed, and the formality
required.
4. The receiver gets the message. Unfortunately, you have no guarantee that your mes-
sage will actually get through. The receiver may not hear you, or your e-mail might
get caught in an antispam filter. In fact, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face as a
communicator in today’s crowded business environment is cutting through clutter
and noise.
5. The receiver decodes the message. Your receiver tries to extract your idea from the
message in a form that he or she can understand, a step known as decoding. If all goes
well, the receiver interprets your message correctly, assigning the same meaning to
your words as you intended.
6. The receiver sends feedback. After decoding your message, the receiver has the
option of responding in some way. This feedback enables you to evaluate the effec-
tiveness of your message: Feedback often initiates another cycle through the process,
which can continue until both parties are satisfied with the result. Successful commu-
nicators place considerable value on feedback, not only as a way to measure effective-
ness but also as a way to learn.

Be aware that this is a simplified model; real-life communication is usually more

complicated. For instance, both the sender and receiver might be talking at the same time,
or the receiver might be trying to talk on the phone with one person while instant mes-
saging with another.

FIGURE 1.2 The Communication Process

This six-step model is a simplified representation of how communication works in real life, but understanding this
basic model is vital to improving your communication skills.

Step 1
Feedback also needs to be
Sender has an Step 6
encoded, transmitted, and decoded
idea or Receiver sends
information to feedback
share
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Step 2
Sender encodes Step 3 Step 4 Step 5
idea in a form that Sender transmits Channel Receiver gets Receiver decodes
will carry it to the message the message the message
the receiver

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 6

6 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

Building Your Business Communication Skills

You can improve your business In the coming chapters, you’ll find real-life examples of both effective and ineffective
communication by communication, with clear explanations to help you recognize what is good or bad about
■ Committing to ethical them. You’ll notice that five themes keep surfacing as keys to good communication:
communication
■ Adopting an audience-centered (1) committing to ethical communication, (2) adopting an audience-centered approach,
approach (3) improving your intercultural sensitivity, (4) improving your workplace sensitivity,
■ Improving your intercultural and (5) using communication technology effectively. Close attention to these themes will
sensitivity
■ Improving your workplace sensitivity help you improve your business communication skills.
■ Using technology effectively

Committing to Ethical Communication

Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Put
another way, ethical principles define the boundary between right and wrong. Former
Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart defined ethics as “knowing the difference between
what you have a right to do and what is the right thing to do.”4 To make the right choices
as a business communicator you have a responsibility to think through not only what you
say but also the consequences of saying it.
Of course, people in a society don’t always agree on what constitutes ethical behavior.
For instance, the emergence of stealth marketing, in which customers don’t know they’re
being marketed to, has raised new concerns about ethics. A common stealth marketing
technique is paying consumers (or offering them insider information and other benefits)
to promote products to their friends without telling them it’s a form of advertising.
Critics complain that such techniques are deceptive because they don’t give their targets
the opportunity to raise their instinctive defenses against the persuasive powers of mar-
keting messages.5
For business communication to be truly Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and
effective, it must be ethical. is not deceptive in any way. By contrast, unethical communication can include falsehoods
and misleading information (or exclude important information). Some examples of
unethical communication include:6

Unethical practices to avoid include ■ Plagiarism. Stealing someone else’s words or work and claiming it as your own
plagiarism, selective misquoting, ■ Selective misquoting. Deliberately omitting damaging or unflattering comments to
misrepresenting numbers, and
distorting visuals. paint a better (but untruthful) picture of you or your company
■ Misrepresenting numbers. Increasing or decreasing numbers, exaggerating, altering
statistics, or omitting numerical data
■ Distorting visuals. Making a product look bigger or changing the scale of graphs and
charts to exaggerate or conceal differences

On the surface, ethical practices appear fairly easy to recognize, but deciding what is
ethical can be a considerable challenge in complex business situations.

Recognizing Ethical Choices

Every company has responsibilities to multiple groups of people inside and outside the
firm, and those various groups often have competing interests. For instance, employees
generally want higher wages and more benefits, but investors who have risked their
money in the company want management to keep costs low so profits are strong enough
to drive up the stock price. Both sides have a valid position; neither one is “right” nor
“wrong.”
When choosing between two ethical An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut.
alternatives, you are facing an ethical Perhaps two conflicting alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

dilemma.
lie somewhere in the gray area between clearly right and clearly wrong. Suppose you are
president of a company that’s losing money. You have a duty to your shareholders to try to
reduce your losses and a duty to your employees to be fair and honest. After looking at
various options, you conclude that you’ll have to lay off 500 people immediately. You sus-
pect you may have to lay off another 100 people later on, but right now you need those

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 7

1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 7

100 workers to finish a project. What do you tell them? If you confess that their jobs are
shaky, many of them may quit just when you need them most. However, if you tell them
that the future is rosy, you’ll be stretching the truth.
Unlike a dilemma, an ethical lapse is a clearly unethical (and frequently illegal) choice. When you choose an alternative that is
For instance, several insurance companies were recently accused of misleading military unethical or illegal, you are committing
an ethical lapse.
personnel at Fort Benning in Georgia, Camp Pendleton in California, and other bases
around the country. Many of these young men and women thought they were signing up
for savings programs when in fact they were buying extremely expensive and frequently
unnecessary life insurance policies. The policies were often sold during mandatory finan-
cial training sessions for the soldiers, who were given no time to read the documents they
signed. After the situation was brought to national attention by the New York Times and
other news media, at least two of the companies involved, Madison National Life Insurance
Company and American Amicable Life Insurance, began issuing full refunds.7

Making Ethical Choices

Ensuring ethical business communications requires three elements: ethical individuals, Responsible employers establish clear
ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support ethical ethical guidelines for their employees
to follow.
decision making.8 Many companies establish an explicit ethics policy by using a written
code of ethics to help employees determine what is acceptable. A code is often part of a
larger program of employee training and communication channels that allows employees
to ask questions and report instances of questionable ethics. For example, United
Technologies, a large aerospace and defense company based in Hartford, Connecticut,
offers employees, customers, and suppliers a confidential way to report suspected fraud
and other ethical concerns. People who share their concerns receive a written response
that explains how the situation was resolved.9 If company ethics policies don’t cover a
specific situation, you can ask yourself
If you find yourself in a situation in which the law or your employer’s code of ethics a number of questions in order to make
can’t provide sufficient guidance, ask yourself the following questions:10 an ethical choice.

■ Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately?

■ What is your intention in communicating this message?
■ What impact will this message have on the people who receive it, or who might be
affected by it?
■ Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm?
■ Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems
ethical now seem unethical in the future?
■ Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed
in tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the Internet? Would you be proud to
describe your choice to someone you admire and respect?

One helpful way to make sure your messages are ethical is to consider your audience:
What does your audience need? What will help your audience the most?

Adopting an Audience-Centered Approach

Adopting an audience-centered approach means focusing on and caring about the mem- An effective business message focuses
bers of your audience—making every effort to get your message across in a way that is on its audience.

meaningful and respectful to them. In addition to being an excellent demonstration of

using technology effectively, the blog posting in Figure 1.3 is a great example of audience-
centered communication.
An important element of audience-centered communication is etiquette, the
expected norms of behavior in a particular situation. In today’s hectic, competitive world,
the notion of etiquette might seem outdated and unimportant. However, the way you
conduct yourself can have a profound influence on your company’s success and your
career. When executives hire and promote you, they expect your behavior to protect the
company’s reputation. The more you understand such expectations, the better chance you
have of avoiding career-damaging mistakes.
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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 9

significance of gestures, the importance of time and space, the rules of human relation-
ships—these and many other aspects of communication are defined by culture. To a large
degree, your culture influences the way you think, which naturally affects the way you
communicate as both a sender and a receiver.11 In other words, achieving intercultural
communication is much more complicated than simply matching language between
sender and receiver. It goes beyond mere language to beliefs, values, and emotions.
Improve your cultural sensitivity by
You can improve your ability to communicate effectively across cultures by recogniz-
■ Recognizing cultural differences
ing such cultural differences, by overcoming your tendency to judge others based on your ■ Overcoming the tendency to
own standards, by polishing your written intercultural skills, and by polishing your oral stereotype
intercultural skills. ■ Polishing your written intercultural
communication skills
■ Polishing your oral intercultural
Recognizing Cultural Differences communication skills
Problems often arise when we assume that other people’s attitudes and lives are like ours. Cultural differences exist in areas such
Start by unlearning the “Golden Rule” you were probably taught as a child, to treat others as context, ethics, social custom, and
nonverbal communication.
as you would want them to treat you. Instead, treat others the way they want to be treated,
not the way you want to be treated. More specifically, you can improve intercultural sensi-
tivity by recognizing and accommodating cultural differences in such areas as context, law
and ethics, social customs, and nonverbal communication.

Cultural Context Every attempt at communication occurs within a cultural context, the Cultural context includes physical cues,
pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey environmental stimuli, and varying
degrees of implicit understanding.
meaning between two members of the same culture. However, cultures around the world
vary widely in the role that context plays in communication (see Figure 1.4).
In a high-context culture such as South Korea or Taiwan, people rely less on verbal To communicate in high-context
communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting cultures, members rely less on words
and more on context.
to convey meaning. For instance, a Chinese speaker expects the receiver to discover the
essence of a message and uses indirectness and metaphor to provide a web of meaning.12
In high-context cultures, the rules of everyday life are rarely explicit; instead, as individu-
als grow up, they learn how to recognize situational cues (such as gestures and tone

FIGURE 1.4 How Cultural Context Affects Business Communication

Cultural differences can have a profound effect on business communication. Bear in mind that this is a simplified
model; individuals and companies within a given culture can vary widely along the high-context to low-context
continuum.

IN LOW-CONTEXT CULTURES IN HIGH-CONTEXT CULTURES

Executive offices are separate with controlled access. Executive offices are shared and open to all.
Workers rely on detailed background information. Workers do not expect or want detailed information.
Information is highly centralized and controlled. Information is shared with everyone.
Objective data are valued over subjective relationships. Subjective relationships are valued over objective data.
Business and social relationships are discrete. Business and social relationships overlap.
Competence is valued as much as position and status. Position and status are valued much more than competence.
Meetings have fixed agendas and plenty of advance notice. Meetings are often called on short notice, and key people always
accept.
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ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

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Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 10

10 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

of voice) and how to respond as expected.13 Also, in a high-context culture, the primary
role of communication is building relationships, not exchanging information.14
To communicate in low-context In a low-context culture such as the United States or Germany, people rely more on
cultures, members rely more on words verbal communication and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. An
and less on context.
English speaker feels responsible for transmitting the meaning of the message and often
places sentences in chronological sequence to establish a cause-and-effect pattern.15
In a low-context culture, rules and expectations are usually spelled out through explicit
statements such as “Please wait until I’m finished” or “You’re welcome to browse.”16
Exchanging information is the primary task of communication in low-context cultures.17

Members of different cultures Legal and Ethical Differences Legal and ethical behaviors are also affected by cultural
sometimes have different views of context. For example, because members of low-context cultures value the written word,
what is ethical and even legal.
they consider written agreements binding. They also tend to view laws with flexibility.
However, members of high-context cultures put less emphasis on the written word and
consider personal pledges more important than contracts. Plus, they tend to adhere more
strictly to the law.18
Legal systems differ from culture to culture. In the United Kingdom and the United
States, someone is presumed innocent until proved guilty, a principle rooted in English
common law. However, in Mexico and Turkey, someone is presumed guilty until proved
innocent, a principle rooted in the Napoleonic code.19 These distinctions are particularly
important if your firm must communicate about a legal dispute in another country.
Making ethical choices can be difficult within your own culture. But trying to make
these choices across cultures can seem incredibly complicated. When communicating
across cultures, keep your messages ethical by applying four basic principles:20

Learn the four principles that will help ■ Actively seek mutual ground. Both parties must be flexible and avoid insisting that an
you keep your intercultural messages interaction take place strictly in terms of one culture or another.
ethical.
■ Send and receive messages without judgment. Both parties must recognize that
values vary from culture to culture, and they must find a way to trust each other.
■ Send messages that are honest. Both parties must see a situation as it is—not as they
would like it to be. They must be fully aware of their personal and cultural biases.
■ Show respect for cultural differences. Both parties must understand and acknowledge
the other’s needs and preserve each other’s dignity by communicating without
deception.

