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1
Understanding
Business
Communication
in Today’s
L e a r n in g O b jectiv es
Workplace
After studying this chapter, you will be able to

❶ Define communication, and explain the importance of effective business communication. Tips for Succ ess
❷ Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context. “To connect with staff around
❸ Describe the communication process model and the ways that social media are the world, we use many different
changing the nature of business communication. channels to communicate as
❹ Define ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, effectively as we can—but
and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices. nothing replaces face-to-face
discussions.”
❺ Explain how cultural diversity affects business communication and describe the
steps you can take to communicate more effectively across cultural boundaries. —Judi Hess
CEO, Copperleaf Technologies
❻ List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively.

Copperleaf Technologies provides global consulting services in planning, analysis, and

asset management. Though Copperleaf staff use the latest technology to communicate
with clients and employees, the leadership team also believes in the power of face-to-
face communication. They bring clients from across Canada and around the world to
Vancouver for annual user group sessions, including the “Bull Pen,” an open forum and
conversation they use to build relationships and listen to client needs.

Understanding Why Communication Matters Learning Objective ➊

Define communication, and explain
Successful professionals such as Hess understand that achieving success in today’s work- the importance of effective
business communication.
place is closely tied to the ability of employees and managers to communicate effectively
with each other, with people outside the organization, and with people from many cul-
tures. Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between
senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic channels.
The essence of communication is sharing. As Figure 1.1 indicates, this sharing can hap-
pen in a variety of ways, including a simple and successful transfer of information, a
negotiation in which the sender and receiver arrive at an agreed-upon meaning, and
situations in which the receiver creates a different message than the one the sender
intended to convey.
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FIGU RE 1.1 Sharing Information

You will invest a lot of time and energy in this course to develop your communication
skills, so it’s fair to ask whether it will be worthwhile. This section outlines the many
ways in which good communication skills are critical for your career and for any com-
pany you join.

Communication Is Important to Your Career

No matter what career path you pursue, communication skills will be essential to your
success at every stage. You can have the greatest ideas in the world, but they’re no
good to your company or your career if you can’t express them clearly and persua-
sively. Some jobs, such as sales and customer support, are primarily about communi-
cating. In fields such as engineering or finance, you often need to share complex ideas
with executives, customers, and colleagues, and your ability to connect with people
outside your field can be as important as your technical expertise. If you are an entre-
preneur, you will need to communicate with a wide range of audiences, from inves-
tors, bankers, and government regulators to employees, customers, and business
partners. As you take on leadership and management roles, communication becomes
even more important.
In fact, improving your communication skills may be the single most important step
Improving your communication skills
you can take in your career. The world is full of good marketers, accountants, engineers,
could be the single most important
thing you do for your career. and lawyers, but it is not full of good communicators. View this as an opportunity to
stand out from your competition in the job market. Communication skills ranked highest
on the list of employability skills in the Conference Board of Canada report Employability
Skills 20001.1
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Many employers express frustration at the poor communication skills of some employ-
ees, particularly recent college graduates who haven’t yet learned how to adapt their com-
munication styles to a business environment. If you learn to write well, speak well, listen
well, and recognize the appropriate way to communicate in any situation, you’ll gain a
major advantage that will serve you throughout your career.2
This course teaches you how to send and receive information more effectively. It helps
you improve your communication skills through practise in an environment that ­provides
honest, constructive criticism. You will discover how to collaborate in teams, listen effec-
tively, master nonverbal communication, and participate in productive meetings. You’ll
learn about communicating across cultural boundaries. You’ll learn a three-step process
to help you write effective business messages, and you’ll get specific tips for crafting a
variety of business messages using a wide range of media, from social networks to blogs
to online presentations. Develop these skills, and you’ll start your business career with a
clear competitive advantage.

Communication Is Important to Your Company

Aside from the personal benefits, communication should be important to you because it’s
Effective communication delivers
important to your company. Effective communication helps businesses in numerous
a variety of important benefits.
ways. It provides3
• Closer ties with important communities in the marketplace.
• Opportunities to influence conversations, perceptions, and trends.
• Faster problem solving and stronger decision making based on timely, reliable
­information.
• Increased productivity and steadier work flow.
• Greater employee engagement with their work, leading to higher job satisfaction and
lower employee turnover.

What Makes Business Communication Effective?

Effective communication strengthens the connections between a company and all of its
MyBCommLab
stakeholders, those groups affected in some way by the company’s actions: customers, • Make your own business decisions!
employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbours, the community, the nation, and the Try the simulation Successful
world as a whole.4 Business Communication.

To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, focus on making them

practical, factual, concise, clear, and persuasive:
Effective messages are practical,
• Provide practical information. Give recipients useful information, whether it’s to factual, concise, clear, and
persuasive.
help them perform a desired action or understand a new company policy.
• Give facts rather than vague impressions. Use concrete language, specific detail,
and information that is clear, convincing, accurate, and ethical. Even when an opinion
is called for, present compelling evidence to support your conclusion.
• Present information in a concise, efficient manner. Concise messages show respect
for people’s time, and they increase the chances of a positive response.
• Clarify expectations and responsibilities. Craft messages to generate a specific
response from a specific audience. When appropriate, clearly state what you expect
from audience members or what you can do for them.
• Offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations. Show your read-
ers precisely how they will benefit from responding to your message the way you want
them to.
Keep these five characteristics in mind as you review Figure 1.2. You might notice that
it is more formal and “professional sounding” than many of the messages you send now.
Employers expect you to be able to communicate with a similar style.
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FIGU RE 1.2 Effective Business Communication

Helps people grasp To: Paragon Project Team

key content
immediately by CC:
using an informative
subject line Subject: IM Strategy Meeting, Tuesday, 10 a.m.— 2 p.m.

Uses a friendly Hi Team,

greeting without
being too casual The instant messaging (IM) consultant we discussed at last week’s status meeting is available to meet The opening provides
with us next Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. For those of you who missed the meeting, Sean Johnson has the context so everyone
helped a number of customer service organizations implement IM programs. He’s agreed to spend
can grasp the importance
several hours with us before submitting a project proposal, both to learn more about our needs and to
answer any questions we have about IM. of the message
Emphasizes the
importance of the This meeting is a great opportunity for us to learn about IM applications in customer service, so let’s
meeting make sure we get the most out of it. I’d like each of the project leaders to prepare questions that are The request provides
relevant to your specific parts of the project. Please email these questions to Pete (peter.obodoro@ enough information to
Offers everyone pavagon.com) by end of day Thursday, and he’ll forward them to Sean before the meeting.
enable readers to respond
a chance to participate, .
without making Details:
Tuesday, March 12
anyone feel guilty
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
about not attending Mt. Tremblant Room
in person (WebEx is
an online meeting We’re ordering in salads and sandwiches. Don’t forget to register your choice on the intranet by
system) 5:00 p.m. Monday.
Invites questions
For those of you who can’t attend in person, please dial in on the conference line. You’ll be able to see
Sets a positive tone the PowerPoint slides via WebEx, as usual. If you have any questions about the meeting, drop by my ahead of time so that
for the upcoming office any time on Friday. See you next week. they don’t derail the
meeting with a warm, meeting
Thanks,
personal closing Shari

The email signature Shari Washington

provides additional Group Manager, Retail Systems
information and Office: 416-579-1852
Mobile: 416-443-6868
alternative contact
options

