Management Communication Issues - Assignment Example

Management Communication Questions Author’s Name Course Professor’s Name Institutional Affiliation Date Management Communication Questions A1: List three environmental cues and indicate how they influence your expectations for communication? Environmental cues are those cues or signals that surround an individual in order to inform him or her on what is happening and how to respond. Examples of such cues include physical, psychological, and the surrounding atmosphere (Galbicka, 2014). These environmental cues have a major influence on my expectations for communication. For example, in regards to psychological cues the internal status of human beings in regards to attitude or feelings will affect their way of communication. Physical cues enable an individual to identify the one he or she is talking to in order to determine the best mode of communication. Lastly, atmosphere cues help an individual to decide if the form of communication should be formal or informal. A2: Does the communicator have a responsibility to the audience? Does the audience have a responsibility to the speaker? Provide a justification for your view. Firstly, the communicator has a major responsibility to play to the audience. Specifically, it is his role to ensure that he passes the intended message to the audience, since they are the target listeners (Galbicka, 2014). The justification for this is that every communicator talks to an audience in order to deliver a message, and by doing so, he or she is able to fulfil his or her responsibility to the audience. On the other hand, the audience responsibility to the speaker is to portray effective listening skills and pay attention to the message. The audience should portray effective listening skills such as taking down notes, nodding, and maintaining eye contact. A3: From your viewpoint, how do you think thought influences the use of language? Provide evidence to support your view. In my perspective, through has a major influence on the use of language. This is because the ideas, opinions, or impressions gained from a given thought determine the choice of words (Normore, Long, & Javidi, 2016). For example, if an individual sees a boy standing a few minutes away from a house, he will describe the boy’s position depending on what he sees. For example, the observer can say that they boy is standing on the front side of the house. On the other hand, the individual could say that they boy is standing on the northern side of the house. This shows that the thoughts of the observer in regards to the boy’s position will influence the choice of words and language in general. A4: How does language affect self-concept? Explore and research your answer finding examples that can serve as case studies. Language also has an influence on an individual’s self-concept. Self-concept refers to the ideas of self-constructed, which is derived from the beliefs that one holds about themselves and others’ responses. Language affects self-concept in that a choice of words creates impressions on a person. For example, if one speaks in a formal language, the audience is likely to take him or her seriously. On the other hand, those who speak informally create an impression that the audience can interact with them freely and in a friendly manner. The language used by an individual also shows one’s own self-perspective. For example, one if likely to use a formal language if he feels that he deserves much respect from an audience. A5: Choose an article or opinion piece from a major newspaper or news Web site. Analyse the piece according to the five-part structure described in the readings. Does the headline serve as a good attention statement? Does the piece conclude with a sense of closure? How are the main points presented and supported? In the article, “Toys ‘R’ Us Brings Temporary Foreign Workers to U.S. to Move Jobs Overseas”, the heading serves as a good attention statement. This is because by reading the heading, one can capture the overall subject, which is on the issue of a company moving jobs overseas (Miller, 2007). The author, Julia Preston, also presents the main points in a logic order, since each paragraph presents the main idea. Thirdly, she uses credible evidence to support her ideas, for example by narrating real life occurrences. The article does not conclude with a sense of closure, because the author completes it using a quoted statement form an individual. A6: Is there ever a justifiable use for doublespeak? Why or why not? Explain your response and give some examples. In my opinion, there is no justifiable use for doublespeak. Doublespeak involves the use of a certain type of language in order to obscure or reverse the initial meaning of words. This type of practice leads to the manipulation of language such that the original meaning of a sentence of certain words is altered with. One example of double speaking is writing the statement, “I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace.” In such a sentence, it is evident that double speaking has distorted the nature of the truth. This type of language can cause confusion to a number of readers who are not conversant with it. A7: Find an article or listen to a presentation that uses signposts. Identify the signposts and explain how they help the audience follow the article