Monday, April 12, 2010

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 notes





(Source from : http://members.iinet.net.au/~rhema/img/quiz.gif)

1. Review Mid-term Quiz

2. Extra credit due on May 11th.

3. Read Chapter 18 &19

4. Bring Resume on April 13.


1. Business Communication 2.0 tends to be (circle all that apply):


1.0:

Publication

Lecture

Intrusion

Unidirectional

One to many

Control

Low message frequency

Few channels

Information Hoarding

Static

Hierarchical

Structured

Isolation

Planned

Isolated


2.0:

Conversation

Discussion

Permission

Bidirectional, Multidirectional

One to one, Many to many

Influence

High message frequency

Many channels

Information Sharing

Dynamic

Egalitarian

Amorphous

Collaboration

Reactive

Responsive


2. What is an informal communications network?


Internal communication: takes place between people inside a company

External communications: takes place between a company and outside parties.

Formal communication network mirrors the company’s organizational structure.

Informal communication is casual communication among employees in internal communication and casual communication with outsiders in external communication.


3. Name two advantages of teams


Effective teams can pool knowledge, take advantage of diverse viewpoints, and increase acceptance of solutions the team proposes.

o Increased information and knowledge

o Increased diversity of views

o Increased acceptance of a solution

o Higher performance levels.

Teams need to avoid the negative impact of groupthink, hidden agendas, and excessive costs. (disadvantages)

o Grouptink

o Hidden agendas

o Cost


4. What is the difference between low context and high context cultures? Give an example of a low-context country.


Cultural context is a pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture.

High-context cultures rely heavily on nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning; low-context cultures rely more on explicit verbal communication.

Low-context cultures tend to value written agreements and interpret laws strictly, whereas high-context cultures view adherence to laws as being more flexible.

Cultural Context Effect business:

In low-context cultures:

· Executive offices are separate with controlled access

· Workers rely on detailed background information

· Information is highly centralized and controlled

· Objective data are valued over subjective relationships

· Business and social relationships are discrete

· Competence is valued as much as position and status

· Meetings have fixed agendas and plenty of advance notice

In high-context Cultures:

· Executive offices are shared and open to all

· Workers do not expect or want detailed information

· Information is shared with everyone

· Subjective relationships are valued over objective data

· Business and social relationships overlap

· Position and status are valued much more than competence

· Meetings are often called on short notice, and key people always accept

Low context culturesßSwiss German, German, Scandinavian, American, French, British, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Arab, Chinese, Japanes àHigh Context Cultures

Communication tactics that work well in a high-context culture may backfire in a low-context culture and vice versa.


5. What are some ways to edit for clarity and conciseness?


  • Table 6.2 - revising for clarity

Issues to review

· OVERLY LONG SENTENCES taking compound sentences too far

· Hedging Sentences Overqualifying sentences

· Unparalled Sentences Using Dissimilar construction for similaar ideas

· Dangling Modifiers Placing modifiers close to the wrong nouns and verbs

· Long Noun Sequences Stringing too many nouns together

· Comouflaged Verbs Changing verbs and nouns into adjectives, Changing verbs into nouns

· Sentence Structure Separating subject and predicate Separating adjectives, adverbs, or prepositional phrases from the words they modify

· Awkward References

  • Editing for clarity conciseness

1. Break up overly long sentences

2. Rewrite hedging sentences

If you qualify or hedge too often, you undermine your credibility

3. Impose parallelism

4. Correct dangling modifiers

5. Reword long noun sequences

6. Replace camouflaged verbs

Camouflaged verbs are verbs that have been changed into nouns; they often increase the length of a sentence without adding any value.

7. Clarify sentence structure

Subject and predicate should be placed as close together as possible, as should modifiers and the words they modify.

8. Clarify awkward references

Improving clarity often makes messages shorter, but you can make them shorter still by using some specific revision techniques.

9. Delete unnecessary words and phrases

Early drafts often have words and phrases that don’t add anything and can easily be cut out.

10. Shorten long words and phrases

11. Eliminate redundancies

12. Recast “it is /There are” starters.

  • Table on revising for conciseness

1. Unnecessary words and phrases( using wordy phrases, using too many relative pronouns, using too few relative pronouns.)

2. Long words and phrases (using overly long words, using wordy phrases rather than infinitives)

3. Redundancies (repeating meanings, using double modifiers)

4. It is /There are Starters (Starting sentences with it or there)


6. How is the piece of technology called” track changes “ used?


P157 Revision marks and commenting features are great ways to track the revision process when multiple reviewers are involved.


7. Give me three tips for writing effective email messages.


· when you request information or action, make it clear what you are asking for, why it is important, and how soon you need it; don't make your reader write back for details

· when responding to a request, either paraphrase the request or include engouh of the original message to remind the reader what you are replying to

· if possible, avoid sending long, complex messages via e-mail


8. What is the most important words for someone in the English language?


Someone’s Name.


9. What are some details to consider when doing business in other countries?

  • Age differences, gender, religious, ability differences

Nonverbal difference: Greetings, Personal space, Touching, Facial expression, Eye contact, Posture, Formality

Age differences: a culture’s views on youth and aging affect how people communicate with one another. Communication styles ad expectations can vary widely among age groups, putting extra demands on teams that include workers of varying ages.

Gender Differences: Broadly speaking, men tend to emphasize content in their messages, and women tend to emphasize relationship maintenance.

Religious differences: U.S. law requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious beliefs to a reasonable degree.

Ability Differences: Assistive technologies help employers create more inclusive workplaces and benefit from the contributions of people with physical or cognitive impairments.

  • business in other cultures

1. Become aware of your own biases

2. Ignore the “Golden Rule.”

3. Exercise tolerance, flexibility, and respect

4. Practice patience and maintain a sense of humor

An important step in understanding and adapting to other cultures is to recognize the influences that your own culture has on your communication habits.


10. Give me three tips to improve my phone skills.


Table 2.5

· Use frequent verbal responses that show you are listening

· Increase your volume just slightly to convey your condifence

· Don’t speak in a monotone; vary your pitch and inflections so people know you are interested.

· Slow down when conversing with people whose native language isn’t the same as yours.

· Stay focused on the call throughout; others can easily tell when you are not paying attention.

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