Learning Objective ➋
Explain what it means to
Communicating as a Professional
communicate as a professional You’ve been communicating your entire life, of course, but if you don’t have a lot of
in a business context.
work experience yet, meeting the expectations of a professional environment might
require some adjustment. A good place to start is to consider what it means to be a
professional. Professionalism is the quality of performing at a high level and conduct-
ing oneself with purpose and pride. It means doing more than putting in the hours and
Communication is an essential part collecting a paycheque; true professionals go beyond minimum expectations and com-
of being a successful professional. mit to making meaningful contributions. Professionalism can be broken down into six
distinct traits: striving to excel, being dependable and accountable, being a team player,
demonstrating a sense of etiquette, making ethical decisions, and maintaining a posi-
tive outlook.
Professionalism depends on effective communication. For example, to be a team
player, you have to be able to collaborate, resolve conflicts, and interact with a wide vari-
ety of personalities. Without strong communication skills, you won’t be able to perform
to your potential—and others won’t recognize you as the professional you’d like to be.
See Table 1.1.
This section offers a brief look at the skills that employers will expect you to have, the
nature of communication in an organizational environment, and the importance of adopt-
ing an audience-centred approach.
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TABLE 1.1 Elements of Professionalism

Trait What It Means to Professionals
Strive to excel Do their best at everything they do.
Commit to continuous improvement.
Are dependable Keep promises and meet commitments.
Learn from mistakes and take responsibility for their errors.
Are team players Keep the focus on the larger cause.
Make others around them better.
Are respectful Show respect for those around them.
Understand that respecting others is not only good
etiquette, it’s good for one’s career.
Are ethical Strive to avoid ethical lapses.
Weigh their options carefully when facing ethical dilemmas.
Are positive Believe in what they’re doing and in themselves.
Don’t complain about problems; they find them and fix them.

Understanding What Employers Expect from You

Given the importance of communication in business, employers expect you to be compe-
Employers expect you to have strong
tent at a wide range of communication tasks:5
communication skills and you can
• Organizing ideas and information logically and completely practise these in this course.
• Expressing yourself coherently and persuasively in a variety of media
• Building persuasive arguments to gain acceptance for important ideas
• Evaluating data and information critically to know what you can and cannot trust
• Actively listening to others
• Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse
experiences
• Using communication technologies effectively and efficiently
• Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality
writing and speaking
• Adapting your messages and communication styles to Real- Time Upd ate s
specific audiences and situations Learn More by Reading This Article
• Communicating in a courteous manner that reflects
contemporary expectations of business etiquette Will your social media habits kill your career?
• Communicating ethically, even when choices aren’t Follow these tips to make sure your social media habits don’t
crystal clear keep you from getting a job or derail your career after it has
• Respecting the confidentiality of private company begun. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bce6 and click on
information Learn More. If you are using MyBCommLab, you can access
• Following applicable laws and regulations Real-Time Updates within each chapter or under Student
• Managing your time wisely and using resources Study Tools.

­efficiently
This is a long list, to be sure, but all these skills can be practised and developed over
time. Start by taking advantage of the opportunities you’ll have throughout this course, and
you’ll be well on your way to making a successful transition to the professional environment.

Communicating in an Organizational Context You will need to adjust your

communication habits to the more
In addition to having the proper skills, you need to learn how to apply those skills in the formal demands of business and the
business environment, which can be quite different from the social and scholastic envi- unique environment of your company.
ronments you are used to. Every company has a unique communication system that
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connects people within the organization and connects the organization to the outside
world. The “system” in this broad sense is a complex combination of communication
channels (such as the internet and department meetings), company policies, the organi-
zational structure, and personal relationships.
To succeed in a job, you need to figure out how your company’s system operates.
For example, one company might rely heavily on instant messaging, social networks,
and blogs that are used in an open, conversational way by everyone in the company.
In contrast, another company might use a more rigid, formal approach, in
which ­information and instructions are passed down from top managers, and
employees are expected to follow the “chain of command” when seeking or distribut-
ing information.

Adopting an Audience-Centred Approach

Focus on the needs of your Successful business professionals take an audience-centred approach to communica-
audiences to make your messages tion, meaning that they focus on understanding and meeting the needs of their audi-
more effective.
ences (see Figure 1.3). Providing the information your audiences need is obviously an

FIGU RE 1.3 Audience-Centred Communication in a Blog Post

The headline doesn’t try Fast access to reader

to be clever or cute; comments and a retweet
instead, it instantly button that makes it easy
conveys important for readers to share this
information to readers post via Twitter help
FreshBooks build a
sense of community
The graph shows which One minor improvement
terms generated the would be to label (with
fastest payments words placed directly on
(shortest blue bars) the graph) the two best
and highest percentage combinations, indicated
paid (orange dots) with the green arrows, and
the worst combination,
indicated with the red
circle, to save readers the
time required to interpret
This bold header quickly the meaning of the colours
summarizes the nature and shapes
of the analysis
The opening paragraph
explains the analysis
was undertaken in order
These clearly written to help customers make
paragraphs explain the more money in less
two aspects of the time—a vital concern
analysis, and they speak for every business
the same language as
business accounting
professionals Bold terms in the
paragraph correspond to
the variables in the
graph above
The article continues
beyond here, but notice
again the concise, Notice that even though
straightforward wording of the writer uses the word
this subheading (the section “we” (the company) in
explains that polite wording several places, this
on invoices improves message is fundamentally
customer responsiveness) about “you” (the customer)
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important part of this approach, but your ability to listen, your style of writing and
speaking, and your ability to maintain positive working relationships are also key. You’ll
have the chance to explore all these aspects throughout this course.
An important element of audience-centred communication is etiquette, the expected
norms of behaviour in a particular situation. In today’s hectic, competitive world, the
notion of etiquette might seem outdated and unimportant. However, the way you con-
duct yourself can have a profound influence on your company’s success and your career.
When executives hire and promote you, they expect your behaviour to protect the com-
pany’s reputation. The more you understand such expectations, the better chance you
have of avoiding career-damaging mistakes.
Long lists of etiquette “rules” can be overwhelming, and you’ll never be able to
memorize all of them. Fortunately, you can count on three principles to get you through Respect, courtesy, and common
sense will help you avoid etiquette
just about any situation: respect, courtesy, and common sense. As you encounter new mistakes.
situations, take a few minutes to learn the expectations of the other people involved.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, either. People will respect your concern and curiosity.
You’ll gradually accumulate knowledge, which will help you feel comfortable and be
effective in a wide range of business situations. Chapter 2 offers more information about
business etiquette.

Exploring the Communication Process Learning Objective ➌

Describe the communication
Even with the best intentions, communication efforts can fail. Messages can get lost or process model and the ways that
social media are changing the
simply ignored. The receiver of a message can interpret it in ways the sender never imag-
nature of business communication.
ined. In fact, two people receiving the same information can reach different conclusions
about what it means.
Fortunately, by understanding communication as a process with distinct steps, you
can improve the odds that your messages will reach their intended audiences and pro-
duce their intended effects. This section explores the communication process in two
stages: first by following a message from one sender to one receiver in the basic commu-
nication model, and then expanding on that with multiple messages and participants in
the social communication model.