or presentation. Signposting when writing articles involves an author making the text very clear for the readers to achieve deep understanding. When signposting, authors ensure that the writing is explicit by including certain key issues; how the argument is constructed and the relationship between ideas. Examples of major signposts in articles include the purpose, author’s stance, main argument, and conclusions. In the article “Immune System, Unleashed by Cancer Therapies, Can Attack Organs”, Matt Richtel the author uses signposting by writing an effective conclusion that summarises on the main idea presented in the article. Form reading the conclusion, one can understand that the article is talking about how some cancer therapies can attack body organs. A8: Choose a piece of writing from a profession you are unfamiliar with. For example, if you are studying marketing, choose an excerpt from a book on fashion design. Identify several terms you are unfamiliar with, terms that may be considered jargon (idiom). How does the writer help you understand the meaning of these terms? Could the writer make them easier to understand? Personally, I picked an expert from the book titled “Social Marketing: Influencing Behaviours for Good” by Lee Nancy and Philip Kotler. Specifically, my piece of writing that I chose from this book it in page 9, whereby the authors uses the jargon “Influencing desired behaviours” (Lee & Kotler, 2011). After reading this phrase for the first time, I did not understand the real meaning, since I was not able to connect the relationship between behaviour and the process of marketing. However, the authors help me to understand the meaning by explaining that a business firm becomes successful by engaging in behaviours or conducting operations that benefit customers. A9: How does your self-concept influence your writing? Just as language as well as writing affects my self-concept, it is also evident that self-concept has a major impact on the type of language I choose as well as my form of communication I select for my audience. Self-concept deals with how I perceive myself based on my actions as well as people’s perspective about me (Collins, 2010). Self-concept influences writing because it determines one’s attitude, mood or feeling. For example, if I feel that a certain audience views me professionally, I am more likely to adopt the formal mode of writing. Therefore, self-concept has a major influence on my mode of written communication. A10: What does the field of psychology offer concerning the self-fulfilling prophecy? In regards to the self-fulfilling prophecy, the field of psychology highlights how a given individual can have expectations from others concerning a given matter or subject. It also enables one to understand other people’s expectations about a given person or event, and this can affect one’s behaviour towards that subject (Meyer, 2014). Consequently, the field of psychology can contribute to self-fulfilling prophecy because it enables us to understand the behaviour of people; hence, predict on how the society can behave. From this, it is evident that psychology and self-fulfilling prophecy go hand in hand. Psychology can also explain how people improve the manner in which they behave. A11: How does the process of perception limit our view, or expand it? Can we choose how to perceive things? The process of perception tends to limit our perception because when an individual preserves something, he or she is in a position to make predictions on its likelihood behaviour. Perception also influences our attitude towards people or things. Attitude also creates expectations, whether good or bad (Lee & Kotler, 2011). In order to perceive things, we might commit a great effort of our attention. Paying attention helps to create an understanding and a clear perception towards certain things. Even when it comes to understand people in a better manner, it is important to almost always pay attention to their way of speaking, acting, and how they perceive things. A12: Make a list of benefits and drawbacks to each of the listening styles discussed in the reading from “Contemporary Public Speaking”. Listening skills are very important in creating an understanding of the mode of communication. One of the main listening styles, especially in contemporary public speaking is taking notes. In most cases, one cannot capture all the information or the whole speech of the speaker. Taking notes helps in remembering the main points that the speaker highlights. It is also important to ask questions if it is appropriate during the speech or discussion. This makes the speaker to feel that the audience is attentive to the audience. Therefore, practices such as asking questions and taking notes are important forms of listening styles. A13: The reading from “Contemporary Public Speaking” refers to psychological noise as one of the distractions you might experience. Identify strategies you have successfully used to minimise the impact of the specific psychological noises you have experienced. Psychological noise is a major form of distraction that can affect my way of communicating with others. In order to get rid with this form of distraction, or to reduce the impact of this psychological noise, I have implemented certain strategies. Firstly, I have learnt to target the proper message