Whether formal or informal, the rules Social Customs The nature of social behavior varies among cultures, sometimes
governing social customs differ from dramatically. These behaviors are guided by rules. Some rules are formal and specifically
culture to culture.
articulated (table manners are a good example), and some are informal, learned over time
(such as the comfortable standing distance between two speakers in an office or the
acceptability of male and female employees socializing outside of work). The combina-
tion of formal and informal rules influences the overall behavior of everyone in a society,
or at least most of the people most of the time, in such areas as manners, attitudes toward
time, individual versus community values, and attitudes toward status and wealth. For
example, the predominant U.S. view is that money solves many problems, that material
comfort is a sign of superiority and is earned by individual effort, and that people who
work hard are better than those who don’t. But other cultures condemn materialism,
some prize communal effort above that of the individual, and some value a more carefree
lifestyle.

Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication is a vital part of the communica-

ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

tion process. Everything from facial expressions to style of dress can influence the way
receivers decode messages, and the interpretation of nonverbal signals can vary widely
from culture to culture. For instance, a gesture that communicates good luck in Brazil is
the equivalent of giving someone “the finger” in Colombia.21 In fact, the area of gestures
in intercultural communication is so complicated that entire books have been written

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 11

about it. Don’t assume that the gestures you grew up with will translate to another cul-
ture; doing so could lead to embarrassing mistakes. You’ll learn more about nonverbal
communication in Chapter 2.

Overcoming Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge
behaviors, and customs of one’s own group. When making such comparisons, people too all other groups according to the
standards, behaviors, and customs
often decide that their own group is superior.22 An even more extreme reaction is of one’s own group.
xenophobia, a fear of strangers and foreigners. Clearly, businesspeople who take these
views will not interpret messages from other cultures correctly, nor are they likely to send
successful messages.
Distorted views of other cultures or groups also result from stereotyping, assigning a Stereotyping is assigning generalized
wide range of generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a par- attributes to an individual on the basis
of membership in a particular group.
ticular culture or social group, without considering the individual’s unique characteris-
tics. For instance, assuming that an older colleague will be out of touch with the youth
market or that a younger colleague can’t be an inspiring leader is an example of stereo-
typing age groups.
Those who want to show respect for other people and to communicate effectively in Cultural pluralism is the acceptance of
business need to adopt a more positive viewpoint, in the form of cultural pluralism—the multiple cultures on their own terms.

practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms. When crossing cultural
boundaries, you’ll be even more effective if you move beyond simple acceptance and
adapt your own communication style to that of the new cultures you encounter—even
integrating aspects of those cultures into your own.23 A few simple habits can help you
avoid both the negativity of ethnocentrism and the oversimplification of stereotyping:

■ Avoid assumptions. Don’t assume that others will act the same way you do, that they
will operate from the same values and beliefs, or that they will use language and sym-
bols the same way you do.
■ Avoid judgments. When people act differently, don’t conclude that they are in error,
that their way is invalid, or that their customs are inferior to your own.
■ Acknowledge distinctions. Don’t ignore the differences between another person’s
culture and your own.

Unfortunately, overcoming ethnocentrism and stereotyping is no simple task, even for

people who are highly motivated to do so. You may need to change patterns of beliefs that
you’ve had your entire life and even change the way you view yourself and your culture.
Moreover, recent research suggests that people often have beliefs and biases that they’re
not even consciously aware of—and that may even conflict with the beliefs they think they
have. (To see if you might have some of these implicit beliefs visit the Project Implicit web-
site at https:/implicit.harvard.edu/implicit and take some of the simple online tests.24)

Polishing Your Written Intercultural Skills

The letter in Figure 1.5 communicates across cultures quite effectively. To help you prepare
effective written communications for multicultural audiences, remember these tips:25

■ Use plain English. Use short, precise words that say exactly what you mean. Important tips for improving your
■ Be clear. Rely on specific terms and concrete examples to explain your points. intercultural writing include using plain
English, avoiding slang, and using short
■ Address international correspondence properly. The order and layout of address sentences and short paragraphs.
information vary from country to country, so follow the conventions that appear in the
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

company’s letterhead.
■ Cite numbers carefully. Use figures (27) instead of spelling them out (twenty-seven).
■ Avoid slang, idioms, jargon, and abbreviations. Words and phrases that you consider
to be everyday language may in fact be nonstandard usage and difficult for your
audience to translate.
■ Be brief. Construct sentences that are short and simple.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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12 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

FIGURE 1.5 Effective Intercultural Letter

This letter from a U.S. sales representative to an accounting manager in a French company is a good example of
successfully adapting to an audience in another culture.

Troy Halford, U.S. Sales Representative

163 Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90032
Voice: (213) 975-8924
Fax: (213) 860-3489
hallford@comcast.net

5 April 2007 Uses the international

date format, which is
preferred in French
M. Pierre Coll correspondence
Commissaire aux Comptes
Follows French La Cristallerie
preferences for title 22, Boulevard de la Marne
and address format 21200 Beaune
FRANCE

Addresses the reader Dear Monsieur Coll:

more formally in the
salutation, as is Enclosed are my expense statement and receipts for March 2007. My expenses States the main idea
expected in most are higher than usual this month because an unexpected snowstorm that closed directly and clearly in
French correspondence the airport in Chicago left me stranded for nearly five days. I was able to get a the opening, leaving
hotel for the duration of the storm, although the only room available was far more no room for confusion
expensive than my usual accommodations. about the letter’s
Uses clear and purpose
conventional language In addition to the regular expenses identified in the enclosed report, here are the
that is easier for non- additional expenditures caused by the weather delay:
native English speakers
Three nights at the Carlton-O’Hare Hotel $ 877
Clearly identifies the
Meals over four days 175
Transportation between hotel and terminal 72
extra expenses in a list
Phone calls to reschedule meetings 38 that is easy to read
Provides a total of the Total extra expenses $1,162
extra expenses
If you have any questions or need any more information about these expenses, Closes with an offer to
please contact me. help the reader with
any further needs
Sincerely,

Troy Halford
U.S. Sales Rep

Indicates that Enclosures: Expense statement and receipts

additional materials are
enclosed with the letter

■ Use short paragraphs. Each paragraph should stick to one topic.