The Basic Communication Model

Many variations of the communication process model exist, but these eight steps provide
The communication process starts
a practical overview (see Figure 1.4):
with a sender having an idea and then
1. The sender has an idea. Whether a communication effort will ultimately be effective encoding the idea into a message that
starts right here and depends on the nature of the idea and the motivation for send- can be transferred to a receiver.
ing it. For example, if your motivation is to offer a solution to a problem, you have
a better chance of crafting a meaningful message than if your motivation is merely to
complain about a problem.
2. The sender encodes the idea as a message. When someone puts an idea into a
message, he or she is encoding it, or expressing it in words or images. Much of the
focus of this course is on developing the skills needed to successfully encode your
ideas into effective messages.
3. The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium. With the appropri-
ate message to express an idea, the sender now needs a communication medium to
present that message to the intended audience. To update your boss on the status of
a project, for instance, you might have a dozen or more media choices, from a phone
call to a text message to a slideshow or video presentation.
4. The sender transmits the message through a channel. Just as technology-­
continues to increase the number of media options, it also continues to provide new
­communication channels senders can use to transmit their messages. The ­distinction
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FIGU RE 1.4 The Basic Communication Process

between medium and channel can get a bit murky, but think of the medium as the
form a message takes (such as a Twitter update) and the channel as the system used
to deliver the message (such as the internet).
5. The audience receives the message. If the channel functions properly, the message
Decoding is a complex process;
receivers often extract different
reaches its intended audience. However, mere arrival is not enough. For a message to
meanings from messages than truly be received, the recipient has to sense the presence of a message, select it from
the meanings senders intended. all the other messages clamouring for attention, and perceive it as an actual message
(as opposed to random noise).6
6. The receiver decodes the message. After a message is received, the receiver
needs to extract the idea from the message, a step known as decoding. Even well-
crafted communication efforts can fail at this stage because extracting meaning is
a highly personal process that is influenced by culture, experience, learning and
thinking styles, hopes, fears, and even temporary moods. Moreover, audiences
tend to extract the meaning they expect to get from a message, even if it’s the
opposite of what the sender intended.7 In fact, rather than extracting the sender’s
meaning, it’s more accurate to say that receivers re-create their own meanings from
the message.
7. The receiver responds to the message. In most instances, senders want to accom-
plish more than simply delivering information. They often want receivers to respond
in particular ways, whether it’s to invest in a new business venture or to accept
an explanation. Whether a receiver responds as the sender hopes depends on the
receiver remembering the message long enough to act on it, being able to act on it, and
being motivated to respond.
8. The receiver provides feedback. If a mechanism is available, receivers can “close
the loop” in the communication process by giving the sender feedback that helps
the sender evaluate the effectiveness of the communication effort. Feedback
can be verbal (using written or spoken words), nonverbal (using gestures, facial
expressions, or other signals), or both. Just like the
Real-Time U p dates original message, however, this feedback also needs to be
decoded carefully. A smile, for example, can have many
Learn More by Reading This Infographic
different meanings.
See how small businesses are using social media

Small businesses are some of the most enthusiastic adopters Considering the complexity of this process—and the
of new media tools. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bce6 barriers and distractions that often stand between sender
and click on Learn More. If you are using MyBCommLab, you and receiver—it should come as no surprise that commu-
can access Real-Time Updates within each chapter or under nication efforts frequently fail to achieve the sender’s objec-
Student Study Tools. tive. Fortunately, the better you understand the process,
the more successful you’ll be.
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The Social Communication Model

The basic model presented in Figure 1.4 does a good job of illustrating how a single idea
moves from one sender to one receiver. In a larger sense, it also helps represent the tradi-
tional nature of much business communication, which was primarily defined by a
­publishing or broadcasting mindset. Externally, a company issued carefully scripted mes-
sages to a mass audience that often had few options for responding to those messages or
initiating messages of their own. Customers and other interested parties had few ways to
connect with one another to ask questions, share information, or offer support. Inter-
nally, communication tended to follow the same “we talk, you listen” model, with upper
managers issuing directives to lower-level supervisors and employees.
However, thanks to the efforts of media innovations such as Facebook, a variety of
The social communication model
technologies have enabled and inspired a new approach to business communication. In
is interactive, conversational, and
contrast to the publishing mindset, this new social communication model is interactive, usually open to all who wish to
conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. Audience members are participate.
no longer passive recipients of messages; now they are active participants in a conversa-
tion. Social media have given customers and other stakeholders a voice they did not have
in the past, and businesses are listening. One of the most common uses of social media
among businesses is monitoring online discussions about a company and its brands.8
Instead of transmitting a fixed message, a sender in a social media environment initi-
ates a conversation by sharing valuable information. This information is often revised and
reshaped by the web of participants as they share it and comment on it. People can add
to it or take pieces from it, depending on their needs and interests.
Just as Web 2.0 signifies the second generation of World Wide Web technologies
(blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other social media tools that you’ll read about in Chapter 6),
Business Communication 2.0 is a convenient label for this new approach to business
communication. Figure 1.5 lists some of the important differences between traditional
business communication and this new approach.
The social communication model offers many advantages, but it has a number of dis-
Social media tools present some
advantages as well. Potential problems include information overload (see page 16), frag-
potential disadvantages that
mented attention, social media fatigue, information security risks, distractions that hurt managers and employees need
productivity, and the blurring of the line between personal and professional lives, which to consider.
can make it difficult for people to feel disconnected from work.9

FIGURE 1.5 Business Communication: 1.0 Versus 2.0

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Of course, no company, no matter how enthusiastically it embraces the social commu-

nication model, is going to be run as a club in which everyone has a say in every business
matter. Instead, a hybrid approach is emerging in which some communications (such as
strategic plans and policy documents) follow the traditional approach, while others (such
as project management updates and customer support messages) follow the social model.
You can learn more about business uses of social media in Chapter 6.

Learning Objective ➍
Define ethics, explain the
Committing to Ethical Communication
difference between an ethical Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behaviour within a society. Put
dilemma and an ethical lapse,
another way, ethical principles define the boundary between right and wrong. Ethics is
and list six guidelines for making
ethical communication choices.
“knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is the right thing
to do.”10 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.
Ethical behaviour is a companywide concern, but because communication efforts are
Ethical communication avoids
the public face of a company, they are subjected to particularly rigorous scrutiny from
deception and provides the
information audiences need. regulators, legislators, investors, consumer groups, environmental groups, labour organi-
zations, and anyone else affected by business activities.
Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, does
not violate the rights of others, and is not deceptive. By contrast, examples of unethical
communication include the following:11
• Plagiarism. Plagiarism is using words and ideas you have taken from another source
and presenting them as your own without giving credit to the original source. For
example, if you were to copy phrasing from a website and include it in your report as
if you had written it yourself, without citing the source, you would be plagiarizing.
Besides being dishonest, presenting someone else’s work as your own could also vio-
late the legal rights of the original author. Theft of intellectual property is protected in
Canada by patents and copyright. As a communicator, take care to give credit to the
original sources of the material you use. In Chapter 10, you can find methods for
proper source citation.
• Leaving out information that is needed to fully understand a situation or mis-
quoting someone in a way that misrepresents his or her intent.
• Misrepresenting numbers. Statistics and other data can be unethically manipulated
by increasing or decreasing numbers, exaggerating, altering statistics, or omitting
numeric data.
• Distorting visuals. Images can be manipulated in unethical ways, such as making a
product seem bigger than it really is or changing the scale of graphs and charts to
exaggerate or conceal differences.
• Failing to respect privacy or information security needs. Failing to respect the
privacy of others or failing to adequately protect information entrusted to your care
can also be considered unethical (and is sometimes illegal).
The widespread use of social media has increased the attention given to the issue of
Transparency involves giving
audiences access to the information
transparency, which in this context refers to a sense of openness, of giving all partici-
they need in order to make effective pants in a conversation access to the information they need to accurately process the
decisions. messages they are receiving. A key aspect of transparency is knowing who is behind the
messages one receives. Consider the promotional event Netflix staged in Toronto to
announce the launch of its streaming video service in Canada. The outdoor news confer-
ence seemed to attract dozens of curious people who were excited about the availability
of Netflix. However, many of the people who “spontaneously” showed up were actually
paid actors with instructions to “look really excited, particularly if asked by media to do
any interviews about the prospect of Netflix in Canada.” The company apologized when
the stunt was exposed.12
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Some governments are taking steps to protect consumers from practices they consider
unethical. The European Union, for instance, outlaws a number of online marketing
­tactics, including “fake blogs,” in which an employee or a paid agent posing as an inde-
pendent consumer posts positive stories about a company’s products.13 Aside from the
ethical and legal concerns involved, trying to fool the public is simply bad for business.14

Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas from Ethical Lapses If you must choose between two
ethical alternatives, you are facing
Some ethical questions are easy to recognize and resolve, but others are not. An ethical an ethical dilemma.
dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut. Perhaps two conflict- If you choose an alternative that is
ing alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives lie somewhere in unethical or illegal, you have
the grey area between clearly right and clearly wrong. Every company has responsibilities committed an ethical lapse.
to multiple groups of people inside and outside the firm, and those various groups often
have competing interests. Unlike a dilemma, an ethical lapse is a clearly unethical (and
Responsible employers establish clear
frequently illegal) choice. ethical guidelines for their employees
to follow.
Making Ethical Choices
Ensuring ethical business communication requires three elements: ethical individuals,
ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support ethi-
cal decision making.15 Many companies establish an explicit ethics policy by using a
written code of ethics to help employees determine what is acceptable.
Even the best codes and policies can’t address every
unique situation, however. If you find yourself in a situa- Real-ti me Upd at e s
tion in which the law or a code of ethics can’t guide you, Learn More by Watching This Presentation
answer the following questions:16
Tips for avoiding ethical problems with social media
• Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately?
New media choices have created a new set of ethical dilem-
• What is your intention in communicating this message? mas and challenges. This presentation will help you recog-
• What impact will this message have on the people who nize and avoid ethical lapses. Go to http://real-timeupdates.
receive it, or who might be affected by it? com/bce6 and click on Learn More. If you are using
• Will the message achieve the greatest possible good ­MyBCommLab, you can access Real-Time Updates within
while doing the least possible harm? each chapter or under Student Study Tools.
• Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time?
That is, will a decision that seems ethical now seem
unethical in the future?
Six questions can act as guidelines
• Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed for making an ethical choice.
in tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the internet?

Learning Objective ➎
Communicating in a World of Diversity Explain how cultural diversity
affects business communication
Throughout your career, you will interact with colleagues from a variety of cultures, and describe the steps you can
people who differ in race, age, gender, sexual orientation, national and regional attitudes take to communicate more
and beliefs, family structure, religion, native language, cognitive and physical abilities, life effectively across cultural
experience, and educational background. This section looks at the advantages and chal- boundaries.
lenges of a diverse workforce from a communication perspective, examines key differ-
ences among cultures, and offers advice for communicating across cultures.

The Advantages and Challenges of a Diverse Workforce

A diverse workforce offers a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas, helps companies Diverse workforces offer numerous
understand and identify with diverse markets, and enables companies to benefit from a benefits, but they also pose some
wider range of employee talents. “It just makes good business sense,” says Gord Nixon, important communication challenges.
CEO of Royal Bank of Canada.17 According to IBM executive Ron Glover, more-diverse
teams tend to be more innovative over the long term than teams composed of people from
the same culture.18
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Cultural symbols, beliefs, attitudes, For all their benefits, diverse workforces and markets do present some communica-
values, expectations, and norms for tion challenges, and understanding the effect of culture on communication is essential.
behaviour influence communication. Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms
for behaviour. Culture is often viewed as a matter of race, but it is much broader in scope.
You are a member of several cultures, based on your national origin, religious beliefs, age,
and other factors.
Culture influences the way people perceive the world and respond to others, which
naturally affects the way they communicate as both senders and receivers. These influ-
ences operate on such a fundamental level that people often don’t even recognize the
influence of culture on their beliefs and behaviours.19
This subconscious effect of culture can create friction because it leads people to
assume that everybody thinks and feels the way they do. However, differences between
cultures can be profound.
The first step to making sure cultural differences don’t impede communication is
recognizing key factors that distinguish one culture from another. Cultural competency
is an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to
adjust one’s communication style to ensure that efforts to send and receive messages
across cultural boundaries are successful. It requires a combination of attitude, knowl-
edge, and skills.20

Key Aspects of Cultural Diversity

You don’t need to become an expert in the details of every culture with which you do
Improving your cultural sensitivity
business, but you do need to attain a basic level of cultural proficiency to ensure success-
starts with recognizing the major
ways in which cultures differ. ful communication.21 You can start by recognizing and accommodating the differences
described in the following sections. Be aware that this is an overview only, so some gen-
eralizations won’t be accurate in every situation. Always consider the unique circum-
stances of each encounter when making communication decisions.

Cultural Context  Every attempt at communication occurs within a cultural

Cultural context plays a critical role in
­context: the mixture of traditions, expectations, and unwritten social rules that help con-
the communication process.
In high-context cultures, vey meaning between members of the same culture. Cultures vary widely in the role that
communication relies less on the context plays in communication.
explicit content of a message than In a high-context culture, people rely less on verbal communication and more on
on the context of the message. the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. Exam-
ples of high-context cultures include Japan, China, and many Middle Eastern and
Southern European countries.22 In such cultures, the rules of everyday life are rarely
stated explicitly. Instead, as individuals grow up, they learn how to recognize situational
cues (such as gestures and tone of voice) and how to respond as expected.23 In a high-
In low-context cultures,
context culture, the primary role of communication is often building relationships, not
communication relies more on the
explicit content of a message than exchanging information.24
on the context of the message. In a low-context culture, people rely more on the explicit content of the message and
less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. In other words, more of the conveyed
meaning is encoded into the actual message itself.25 Canada and many Northern Euro-
pean countries are considered low-context cultures.26 For example, an English speaker
feels responsible for transmitting the meaning of a message and often places sentences in
strict chronological sequence to establish a clear cause-and-effect pattern.27 In a low-
context culture, rules and expectations are usually spelled out through explicit statements
such as “Please wait until I’m finished.”28 Exchanging information is the primary task of
communication in low-context cultures.29
The different expectations of low- and high-context cultures can create friction and
misunderstanding when people try to communicate across cultural boundaries. The indi-
rect style can be a source of confusion during discussions with people from low-context
cultures, who are more accustomed to receiving direct answers. For example, people
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from a low-context culture might view the high-context emphasis on building relation-
ships as a waste of time. Conversely, people from a high-context culture might view the
low-context emphasis on information exchange and task completion as being insensitive
to group harmony.30 Discussing the differences between North American and Chinese
business cultures, for instance, a North American executive working in China explained
that “in the West, there is such a premium on getting things done quickly, but when you
come to work in China, you need to work on listening and being more patient and under-
standing of local ways of doing business.”31
Contextual differences are apparent in the way businesspeople approach situations
such as decision making, problem solving, negotiating, interaction among levels in the
organizational hierarchy, and socializing outside the work-
place.32 For instance, in low-context cultures, business- Real-ti me Upd ate s
people tend to focus on the results of the decisions they Learn More by Reading This PDF
face, a reflection of the cultural emphasis on logic and
progress. In comparison, higher-context cultures empha- International etiquette tips
size the means or the method by which a decision will be These quick etiquette tips will smooth the way for working
made. Building or protecting relationships can be as impor- in major business centres around the world. Go to http://
tant as the facts and information used in making the deci- real-timeupdates.com/bce6 and click on Learn More. If you
sions.33 Consequently, negotiators working on business are using MyBCommLab, you can access Real-Time Updates
deals in such cultures may spend most of their time within each chapter or under Student Study Tools.
together building relationships rather than hammering out
contractual details.