recipient in order to attain successful communication, and thus promote a subject or product effectively. Additionally, I also encourage the message recipients to provide feedback. This helps in ensuring there is effective communication. Therefore, feedback is a key component in the social media, since it greatly contributes to effective flow of communication. A14: Refer to the e-mail or text message examples provided in the reading for this submodule. Would you send that message to your lecturer? Why or why not? What normative expectations concerning professor-student communication are there and where did you learn them? Personally, I would not send that message to the lecture unless it is necessary for me to do so. If it is a question that a student can answer, I would first think of seeking assistance from my colleagues. My main aim is to establish a healthy relationship with my teacher. Therefore, when she is very busy, her time for providing an effective answer might be limited. In such a case, I would not send such a message. When contacting my teacher using an email, I would ensure that I am more formal. Therefore, the tools that I choose for communication are very important. A15: How does the intended audience influence the choice of words and use of language in a document? Think of a specific topic and two specific kinds of audiences. Then write a short example of how this topic might be presented to each of the two audiences. Talking about a new product To the customer: when addressing the customer, it is always important to describe the type of product that is in question. This product must fulfil or satisfy the need of the customer. Other factors to consider when describing to the customer include the price, warranty, and lifecycle of the product. To the investor: in order to gain financial assistance from them, it is important to convince them about the effectiveness of the product. For investors to agree to invest the money, they must be convinced that the new product will be profitable and that it will attract many customers. A16: Create a sales letter for an audience that comes from a culture other than your own. Identify the culture and articulate how your message is tailored to your perception of your intended audience. To the audience, When addressing the audience, I will ensure that I use their form of greeting, whether it is “hello” of “hey”. Since the Europeans live in a multicultural community, I will ensure that I am sensitive to the various cultural l backgrounds of the audiences. Therefore, in this message I will ensure that I am friendly, since Europeans believe in togetherness and cooperation. This means that my message should not intend to separate the ideas of this audience. A17: Create a draft letter introducing a product or service to a new client. Dear Client, I am writing this letter to you as one of our potential and reliable client. As a sales agent, I would greatly recommend that you taste the burger offered at McDonald. I believe that trying the new burger will give you great experience and provide you will a new name on the list in regards to your favourite meal. McDonald is a fast food restaurant that is ready to serve your needs as a customer. The type of service offered is at top niche and the waiters are most welcoming. I hope this letter gets to you well and we will be waiting for feedback from you. Thankyou A18: Identify a product or service you would like to produce or offer. List three companies that you would like to sell your product or service to and learn more about them. Record your findings, making the link between your product or service and company needs.  Personally, the product that I would like to offer is that of a new mouthwash freshener. Although most companies are known for producing toothpaste, not all have not yet considered selling mouth fresheners to customers. The companies that I would target are the toothpaste companies such as Unilever, Colgate, and Close-up (Henderson, 2007. These three companies are the most influential; hence, they will ensure that my market is wide. By offering this product, the three companies will be in a position to offer a new substitute product in the market. This will help in increasing the number of customers, since some prefer the mouth fresheners. A19: When is a longer resume justified? Explain. In some cases, candidates seeking jobs send resumes to the companies they wish to work in or those offering job services. A resume helps to give details about the candidate in regards to their education background, experiences, and skills among others. Writing s long resume is justified if it contains a description of various experiences of the candidate. The more the work experiences, the higher the chances of being selected as a successful candidate. The resume is more appealing if it describes the skills possessed by the candidate. Although long resumes are not recommendable, they are justified if they contain information that is relevant to the vacant position in a given company. A20: How can a speaker prepare a speech for a diverse audience? Explain and give some specific examples. When addressing a diverse audience, a speaker is required to prepare thoroughly in order to highlight topics that interest all those present. When preparing a speech, it is important to ensure that I do not use jokes that