■ Use transitional elements. Help readers follow your train of thought.

Polishing Your Oral Intercultural Skills

When speaking in English to people who speak English as a second language, you may
find these tips helpful:

Important tips for improving your oral ■ Try to eliminate noise. Pronounce words clearly, stop at distinct punctuation points,
intercultural skills include speaking and make one point at a time.
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

clearly and slowly, looking for

feedback, and using objective ■ Look for feedback. Be alert to signs of confusion in your listener. Realize that nods and
language. smiles don’t necessarily mean understanding. If the other person’s body language
seems at odds with the message, take time to clarify the meaning.
■ Speak slowly and rephrase your sentence when necessary. If someone doesn’t seem to
understand you, choose simpler words; don’t just repeat the sentence in a louder voice.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
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BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 13

1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 13

■ Clarify your true intent with repetition and examples. Try to be aware of uninten-
tional meanings that may be read into your message.
■ Don’t talk down to the other person. Try not to overenunciate, and don’t “blame” the
listener for not understanding. Say, “Am I going too fast?” rather than “Is this too diffi-
cult for you?”
■ Use objective, accurate language. Avoid throwing around adjectives such as fantastic
and fabulous, which people from other cultures might consider unreal and overly
dramatic.
■ Learn foreign phrases. Learn common greetings and a few simple phrases in the other
person’s native language. Key phrases are usually listed in travel books and in a separate
section of most travel dictionaries.
■ Listen carefully and patiently. Let other people finish what they have to say. If you
interrupt, you may miss something important. You’ll also show a lack of respect. If
you do not understand a comment, ask the person to repeat it.
■ Adapt your conversation style to the other person’s. For instance, if the other person
appears to be direct and straightforward, follow suit.
■ Check frequently for comprehension. Make one point at a time and pause to check on
comprehension before moving on.
■ Clarify what will happen next. At the end of a conversation, be sure that you and the
other person agree on what has been said and decided. If appropriate, follow up by
writing a letter or a memo summarizing the conversation and thanking the person for
meeting with you.
■ Observe body language. Be alert to roving eyes, glazed looks, and other facial expres-
sions that signal the listener is lost or confused.

In short, take advantage of the other person’s presence to make sure that your message is
getting across and that you understand his or her message too.

Improving Your Workplace Sensitivity

Today’s workforce is composed of people who differ in race, gender, age, culture, family Today’s culturally diverse workforce is
structure, religion, and educational background. Such cultural diversity affects how busi- made up of men and women from
various nations, ethnic backgrounds,
ness messages are conceived, planned, sent, received, and interpreted in the workplace. To religions, ages, family structures, and
communicate more effectively with diverse audiences both inside and outside your com- educational backgrounds.
pany, learn all you can about the cultures of these people. In your research, try to learn
useful general information while remaining aware of and open to local variations and
individual differences. In any cross-cultural situation, you can communicate more effec-
tively if you heed the following tips:26

■ Assume differences until similarity is proved. Don’t assume that others are more
similar to you than they actually are.

Improve This Memo

To practice correcting drafts of actual documents, visit your online course or

the access-code-protected portion of the Companion Website. Click “Document
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Makeovers,” then click Chapter 1. You will find a memo that contains problems and errors
relating to what you’ve learned in this chapter about improving business communication. Use
the Final Draft decision tool to create an improved version of this memo. Check the message
for ethical communication, an audience-centered approach, and intercultural sensitivity.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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14 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

Important tips to communicate ■ Take responsibility for communication. Don’t assume it’s the other person’s job to
effectively in a culturally diverse
workforce include withholding
communicate with you.
judgment, looking beyond superficial ■ Withhold judgment. Learn to listen to the whole story and accept differences in others
differences, and being flexible. without judging them.
■ Show respect. Learn how respect is communicated in various cultures (through
gestures, eye contact, and so on).
■ Empathize. Before sending a message, put yourself in the receiver’s shoes. Imagine the
receiver’s feelings and point of view.
■ Tolerate ambiguity. Learn to control your frustration when placed in an unfamiliar or
confusing situation.
■ Look beyond the superficial. Don’t be distracted by things such as dress, appearance,
or environmental discomforts.
■ Be patient and persistent. If you want to communicate with someone from another
culture, don’t give up easily.
■ Recognize your own cultural biases. Learn to identify when your assumptions are
different from the other person’s.
■ Be flexible. Be prepared to change your habits and attitudes when communicating
with someone from another culture.
■ Emphasize common ground. Look for similarities from which to work.
■ Send clear messages. Make both your verbal and nonverbal signals clear and consistent.
■ Deal with the individual. Communicate with each person as an individual, not as a
stereotypical representative of another group.
■ Learn when to be direct. Investigate each culture so that you’ll know when to send
your message in a straightforward manner and when to be indirect.
■ Observe and learn. Even after you begin to find your way in another culture, continue
to assess the feedback provided by recipients of your communication. The more you
learn, the more effective you’ll be.

Using Communication Technology Effectively

Communicating in today’s business Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to improve the communication process, and
environment nearly always requires you’ll be expected to use a variety of these tools on the job. The four-page photo essay
some level of technical competence
as well. “Powerful Tools for Communicating Efficiently” (pp. 16–19) offers an overview of the tech-
nologies that connect people in offices, factories, and other business settings. In addition,
some aspects of communication technology are undergoing exciting changes almost daily:

■ Voice technologies. The human voice will always be central to business communica-
tion, but today it’s being supplemented by a variety of new technologies. Voice synthe-
sis regenerates a human speaking voice from computer files that represent words or
parts of words. Voice recognition converts human speech to computer-compatible data.
One of the most exciting new developments is podcasting (see chapter 6), the process
of recording of audio or video messages that can be distributed via the Internet.
■ Virtual agents. Virtual agents, also known as bots (derived from robot), are a class of
automated tools that perform a variety of communication tasks, such as answering
customer service questions and responding to requests for electronic documents.27
■ Mobile communication. If you’re accustomed to studying on the go, you’ll fit right
into today’s untethered work environment. In some cases, mobile workers don’t even
have traditional offices, using temporary cubicles at work, home offices, cars, airports,
and even new Internet-equipped airplanes for office space. Geographic data from the
Global Positioning System (GPS) are also creating new forms of mobile communica-
tion, such as location-based advertising (getting an ad on your cell phone from a store
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

you’re walking past, for instance) and remote monitoring of medical patients and
trucking fleets.
■ Networking advances. You might already be using some of the new networking tech-
nologies that help businesspeople communicate and collaborate. Peer-to-peer (P2P)
computing lets multiple PCs communicate directly so that they can share files or work

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 15

on large problems simultaneously. Wireless networking, particularly the commonly

used Wi-Fi technology, extends the reach of the Internet with wireless access points
that connect to PCs and handheld devices via radio signals. Short messaging service
(SMS) is a text communication feature that has been common on mobile phones in
other parts of the world for years and is becoming more popular in North America.

Even as technologies continue to advance, anyone who has used a computer knows
that the benefits of technology are not automatic. To communicate effectively, you need
to keep technology in perspective, use technological tools productively, and disengage
from the computer frequently to communicate in person.

Keeping Technology in Perspective

Technology is an aid to interpersonal communication, not a replacement for it. Don’t let technology overwhelm the
Technology can’t think for you, communicate for you, or make up for a lack of essential communication process.
skills. The spellchecker in your word processor is a great example. It’s happy to run all
your words through the dictionary, but it doesn’t know whether you’re using the correct
words or the best words possible.
The sheer number of possibilities in many technological tools can also get in the way
of successful communication. For example, both senders and receivers may be distracted
if they’re having trouble configuring their computers to participate in an online meeting.
Or the content of a message may be obscured if an electronic presentation is over-
loaded with amateurish visual effects. By focusing on your message and your audience,
you can avoid falling into the trap of letting technology get in the way of successful
communication.

Using Technological Tools Productively

You don’t have to become an expert to use most communication technologies effectively, Employers who are comfortable using
but you will need to be familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools your communication technologies have a
competitive advantage in today’s
employer expects you to use. For instance, if you don’t know the basic functions of your marketplace.
word processor, you could spend hours trying to format a document that a skilled user
could format in minutes. Whatever the tool, if you learn the basics, your work will be less
frustrating and far more productive.

Reconnecting with People Frequently

In spite of technology’s efficiency and speed, it may not be the best choice for every com- No matter how much technology is
munication situation. Even in the best circumstances, technology can’t match the rich involved, communication will always be
about people connecting with people.
experience of person-to-person contact. Let’s say you IM an employee asking how she did
with her sales presentation to an important client, and her answer comes back simply as
“Fine.” What does fine mean? Did she win the sale? Lose it? Oversleep and miss the meet-
ing? If you visit her in person, you can pick up on nonverbal clues and probably engage
her in a more meaningful conversation.
Moreover, even the best communication technologies can’t show people who you
really are. You can create amazing documents and presentations without ever leaving your
desk or meeting anyone in person. You might be funny, bright, and helpful, but you’re just
a voice on the phone or a name on a screen until people can interact with you in person.
Remember to step out from behind the technology frequently to learn more about the
people you work with—and to let them learn more about you.

Reviewing Key Points

ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

This chapter highlights the importance of making business communication effective by

ensuring that it stimulates action and encourages audiences to think in new ways. The
chapter explains how effective communication helps you adapt to today’s changing work-
place. Amid today’s advancing technology, selecting the proper communication tool
enables you not only to reach your audiences but also to help them better understand

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 17

Wall Displays Web-Based Meetings

Teams commonly Workers can actively
solve problems by participate in web-based
brainstorming at meetings by logging on
a whiteboard. Wall from a desktop PC,
displays take this laptop, or cell phone.
concept one step Websites such as WebEx
further, letting participants transmit words and dia- help users integrate voice,
grams to distant colleagues via the corporate intranet. text, and video, and let
Users can even share the virtual pen to make changes them share applications such as Microsoft PowerPoint
and additions from more than one location. and Microsoft Word in a single browser window.

Collaborating
Working in teams is essential in
almost every business. Teamwork
can become complicated, however,
when team members work in dif-
ferent parts of the company, in
different time zones, or even for
different companies. Technology
helps bridge the distance by mak- Shared Workspace
Internet Videophone ing it possible to brainstorm,
attend virtual meetings, and share
Online workspaces such as eRoom and
Groove make it easy for far-flung team
Person-to-person video calling has files from widely separated loca- members to access shared files any-
long been possible through popular tions. Communication technology where, any time. Accessible through a
instant messaging programs. Internet also helps companies save money browser, the workspace contains a col-
videophone services do even more, on costly business travel without lection of folders and has built-in
letting multiple users participate in a losing most of the benefits of face- intelligence to control which team
videoconference without the expense to-face collaboration. members can read, edit, and save spe-
and complexity of a full-fledged
cific files.
videoconferencing system. Some ser-
vices are flexible enough to include
telecommuters who have broadband
Internet connections.

Communicating Remotely

Videoconferencing and Telepresence

Less costly than travel, videoconferencing provides
many of the same benefits as an in-person meeting.
Advanced systems include telepresence and robot
surrogates, which use computers to “place” partici-
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

pants in the room virtually, letting them see and

hear everyone while being seen and heard them-
selves. Such realistic interaction makes meetings
more productive.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 18

Extranet
Warehouse RFID Extranets are secure,
In an effort to reduce the private computer
costs and delays associ- networks that use
ated with manual inven- Internet technology
tory reports, Wal-Mart to share business
requires its top suppliers information with
to put radio-frequency suppliers, vendors,
identification (RFID) tags on all their shipping cases and partners, and
pallets. These tags automatically provide information that was customers. Think of an extranet as an extension of
previously collected by hand via barcode scanners. the company intranet that is available to people
outside the organization by invitation only.