Legal and Ethical Differences Cultural context influences legal and ethical
Members of different cultures
behaviour, which in turn can affect communication. For example, the meaning of busi-
sometimes have different views
ness contracts can vary from culture to culture. While a manager from a North American of what is ethical or even legal.
company would tend to view a signed contract as the end of the negotiating process, with
all the details hammered out, his or her counterpart in many Asian cultures might view
the signed contract as an agreement to do business—and only then begin to negotiate the
details of the deal.34 As you conduct business with colleagues and customers around the
world, you’ll find that legal systems and ethical standards differ from culture to culture.
Ethical principles are based to a large extent on cultural values, so trying to make
ethical choices across cultures can be complicated. When communicating with people in
other cultures, keep your messages ethical by applying four basic principles:35
• Actively seek mutual ground.
• Send and receive messages without judgment.
• Send messages that are honest.
• Show respect for cultural differences.

Social Customs Social behaviour is guided by numerous rules, some of them formal
Whether formal or informal, the rules
and specifically articulated (table manners are a good example) and others more informal
governing social customs differ from
and learned over time (such as the comfortable standing distance between two speakers culture to culture.
in an office). The combination of formal and informal rules influences the overall behav-
iour of everyone in a society in areas such as manners, attitudes toward time, individual
versus community values, attitudes toward status and wealth, and respect for authority.
Understanding the nuances of social customs takes time and effort, but most business-
people are happy to explain the habits and expectations of their culture. Plus, they will
view your curiosity as a sign of respect.

Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication (communicating without

The meanings of gestures and other
words) is a vital part of the communication process. Factors ranging from facial expres-
nonverbal signals can vary widely
sions to style of dress can influence the way receivers decode messages, and the interpre- from culture to culture.
tation of nonverbal signals can vary widely from culture to culture. Gestures or clothing
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choices that you don’t think twice about, for example, might seem inappropriate or even
offensive to someone from another culture. You’ll learn more about nonverbal communi-
cation in Chapter 2.

Age Differences In some cultures, youth is associated with strength, energy, possi-
Age is an important aspect of
bilities, and freedom, while age is often associated with declining powers and a loss of
culture, both in the way different
age groups are treated in a culture respect and authority. In contrast, in cultures that value age and seniority, longevity earns
and in the cultural differences respect and increasing power and freedom.
between age groups. In addition to cultural values associated with various life stages, multiple generations
in the workplace present another dimension of diversity. For the first time in Canadian
history, many workplaces employ up to four generations of workers.36 Each of these
generations has been shaped by dramatically different world events, social trends, and
technological advances, so it is not surprising that they often have different values, expec-
tations, and communication habits. For instance, Generation Y workers (those born
between 1981 and 1995), also known as the Millennials, have a strong preference for
communicating via short electronic messages, but baby boomers (born between 1946
and 1964) and Generation X workers (1965 to 1980) sometimes find these brief mes-
sages abrupt and impersonal.37
Each generation can bring particular strengths to the workplace. For instance, older
workers can offer broader experience, the benefits of important business relationships
nurtured over many years, and high degrees of “practical intelligence”—the ability to
solve complex, poorly defined problems.38 However, gaining the benefits of having mul-
tiple generations in a workplace may require some accommodation on everyone’s part
because of differing habits and perspectives.

Gender Gender influences workplace communication in several important ways.

First, the perception of men and women in business varies from culture to culture,
As with age, perceptions of gender
and gender bias can range from overt discrimination to subtle and even uncon-
roles differ among cultures.
scious beliefs.
Second, although the ratio of men and women in entry-level professional positions is
roughly equal, the percentage of management roles held by men increases steadily the
further one looks up the corporate ladder. This imbalance can significantly affect com-
munication in such areas as mentoring, which is a vital development opportunity for
lower and middle managers who want to move into senior positions.
Third, evidence suggests that men and women tend to have somewhat different com-
munication styles. Broadly speaking, men emphasize content and outcomes in their com-
munication efforts, whereas women place a higher premium on relationship maintenance.39
As one example, men are more likely than women to try to negotiate a pay raise. Chang-
ing these perceptions could go a long way toward improving communication and equity
in the workplace.40

Religious Differences As one of the most personal and influential aspects of life,
religion brings potential for controversy in a work setting.41 Some employees feel they
should be able to express their beliefs in the workplace, but companies try to avoid situ-
ations in which openly expressed religious differences cause friction between employees
or distract employees.

Ability Differences People whose hearing, vision, cognitive ability, or physical

ability is impaired can be at a significant disadvantage in today’s workplace. As with
Assistive technologies and other
other types of diversity, it is important to show respect for individuals and be sensitive
adaptations can help people with
ability differences. to differences. Employers can also invest in a variety of assistive technologies such as
speech recognition software, touch screens, or ergonomic equipment to help employees
with disabilities. These technologies give employees opportunities to pursue a greater
range of career paths and give employers access to a broader base of talent.
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Advice for Improving Intercultural Communication

In any cross-cultural situation, you can communicate more effectively if you remember
the following tips:42
• Avoid ethnocentrism, the tendency to judge all other groups according to the stan-
dards, behaviours, and customs of one’s own group. When making such compari-
sons, people too often decide that their own group is superior.43
Effective intercultural communication
• Similarly, avoid stereotyping, or assigning a wide range of generalized—and often
starts with efforts to avoid
inaccurate—attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular ethnocentrism and stereotyping.
group, without considering the individual’s unique characteristics.
• Don’t automatically assume that others think, believe, or behave as you do.
• Accept differences in others without judging them.
• Learn how to communicate respect in various cultures.
• Tolerate ambiguity and control your frustration.
• Don’t be distracted by superficial factors such as personal appearance.
• Recognize your own cultural biases.
• Be flexible and be prepared to change your habits and attitudes.
• Observe and learn; the more you learn, the more effective you’ll be.
Travel guidebooks are a great source of information about norms and customs in
other countries. Also, check to see whether your library has online access to the Culture-
Gram database or review the country profiles at www.kwintessential.co.uk. (look for Country
Etiquette Guides under Resources).

Writing for Multilingual Audiences Ideally, businesses can communicate

with employees, customers, and other stakeholders in their native languages, and many
Important tips for improving your
companies invest a lot of time and money in translating print and online communication
intercultural writing include using
to achieve this. However, translation isn’t always cost effective or possible. To write effec- plain language, avoiding slang, and
tively for people who may not be comfortable using your language, remember these tips using short sentences and short
(see Figure 1.6):44 paragraphs.

• Use plain language. Use short, precise words that say exactly what you mean.
• Avoid words with multiple meanings. For example, “assess” can mean to analyze or
to impose a fee.
• Be clear. Rely on specific terms and concrete examples to explain your points.
• Cite numbers carefully. Use figures (such as 27) instead of spelling numbers out
(twenty-seven).
• Avoid slang and be careful with technical jargon and abbreviations. Slang and
other nonstandard usages can be difficult or impossible for your audience to translate.
• Be brief. Construct sentences that are short and simple.
• Use short paragraphs. Each paragraph should contain one topic.
• Use transitions generously. Help readers follow your train of thought. You’ll learn
more about transitions in Chapter 4.

Speaking with Multilingual Audiences When speaking to people whose

Important tips for speaking with
native language is not your own, you may find these tips helpful:
multilingual audiences include
• Speak clearly, simply, and relatively slowly. Pronounce words clearly, stop at dis- speaking clearly and slowly, looking
for feedback, and listening carefully.
tinct punctuation points, and make one point at a time.
• Look for feedback, but interpret it carefully. Nods and smiles don’t necessarily
mean understanding.
• Rephrase if necessary. If someone doesn’t seem to understand you, rephrase using
simpler words.
• Clarify your meaning with repetition and examples. Use concrete and specific
examples to illustrate difficult or vague ideas.
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FIGU RE 1.6 Writing for Multilingual Audiences

r
Poo
The headline tries to be clever
regarding the three factors
discussed in the post, but the
message is not clear.
“Folded” is an example of an English
word with multiple meanings; these
multiple possibilities make translation
more difficult and can lead to confusion.
Complicated sentences are difficult to
translate and force readers to follow
multiple ideas at once.
The idiomatic phrase “hit one out of the
park” might not make sense to readers
who aren’t familiar with baseball.