Wireless
Sharing the Latest
Warehouse
Communication
Information
technology is a Companies use a variety of com-
key source of munication technologies to create
competitive products and services and deliver
advantage for them to customers. The ability to
shipping companies such as FedEx and UPS. easily access and share the latest
Hand-worn scanners use wireless links to information improves the flow and
help warehouse personnel access instant timing of supplies, lowers operat-
information that lets them process more ing costs, and boosts financial per-
packages in less time at transit hubs. formance. Easy information access Package Tracking
Currently, 300 package loaders at four UPS also helps companies respond to Senders and receivers often
hub facilities are testing the new wireless customer needs by providing them want frequent updates when
application called UPScan. A pager-size timely, accurate information and packages are in transit.
cordless scanner worn on the loader’s hand service and by delivering the right Handheld devices such as the
captures data from a package bar code and products to them at the right time. FedEx PowerPad enhance
transmits the data via Bluetooth® wireless customer service by letting
technology to a Symbol Technologies wireless delivery personnel instantly
terminal worn on the loader’s waist. upload package data to the
FedEx network. The wireless
PowerPad also aids drivers by
automatically receiving weather
advisories.

Communicating About Products and Services

Supply Chain Management

Advanced software applications let suppliers, manufac-
turers, and retailers share information—even when they
have incompatible computer systems. Improved informa-
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

tion flow increases report accuracy and helps each com-

pany in the supply chain manage stock levels.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 19

Help Lines
Courtesy of CustomerReach Corporation

Over-the-Shoulder Some people prefer the

Support personal touch of contact
by phone. Moreover,
For online shoppers who
some companies assign
need instant help, many
preferred customers
retail websites make it easy
special ID numbers that
to connect with a live sales
let them jump to the
rep via phone or instant
front of the calling
messaging. The rep can pro-
queue. Many companies
vide quick answers to ques-
are addressing the needs
tions and, with permission, can even control a shopper’s
of foreign-language speakers by connect-
browser to help locate particular items.
ing them with external service providers
who offer multilingual support.

Interacting
Maintaining an open dialog with
customers is a great way to gain a
better understanding of their likes
and dislikes. Today’s communica-
tion technologies make it easier for
customers to interact with a com-
pany whenever, wherever, and how-
Podcasting
ever they wish. A well-coordinated With the
approach to phone, web, and in- portability
store communication helps a com- and con-
Corporate Blogs pany build stronger relationships venience of
Web-based journals let companies with its existing customers, which download-
offer advice, answer questions, and increases the chances of doing able audio
promote the benefits of their prod- more business with each one. and video recordings, podcasts have
ucts and services in a fast, personal quickly become a popular means of
style. Elements of a successful blog delivering everything from college
include frequent updates and the lectures to marketing messages. Podcasts
participation of knowledgeable are also used for internal communication
contributors. Adding a subtle mix as well, replacing conference calls,
of useful commentary and market- newsletters, and other traditional
ing messages helps get customers to communication vehicles.
visit blogs frequently or sign up for
automatic updates through really
simple syndication (RSS).

Communicating with Customers In-Store Kiosks

Staples is among the
retailers that let shop-
pers buy from the web
while they’re still in the
store. Web-connected
kiosks were originally
used to let shoppers
custom-configure their PCs, but the kiosks also give cus-
tomers access to roughly 8,000 in-store items as well as to
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

the 50,000 products available online.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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20 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

your messages. In today’s age of information, getting your audience’s attention prevents
people from overlooking vital information that you pass along. With today’s global
marketplace and diverse workforce, understanding other backgrounds, personalities, and
perceptions enables you to communicate clearly with people from other cultures. And
since today’s companies are committed to working in teams, knowing how to listen to
colleagues and to recognize the meaning behind their nonverbal signals helps you collab-
orate with the others in your work groups.
This chapter also describes the six steps in the communication process. And it cau-
tions you not to pack too much information into each message you send. It explains five
ways to improve your business communication: by committing to ethical communica-
tion, adopting an audience-centered approach, improving your intercultural sensitivity,
improving your workplace sensitivity, and using technology effectively.
The next chapter discusses communicating in teams. It explains how to listen to
others by overcoming the common barriers to good listening. It also talks about how
to understand nonverbal communication. Finally, it helps you put this new information
to work when planning and participating in meetings and when using telephones and
voice mail.

Test Your Knowledge

1. What benefits does effective communication give you and your organization?

2. What effects do globalization and workforce diversity have on communication?

3. Define ethics, and explain what ethical communication encompasses.

4. Why should communicators take an audience-centered approach to communication?

5. Why is it important to reconnect in person when using technology to communicate?

ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
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BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 21

1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 21

Apply Your Knowledge

1. Why do you think communication is vital to the success of every business organization? Explain
briefly.

2. How does your understanding of the communication process help you conduct business more
effectively?

3. Your company has relocated to a U.S. city where a Vietnamese subculture is strongly established.
Many employees will be from this subculture. As a member of the human resources
department, what suggestions can you make to improve communication between management
and the Vietnamese Americans your company is hiring?

4. When Mena Trott shared with her customers the lessons her company learned after a computer
systems failure (refer to the discussion of Figure 1.3 on p. 8), how was she engaging in
audience-centered communication?

5. Ethical Choices Because of your excellent communication skills, your boss always asks you to
write his reports for him. But when the CEO compliments him on his logical organization and
clear writing style, your boss responds as if he’d written all those reports himself. What kind of
ethical choice does this represent? What can you do in this situation? Briefly explain your
solution and your reasoning.

Practice Your Knowledge

Activities
For active links to all websites discussed in this chapter, visit this text’s website at www.
prenhall.com/bovee. Locate your book and click on its Companion Website link. Then
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

select Chapter 1, and click on “Featured Websites.” Locate the name of the page or the
URL related to the material in the text. Please note that links to sites that become inactive
after publication of the book will be removed from the Featured Websites section.
1. Analyze This Document Your boss wants to send a brief e-mail message welcoming
employees recently transferred to your department from your Hong Kong branch.

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22 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

They all speak English, but your boss asks you to review her message for clarity. What
would you suggest your boss change in the following e-mail message—and why?
Would you consider this message to be audience centered? Why or why not?
I wanted to welcome you ASAP to our little family here in the states. It’s high time we shook
hands in person and not just across the sea. I’m pleased as punch about getting to know you
all, and I for one will do my level best to sell you on America.