Spelling out numbers instead of using

numerals creates more work for readers.

Long paragraphs are visually intimidating

and more difficult to process.

Nonstandard language (“ain’t”) and the

idiomatic phrase “cut it” will confuse

d
some readers and the tone will be

ove
offensive.

m p r
The clear, direct headline
I
leaves no question about the
content of the message.

Simpler sentence structures

are easier to translate and
create fewer chances for
misunderstanding.

Breaking the long paragraph

into a brief introduction and
three bullet points simplifies
reading and makes it easy to
find the key points.

Numerals are easier to read

quickly than spelled-out quantities.

Standard English and plain

language decrease the
potential for confusion.

Pointers for Writing for Multilingual Audiences

• Use plain language.
• Be clear.
• Cite numbers carefully.
• Avoid slang and be careful with technical jargon
and abbreviations.
• Be brief.
• Use short paragraphs.
• Use transitions generously.

• Don’t talk down to the other person. Don’t blame the listener for not understand-
ing. Say, “Am I going too fast?” rather than “Is this too difficult for you?”
• Learn important phrases in your audience’s language. Learning common greetings
and a few simple phrases simplifies initial contact and shows respect.
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• Listen carefully and respectfully. If you don’t understand a comment, ask the per-
son to repeat it.
• Adapt your conversation style to the other person’s. For instance, if the other per-
son appears to be direct and straightforward, use that style as well.
• Check frequently for comprehension. After you make each point, pause to gauge
the other person’s 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.
Finally, remember that oral communication can be more difficult for audiences
because it happens in real time and in the presence of other people. In some situations,
written communication will be more successful because it gives a reader the opportunity
to translate in private and at his or her own pace.

Using Technology to Improve Communication Learning Objective

List four general guidelines
➏

Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to facilitate the communication process. for using communication
technology effectively.
In fact, many of the technologies you might use in your personal life, from Facebook to
Twitter to video games to virtual worlds, are also used in business (see Figure 1.6).
The benefits of technology are not automatic, of course. To communicate effectively,
you need to keep technology in perspective, use technological tools productively, guard
against information overload, and disengage from the computer frequently to communi-
cate in person.

Keeping Technology in Perspective Don’t let technology overwhelm

the communication process.
Remember that technology is an aid to communication, not a replacement for it. Technol-
ogy can’t think for you, make up for a lack of essential skills, or ensure that communica-
tion really happens. No matter how exciting or popular it may be, a technology has value
only if it helps deliver the right information to the right people at the right time.

Using Tools Productively

You don’t have to become an expert to use most communication technologies effectively,
but you do need to be familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools your
employer expects you to use. For instance, if you don’t know the basic functions of your
word processing or wiki software, you could spend hours trying to format a document
that a skilled user could format in minutes.

Guarding Against Information Overload

The overuse or misuse of communication technology can lead to information overload,
in which people receive more information than they can effectively process. Information
overload makes it difficult to discriminate between useful and useless information, inhib-
its the ability to think deeply about complex situations, lowers productivity, and ampli-
fies employee stress both on the job and at home—even to the point of causing health and
Everyone has an important role to play
relationship problems.45
in reducing information overload.
As a sender, make sure every message you intend to send is meaningful and impor-
tant to your receivers. As a recipient, take steps to control the number and types of
messages you receive. Use the filtering features of your communication systems to MyBCommLab
isolate high-priority messages. Also, be wary of following too many blogs, Twitter Apply Figure 1.6’s key concepts. Go to
accounts, and other sources of recurring messages. Take care when expanding your mybcommlab.com and follow this path:
Course Content ➔ Chapter 1 ➔
social networks online so that you don’t get buried in too many posts and updates and Document Makeovers
suffer social media fatigue.46
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No matter how much technology Reconnecting with People Frequently

is involved, communication will
always be about people connecting Even the best technologies can hinder communication if they are overused. For instance,
with people. a common complaint among employees is that managers rely too heavily on email and
don’t communicate face-to-face often enough.47 Speaking with people over the phone or
in person can take more time and effort, and can sometimes force you to confront unpleas-
ant situations directly, but it is often essential for solving tough problems and maintaining
productive relationships.48 For example, Cory Edwards, director of social media and
company reputation at Dell, regularly organizes gatherings of key customers because, as
he says, “in person relationships always trump online relationships.”49
Even the best communication technologies can’t show people who you really are. 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.

Learning Objectives: Check Your Progress

❶ OBJECTIVE Define communication, and explain the dependable and accountable, being a team player,
importance of effective business communication. demonstrating a sense of etiquette, making ethical
Communication is the process of transferring infor- decisions, and maintaining a positive outlook.
mation and meaning between senders and receivers, As a professional, you will be expected to bring a
using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic wide range of communication skills, including orga-
media. The ability to communicate well will play a nizing ideas and information; expressing yourself
key role in your success as a business professional. coherently and persuasively in a variety of media;
Communication is essential to every function in building persuasive arguments; evaluating data and
business, and poor communication skills will limit information critically; actively listening to others;
your career prospects, no matter how ambitious or communicating effectively with diverse audiences;
skilled you are in other areas. Communication skills using communication technologies; following
also give you an important competitive advantage in accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other
the job market. aspects of high-quality writing and speaking; adapt-
As an effective communicator, you will be more ing your messages and communication styles as
valuable to your company as well, because good needed; demonstrating strong business etiquette;
communication skills help companies in many ways: communicating ethically; respecting confidentiality;
building closer ties with important communities in following applicable laws and regulations; managing
the marketplace; influencing conversations, percep- your time wisely; and using resources efficiently.
tions, and trends; increasing productivity and solv- Communicating in an organizational context
ing problems in less time; attaining better financial involves adapting your skills to a professional environ-
results and higher return for investors; enabling ear- ment and using the company’s communication system
lier warning of potential problems; making better (in the broadest sense of the word) to gather and dis-
decisions; creating more compelling promotional tribute information. An audience-centred approach to
messages; and improving employee engagement. communication means focusing on understanding
To make your communication efforts as effective and meeting the needs of all your audience members,
as possible, focus on making them practical, factual, rather than focusing on your own needs.
concise, clear, and persuasive.
❸ OBJECTIVE Describe the communication process
❷ OBJECTIVE Explain what it means to communi- model and the ways that social media are chang-
cate as a professional in a business context. ing the nature of business communication.
Communicating as a professional starts with being a Communication can be modelled as an eight-step
professional, which embodies striving to excel, being process: (1) the sender has an idea, (2) encodes that
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idea in a message, (3) produces the message in a ❺ OBJECTIVE Explain how cultural diversity affects
transmittable medium, and (4) transmits the m­ essage business communication and describe the steps
through a channel. The audience (5) receives the you can take to communicate more effectively
message, (6) decodes the message, (7) responds to across cultural boundaries.
the message, and (8) provides feedback to the sender. Cultural diversity affects business communication
Social media have given customers and other because culture influences the way people create,
stakeholders a voice they did not have in the past by send, and interpret messages. Moreover, the influ-
giving them the tools to gather information from ences of culture can be profound, and they are often
multiple sources, to respond to companies and other unrecognized by the people involved. Major aspects
organizations, and to initiate conversations in the of culture that affect communication include cul-
marketplace. Social media are also changing the tural context, legal and ethical differences, social
nature of messages. A message initiated by one party customs, nonverbal communication, age differences,
is often revised and reshaped by the web of partici- gender, religion, and ability.
pants as they share it and comment on it. To communicate effectively across cultures, avoid
ethnocentrism and stereotyping, don’t make assump-
❹ OBJECTIVE Define ethics, explain the difference
tions about others’ beliefs and values, avoid judg-
between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse,
ment, learn to communicate respect, tolerate
and list six guidelines for making ethical commu-
ambiguity, don’t be distracted by superficial ele-
nication choices.
ments, recognize your own cultural biases, be flexi-
Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that ble, and learn about cultures in which you do
govern behaviour within a society; they define the business. Also, follow the advice for writing and
boundary between right and wrong. Ethical commu- speaking (page 15) in multilingual environments.
nication includes all relevant information, is true in
every sense, does not violate the rights of others, and ➏ OBJECTIVE List four general guidelines for using
is not deceptive. communication technology effectively.
An ethical dilemma involves choosing among To help avoid the potential drawbacks of using
alternatives that aren’t clear-cut; an ethical lapse is a ­communication technology, (1) keep technology in
clearly unethical (and frequently illegal) choice. To perspective so that it doesn’t overwhelm the
ensure the decisions you make are ethical, follow ­communication process, (2) learn to use your tools
these six guidelines: make sure you have defined the ­productively, (3) guard against information over-
situation fairly and accurately, make sure your inten- load by sending only those messages of value to
tions are honest and fair, understand the impact your your audiences and by protecting yourself from too
messages will have on others, ensure that your mes- many low-value incoming messages, and (4) disen-
sages will achieve the greatest possible good while gage from the computer frequently to communicate
doing the least possible harm, make sure your in person.
underlying assumptions won’t change over time, and
make sure you are comfortable with your choices.

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• Writing Activities • Document Makeovers
• Video Exercises • Grammar Exercises—and much more!

Practise Your Grammar

Effective business communication starts with strong find exercises and diagnostic tests to help you produce
grammar skills. To improve your grammar skills, go to clear, effective communication.
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[ 2 0 ] PA R T 1 : B us ine s s Co m m uni cat ion fo u n d at i o n s

Test Your Knowledge

To review chapter content related to each question, 3. Define ethics and explain what ethical communica-
refer to the indicated Learning Objective. tion involves. L.O.❹
4. How does cultural context affect communication? L.O.❺
1. What are the six traits of professionalism? L.O.❷
5. Why is it important to also connect in person when
2. Why should communicators take an audience-
centred approach to communication? L.O.❷
using technology to communicate? L.O.❻

Apply Your Knowledge

To review chapter content related to each question, situation? Briefly explain your solution and your
refer to the indicated Learning Objective. reasoning. L.O.❹
1. Why do you think communication is vital to the 4. Your company has relocated to Vancouver, where a
success of every business organization? Explain Vietnamese subculture is strongly established.
briefly. L.O.❶ Many employees will be from this subculture. As a
2. How does the presence of a reader comments fea- member of the human resources department, what
ture on a corporate blog reflect audience-centred suggestions could you make to improve communi-
communication? L.O.❷ cation between management and the Vietnamese
3. Because of your excellent communication skills, Canadians your company is hiring? L.O.❺
your boss always asks you to write his reports 5. What kinds of workplace challenges could arise in
for him. But when the CEO compliments him on communications among employees of different
his logical organization and clear writing style, generations (for example, between Millennials,
your boss responds as if he’d written all those Boomers, and Generation X)? How could genera-
reports himself. What kind of ethical choice tional differences influence these employees’
does this represent? What can you do in this choices about methods for communicating? L.O.❻

Practise Your Skills

Acti vities communication course. Think of the first message
Each activity is labelled according to the primary skill as the “headline” of an advertisement that makes
or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chap- a bold promise about the value this course offers
ter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning every aspiring business professional. The next
Objective. In some instances, supporting information three messages should be support points that pro-
will be found in another chapter, as indicated. vide evidence to back up the promise made in the
first message.50
1. Writing: Compositional Modes: Summaries
3. Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effec-
L.O.❶, Chapter 3 Write a paragraph introducing tiveness L.O.❶ Identify a video clip (on YouTube or
yourself to your instructor and your class. Address another online source) that you believe represents
such areas as your background, interests, achieve- an example of effective communication. It can be in
ments, and goals. Submit your paragraph by email, any context, business or otherwise, but make sure
through a blog, or using a social network, as indi- it is something appropriate to discuss in class. Post
cated by your instructor. a link to the video on your class blog or discussion
2. Media Skills: Microblogging L.O.❶, Chapter 6
forum, along with a brief written summary of why
Write four messages of no more than 140 charac- you think this example shows effective communi-
ters each (short enough to work as Twitter tweets) cation in action.
to persuade other students to take a business
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chapter 1: U n d er s ta n d i n g B u s i n es s C o m m u n i cat i o n i n To d ay’ s W orkplace [ 21]