2. Ethical Choices In less than a page, explain why you think each of the following is
or is not ethical:
a. De-emphasizing negative test results in a report on your product idea
b. Taking a computer home to finish a work-related assignment
c. Telling an associate and close friend that she’d better pay more attention to her
work responsibilities or management will fire her
d. Recommending the purchase of excess equipment to use up your allocated funds
before the end of the fiscal year so that your budget won’t be cut next year

3. The Changing Workplace: Personal Expression at Work Blogging has become a

popular way for employees to communicate with customers and other parties outside
the company. In some cases, employee blogs have been quite beneficial for both com-
panies and their customers, by providing helpful information and “putting a human
face” on other formal and imposing corporations. However, in some other cases,
employees have been fired for posting information that their employers said was
inappropriate. One particular area of concern is criticism of the company or individ-
ual managers. Should employees be allowed to criticize their employers in a public
forum such as a blog? In a brief e-mail message, argue for or against company policies
that prohibit any critical information in employee blogs.
4. Internet Cisco is a leading manufacturer of equipment for the Internet and corpo-
rate networks and has developed a code of ethics that it expects employees to abide
by. Visit the company’s website at www.cisco.com and find the Code of Conduct. In a
brief paragraph, describe three specific examples of things you could do that would
violate these provisions; then list at least three opportunities that Cisco provides its
employees to report ethics violations or ask questions regarding ethical dilemmas.
5. Communication Etiquette Potential customers often visit your production facility
before making purchase decisions. You and the people who report to you in the sales
department have received extensive training in etiquette issues because you deal with
high-profile clients so frequently. However, the rest of the workforce has not received
such training, and you worry that someone might inadvertently say or do something
that would offend one of these potential customers. In a two-paragraph e-mail,
explain to the general manager why you think anyone who might come in contact
with customers should receive basic etiquette training.
6. Self-Introduction Write a paragraph or prepare a two-minute oral presentation
introducing yourself to your instructor and your class. Include such things as your
background, interests, achievements, and goals.
7. Teamwork Your boss has asked your workgroup to research and report on corpo-
rate child-care facilities. Of course, you’ll want to know who (besides your boss) will
be reading your report. Working with two team members, list four or five other
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

things you’ll want to know about the situation and about your audience before start-
ing your research. Briefly explain why each of the items on your list is important.
8. Communication Process: Analyzing Miscommunication Use the six phases of the
communication process to analyze a miscommunication you’ve recently had with a
co-worker, supervisor, classmate, teacher, friend, or family member. What idea were

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 23

you trying to share? How did you encode and transmit it? Did the receiver get the
message? Did the receiver correctly decode the message? How do you know? Based on
your analysis, what do you think prevented your successful communication in this
instance?

9. Ethical Choices Knowing that you have numerous friends throughout the com-
pany, your boss relies on you for feedback concerning employee morale and other
issues affecting the staff. She recently approached you and asked you to start report-
ing any behavior that might violate company polices, from taking office supplies
home to making personal long-distance calls. List the issues you’d like to discuss with
her before you respond to her request.

10. Intercultural Sensitivity: Recognizing Differences Your boss represents a

Canadian toy company that’s negotiating to buy miniature truck wheels from a man-
ufacturer in Osaka, Japan. In the first meeting, he explains that your company expects
to control the design of the wheels as well as the materials that are used to make them.
The manufacturer’s representative looks down and says softly, “Perhaps that will be
difficult.” Your boss presses for agreement, and to emphasize your company’s willing-
ness to buy, he shows the prepared contract he’s brought with him. However, the
manufacturer seems increasingly vague and uninterested.
Your task: What cultural differences may be interfering with effective communica-
tion in this situation? Explain briefly in an e-mail message to your instructor.

11. Teamwork Working with two other students, prepare a list of ten examples of slang
(in your own language) that would probably be misinterpreted or misunderstood
during a business conversation with someone from another culture. Next to each
example, suggest other words you might use to convey the same message. Do the
alternatives mean exactly the same as the original slang or idiom?

12. Intercultural Communication: Studying Cultures Choose a specific country, such

as India, Portugal, Bolivia, Thailand, or Nigeria, with which you are not familiar.
Research the culture and write a brief summary of what a U.S. businessperson would
need to know about concepts of personal space and rules of social behavior in order
to conduct business successfully in that country.

13. Multicultural Workforce: Bridging Differences Differences in gender, age, and

physical abilities contribute to the diversity of today’s workforce. Working with a
classmate, role-play a conversation in which
a. A woman is being interviewed for a job by a male personnel manager
b. An older person is being interviewed for a job by a younger personnel manager
c. A person using a wheelchair is being interviewed for a job by a person who
can walk

How did differences between the applicant and the interviewer shape the communi-
cation? What can you do to improve communication in such situations?

14. Intercultural Sensitivity: Understanding Attitudes You are assistant to the direc-
tor of marketing for a telecommunications firm based in Germany. You’re accompa-
nying your boss to negotiate with an official in Guangzhou, China, who’s in charge of
selecting a new telephone system for the city. Your boss insists that the specifications
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

be spelled out in detail in the contract. However, the Chinese negotiator argues that
in developing a long-term business relationship, such minor details are unimportant.
Your task: What can you suggest that your boss do or say to break this intercultural
deadlock and obtain the contract so that both parties are comfortable? Outline your
ideas in a brief e-mail message to your instructor.

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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24 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

Expand Your Knowledge

Exploring the Best of the Web Exploring the Web on Your Own
Check Out These Free Resources The Business Writer’s Review these chapter-related websites on your own to
Free Library, www.mapnp.org/library/commskls/cmm_ learn more about achieving communication success in the
writ.htm, is a terrific resource for business communication workplace.
material. Categories of information include basic composi-
1. Netiquette Home Page, www.albion.com/netiquette/
tion skills, basic writing skills, correspondence, reference
index.html. Learn the do’s and don’ts of online commu-
material, and general resources and advice. Log on and read
nication at this site, then take the Netiquette Quiz.
about the most common errors in English, become a word
detective, ask Miss Grammar, review samples of common 2. Learn how to improve your cultural savvy and gain an
forms of correspondence, fine-tune your interpersonal international competitive advantage. Visit Cultural
skills, join a newsgroup, and more. Follow the links and Savvy, www.culturalsavvy.com, and read the country
improve your effectiveness as a business communicator. reports and cultural tips. Follow the site’s links to inter-
views, profiles, articles, books, and more.
Exercises 3. 101 Best Web Sites for Writers, at www.writersdigest.com,
1. What are some strategies for communicating with an points the way to great search engines and general refer-
uncooperative audience? ence sites. While aimed primarily at professional writers,
the list has something to offer all business communica-
2. What is the value of diversity in the workplace? tors. The site list is updated every year, so be sure to select
3. Why is bad etiquette bad for business? the current year’s list.