4. Planning: Assessing Audience Needs L.O.❷, their employees, customers, and communities.
Chapter 3 Choose a business career that sounds Provide at least one example of a real manufactur-
interesting to you and imagine that you are get- ing company that uses social media.
ting ready to apply for jobs in that field. Naturally, 8. Communication Ethics: Distinguishing Ethical
you want to create a compelling, audience-focused Dilemmas and Ethical Lapses L.O.❹ In a report of
resumé that answers the key questions a hiring no more than one page, explain why you think each
manager is most likely to have. Identify three per- of the following is or is not ethical:
sonal or professional qualities you have that would a. De-emphasizing negative test results in a report
be important for someone in this career field. Write on your product idea
a brief statement (one or two sentences) about each b. Taking an office computer home to finish a work-
quality, describing in audience-focused terms how related assignment
you can contribute to a company. Submit your c. Telling an associate and close friend that she
statements via email or class blog. should pay more attention to her work responsi-
5. Communication Etiquette: Communicating with bilities or management will fire her
Sensitivity and Tact L.O.❷ Potential customers d. Recommending the purchase of excess equip-
often visit your production facility before making ment to use up your allocated funds before the
purchase decisions. You and the people who report end of the fiscal year so that your budget won’t be
to you in the sales department have received exten- cut next year
sive training in etiquette issues because you fre- 9. Communication Ethics: Protecting Company
quently deal with high-profile clients. However, the Resources L.O.❹ Blogging has become a popular
rest of the workforce has not received such training, way for employees to communicate with customers
and you worry that someone might inadvertently and other parties outside the company. In some
say or do something that would offend one of these cases, employee blogs have been quite beneficial
potential customers. In a two-paragraph email, for both companies and their customers, provid-
explain to the general manager why you think ing helpful information and putting a human face
anyone who might come in contact with customers on otherwise formal and imposing corporations.
should receive basic etiquette training. However, in some cases, employees have been fired
6. Fundamentals: Evaluating Communication for posting information that their employers said
Effectiveness L.O.❸ Use the eight phases of the was inappropriate. One particular area of concern
communication process to analyze a miscommu- is criticism of the company or individual m ­ anagers.
nication you’ve recently had with a co-worker, Should employees be allowed to criticize their
supervisor, classmate, instructor, friend, or family employers in a public forum such as a blog? In a
member. What idea were you trying to share? How brief email message, argue for or against company
did you encode and transmit it? Did the receiver get policies that prohibit this type of information in
the message? Did the receiver decode the message employee blogs. What could companies include in
as you had intended? How do you know? Based on social media policies to prevent problems?
your analysis, what do you think prevented your 10. Communication Ethics: Resolving Ethical Dilem-
successful communication in this instance? Sum- mas L.O.❹ Knowing that you have numerous friends
marize your conclusions in an email message to throughout the company, your boss relies on you
your instructor. for feedback concerning employee morale and other
7. Writing: Compositional Modes: Persuasion issues affecting the staff. She recently approached you
L.O.❸, Chapter 9 Social media use varies widely and asked you to start reporting any behaviour that
from company to company. Some firms enthusiasti- might violate company ­policies, from taking office
cally embrace these new tools and new approaches. supplies home to making personal long-distance calls.
Others have taken a more cautious approach, either List the issues you’d like to discuss with her before
delaying the adoption of social media or restricting you respond to her request.
their use. You work for a manufacturing firm that 11. Intercultural Communication: Recognizing Cul-
prohibits employees from using social media during tural Variations L.O.❺ Your company represents a
work hours. Company management believes that Canadian toy company that is negotiating to buy
social media offer little or no business value and miniature truck wheels from a manufacturer in
distract employees from more important duties. In Osaka, Japan. In the first meeting, your boss explains
a brief email message to your boss, identify the ways that your company expects to control the design of
that social media are changing the communication the wheels as well as the materials that are used to
process and relationships between companies and make them. The manufacturer’s representative looks
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down and says softly, “Perhaps that will be difficult.” have no experience using as a content creator or
Your boss presses for agreement, and to emphasize contributor. Services to consider include blogging
your company’s willingness to buy, he shows the (such as Blogger), microblogging (such as Twitter),
prepared contract he’s brought with him. However, community Q&A sites (such as Yahoo! Answers),
the manufacturer seems increasingly vague and and user-generated content sites (such as Flickr).
uninterested. In an email message to your instructor, Perform a basic task such as opening an account
identify the cultural differences that may be interfer- or setting up a blog. Was the task easy to perform?
ing with effective communication in this situation. Were the instructions clear? Could you find help
12. Intercultural Communication: Recognizing Cul- online if you needed it? Is there anything about the
tural Variations; Collaboration: Solving Prob- experience that could be improved? Summarize
lems L.O.❺, Chapter 2 Working with two other your conclusions in a brief email message to your
students, prepare a list of 10 examples of slang instructor.
(in your own language) that would probably be 16. Intercultural Communication: Recognizing
misinterpreted or misunderstood during a business ­Differences, Collaboration L.O.❺, Chapter 2
conversation with someone from another culture. Part One Work in a group of three. Each group
Next to each example, suggest other words you member should research one of the following
might use to convey the same message. Do the ­generations: Generation Y/Millennials, Generation
alternatives mean exactly the same as the original X, and Baby Boomers.
slang or idiom? Summarize your findings in an Have each group member summarize facts
email message or post for a class blog. about the generation he or she researched. Cover
13. Intercultural Communication: Recognizing Cul- the following main topics:
tural Variations L.O.❺ Choose a specific country a. Range of birth years
or First Nations culture in Canada that you are not b. Age range now
familiar with. Research the culture and write a one-   c. Two famous people of this generation
page report outlining what a Canadian businessper- d. Big events that occurred when this generation
son would need to know about concepts of personal was between the ages of 5 and 20
space and rules of social behaviour in order to con- e. Common values attributed to the generation
duct business successfully in that culture.   f. Preferences this generation has in receiving infor-
14. Intercultural Communication: Recognizing Cul- mation and communicating
tural Variations L.O.❺ Differences in gender, age, Include a list of your sources and bring them, along
and physical and cognitive abilities contribute to with your notes, to the next class.
the diversity of today’s workforce. Working with a Part Two Form a new group with all the class-
classmate, role-play a conversation in which mates who researched the same generation that
a. A woman is being interviewed for a job by a male you did. Compare your notes to gain even more
human resources manager. insights about your topic. What points did you find
b. An older person is being interviewed for a job by in common?
a younger human resources manager. Part Three Return to your original group of three
c. A person using a wheelchair is being interviewed and deliver a two- to three-minute oral presentation
for a job by a person who can walk. on the generation you researched.
How did differences between the applicant and the Part Four Write a reflection in an email message to
interviewer shape the communication? What can your instructor summarizing what you learned from
you do to improve communication in such situa- the presentations and your own research. Include
tions? Summarize your findings in an email mes- your own experience of working with others from
sage or post for a class blog. different generations. How could a business profes-
15. Technology: Using Communication Tools L.O.❻ sional use this type of knowledge to be an effective
Find a free online communication service that you communicator?
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chapter 1: U n d er s ta n d i n g B u s i n es s C o m m u n i cat i o n i n To d ay’ s W orkplace [ 23]

B u sin es s Commu n ic ation Noteb oo k

Intercultural Communication
Test Your Intercultural Knowledge North American English. If you are doing business
in Australia, become familiar with the local vocab-
Never take anything for granted when you’re doing ulary. Note the tendency to shorten just about any
business in a foreign country. All sorts of assumptions word whenever possible and adding “ie” to it is a
that are valid in one place can cause you problems else- form of familiar slang: for example, brolly (umbrella)
where if you fail to consider that customs may vary. and lollie (candy). And yes, it’s true: “G’day” is the
Here are several true stories about businesspeople who standard greeting. Use it.
blundered by overlooking some simple but important 2. You’ve just broken four rules of German polite
cultural differences. Can you spot the wrong assump- behaviour: punctuality, privacy, personal space,
tions that led these people astray? and proper greetings. In time-conscious Germany,
1. You’re tired of the discussion and you want to move you should never arrive even a few minutes late.
on to a new topic. You ask your Australian business Also, Germans like their privacy and space, and
associate, “Can we table this for a while?” To your they adhere to formal greetings of “Frau” and “Herr,”
dismay, your colleague keeps right on discussing even if the business association has lasted for years.
just what you want to put aside. Are Australians 3. The word yes may not always mean “yes” in the
that inconsiderate? Western sense. Japanese people may say yes to con-
2. You finally made the long trip overseas to meet the firm they have heard or understood something but
new German director of your division. Despite slow not necessarily to indicate that they agree with it.
traffic, you arrive only four minutes late. His door is You’ll seldom get a direct no. Some of the ways that
shut, so you knock on it and walk in. The chair is Japanese people say no indirectly include “It will be
too far away from the desk, so you pick it up and difficult,” “I will ask my supervisor,” “I’m not sure,”
move it closer. Then you lean over the desk, stick “We will think about it,” and “I see.”
out your hand, and say, “Good morning, Hans, it’s 4. For most North American businesspeople, the
nice to meet you.” Of course, you’re baffled by his contract represents the end of the negotiation.
chilly reaction. Why? For Chinese businesspeople, however, it’s just the
3. Your meeting went better than you’d ever expected. beginning. Once a deal is made, Chinese negotia-
In fact, you found the Japanese representative for tors view their counterparts as trustworthy part-
your new advertising agency to be very agreeable; ners who can be relied on for special favours—such
she said yes to just about everything. When you as new terms in the contract.
share your enthusiasm with your boss, he doesn’t
appear very excited. Why? Applications for Success
4. You’ve finally closed the deal, after exhausting both
your patience and your company’s travel budget. Learn how to improve your cultural savvy and gain an
Now, two weeks later, your Chinese customers are international competitive advantage. Visit Cultural
asking for special considerations that change the Savvy (www.culturalsavvy.com) and read the country
terms of the agreement. How could they do this? reports and cultural tips. Follow the site’s links to tips,
Why are they doing it? And, most important, what articles, books, and more.
should you do? Answer the following questions:

In each case, the problems have resulted from inac- 1. Why should you avoid humour when communicat-
curate assumptions. Here are explanations of what ing with people of a different culture?
went wrong: 2. Every culture has its own business protocol. What
should you know about a culture’s business proto-
1. To “table” something in Australia means to bring it col before you do business within that culture?
forward for discussion. This is the opposite of what 3. What are some examples of cultural gift-giving
North Americans usually mean. The English that’s taboos?
spoken in Australia is closer to British than to