Learn Interactively
Interactive Study Guide through the access-code protected portion of the Companion
Website, or on CD, you can improve your skill with nouns
Visit www.prenhall.com/bovee, then locate your book and
and pronouns by using the “Peak Performance Grammar and
click on its Companion Website link. Select Chapter 1 to take
Mechanics” module. Click on “Grammar Basics,” and then
advantage of the interactive “Chapter Quiz” to test your
click “Nouns and Pronouns.” Take the Pretest to determine
knowledge of chapter concepts. Receive instant feedback on
whether you have any weak areas. Then review those areas in
whether you need additional studying. Also, visit the “Study
the Refresher Course. Take the Follow-Up Test to check your
Hall,” where you’ll find an abundance of valuable resources
grasp of nouns and pronouns. For an extra challenge or
that will help you succeed in this course.
advanced practice, take the Advanced Test. Finally, for addi-
tional reinforcement in nouns, go to the “Improve Your
Peak Performance Grammar and Mechanics
Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage” section that follows, and
If your instructor has required the use of “Peak Performance complete the “Level I: Self-Assessment” exercises.
Grammar and Mechanics,” either in your online course,

Improve Your Grammar,

Mechanics, and Usage
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Level 1: Self-Assessment—Nouns
Use the following self-assessment exercises to improve your knowledge of and power over
English grammar, mechanics, and usage. Review all of Section 1.1 in the Handbook of

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 25

1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 25

Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage that appears at the end of this book. Answers to these exercises
appear on p. AK-1.
In items 1–5, underline the common nouns and circle the proper nouns.
1. Give the balance sheet to Melissa.
2. We’d like to order 50 more satchels for Craigmont Stores, and 3 each for the other stores on
our list.
3. Tarnower Corporation donates a portion of its profits to charity every year.
4. Which aluminum bolts are packaged?
5. Please send the Joneses a dozen of the following: stopwatches, canteens, headbands, and
wristbands.

In items 6–10, underline the subjects and circle the objects.

6. The technician has already repaired the machine for the client.
7. An attorney will talk to the group about incorporation.
8. After her vacation, the buyer prepared a third-quarter budget.
9. The new flat monitors are serving our department very well.
10. Accuracy overrides speed in importance.

In items 11–15, underline inappropriate noun plurals and possessives, and write the
correct form in the space provided.
11. _____ Make sure that all copys include the new addresses.
12. _____ Ask Jennings to collect all employee’s donations for the Red Cross drive.
13. _____ Charlie now has two son-in-laws to help him with his two online business’s.
14. _____ Avoid using too many parenthesises when writing your reports.
15. _____ Follow President Nesses rules about what constitutes a weeks work.

Level 2: Workplace Applications

The following items contain numerous errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviation,
number style, word division, and vocabulary. Rewrite each sentence in the space provided, correcting
all errors. Write C in the space after any sentence that is already correct.
1. If a broken down unproductive guy like Carl can get a raise; why can’t a take charge guy like me
get one?

2. Visit our website and sign up for “On Your Toes”, our free newsletter that keeps you informed of
promotions, discounts and about Internet-only specials.
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 26

26 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations

3. As of March, 2007, the Board of Directors have 9 members including: three women, one
African-American, and one American of Hispanic descent.

4. As one of the nearly 3,000,000 New York Life policyholders eligible to vote, we urge you to
approve the new investment advisory agreement.

5. Gerrald Higgins, vice president for marketing, told us reporters that Capital One provides
financial services to one-fourth of homes in the United States.

6. Our Customer Relations associates work with people everyday to answer questions, provide
assistance, and helping solve problems.

7. If anyone breaches the lease, its likely that the landlord will file legal action against them to
collect on the remainder of they’re lease.

8. A IRA is one of the most common plans for the self-employed because of it’s ease of setting up
and administering.

9. My advise to you is, to put you’re mission statement on your web cite.

10. According to Karen Smiths’ report small-business owners do’nt recognize the full effect that
layoffs and terminations are liable to have on the motivation of surviving employees’.
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
BOVEMC01_0131995367.QXD 11/27/06 10:44 PM Page 27

1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 27

11. To exacerbate the processing of your US tax return, use the mailing label and bar coded
envelope that comes with your tax package.

12. The NASE have implemented a exciting array of programs that make it more easy for legislative
opinions and concerns to be voiced by you.

13. Keep in mind the old saying “When we laugh the world laugh with us, when you cry you cry alone.”

14. Albert Edmunds and me are Owners of the real estate firm of Edmunds & Cale, which have
recently opened a new office in San Diego co.

15. The memo inferred that the economic downturn will have a greater affect on the company’s
bottom line then we previously assumed, this was the worse news we could of gotten.

Level 3: Document Critique

The following document contains errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, abbre-
viation, number style, word division, and vocabulary. Correct all errors using standard
proofreading marks (see Appendix C).
Memo
TO: All Employees
FROM: R. Smith, Personnel Director
DATE: December 28, 2007
SUBJECT: Time Cards

After reviewing our Current Method of keeping track of employee hours; we have concluded that
time cards leave a lot to be desired. So starting Monday, we have a new system, a time clock. You
just have to punch in and punch out; whenever you will come and go from your work area’s.
The new system may take a little while to get used to, but should be helpful to those of us who
are making a new years resolution to be more punctual.
ISBN: 0-558-13856-X

Happy New Year to all!

eg

Business Communication Essentials, Third Edition, by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. Published by Prentice Hall.
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.