offend people from a certain cultural background (Henderson, 2007). Therefore, I would either make light comments or try not to favour a given ethnic group from the audience. Secondly, pay attention to the audience by maintaining their contact. This will help in understanding their facial expressions and attitudes towards certain sensitive issues. A21: Is it important to consider the rhetorical situation? Provide a justification for your view. A rhetorical situation refers to the context of rhetoric event, which comprises an issue, the audience and a set of constraints. In my perspective, it is important to consider a rhetorical situation because it outlines the general surrounding environment of the speech (Burnard, 2007). Considering the rhetorical situation is justified because it means focusing on the speaker, the audience, the texts, and content. From this, it is evident that this situation focuses on analysing the main tools or components of making a speech or delivering a speech. This means that comprehending the rhetorical situation will gain better understand of the argument of the text, reader or audience, author, constraint and exigency. A22: Let’s take the topic of tattoos. Imagine you are going to present two informative speeches about tattoos: one to a group of middle school children, and the other to a group of college students. How would you adapt your topic for each audience and why? Provide an example or explanation. When addressing the middle school children, I would ensure that I provide only the basic knowledge of the tattoos. This is because at their age; the audience should not be exposed to too much information about the topic would also highlight the pros and cons of putting tattoos, and emphasize on the cons. On the other hand, when addressing the college students, I would ensure that I provide the students with deep knowledge about tattoos because it would have a high level of cognition. I would also treat them as adults and make them feel that their thoughts and desires matter. A23: Does organising a presentation involve ethics? Explain your response. In my perspective, organising a presentation should involve the observation of ethical values and practices. Firstly, this is because it will enable the speaker to maintain the moral principles of the audience by not making comments that offend them. Observing ethics will also ensure that eh speaker does not portray nay form of biasness when addressing the audience (Burnard, 2007). Therefore, it is important to involve ethics during a presentation in order to ensure that the audience has a positive attitude and perspective about the speaker. Personally, I believe that effective speakers are those who consider and observe the ethical values during presentations. A24: By visiting the library or doing an Internet search, find a speech given by someone you admire. The speech may be published in a book or newspaper, recorded in an audio file, or recorded on video (but must have been made in English and not be a translation). It may be a political speech, a business speech, or even a commercial sales pitch. Analyse the speech using the five structural elements as this speaker has used them and include a link to the speech in your answer One of the historical speeches that I admire a lot and refer to often is that of Martin Luther King, “I have a Dream”. Although many texts and writer have referred, tot his text several times, it still remains one of my most favourite references in regards to the message portrayed and confidence displayed by Martin Ruther. After analysing the speech, I learnt that martin Luther is able to convince the audience by urging them not to give up on achieving their dreams. Secondly, the speaker (Martin Luther) is able to highlight sensitive social issues such as that of racial discrimination. Lastly, the speech is convincing and the speaker uses an ethos rhetoric devices in order to appeal to his audience. A25: Think of one technology or application that you perceive has transformed your world. Choose two organising principles and create two short sample outlines for speeches about your topic. The technology that I believe has transformed my world is having access to wireless internet. Wireless internet is currently in most residential buildings, shopping centres, and offices, and this has made it quite easy for individuals to access online information. One principle is that the internet has provided easy access to online information. Through websites such as Google, the users are able to browse for the desired information. Another principle is that wireless internet has led to online marketing. In this case, customers can view goods online and order for them. References Burnard, P. (2007). Effective communication skills for health professionals. Cheltenham, U.K: Stanley Thornes (Publishers) Ltd. Collins, P. (2010). The art of speeches and presentations: The secrets of making people remember what you say. Chichester: John Wiley. Galbicka, A. (2014). Enhancing your communication & spirituality: The c train. Place of publication not identified: Dorrance Pub Co. Henderson, R. (2007). There's no such thing as public speaking: Making any presentation or speech as persuasive as a one-on-one conversation. New York, N.Y., USA: Prentice Hall Press. Lee, N., Kotler, P., & Kotler, P. (2011). Social marketing: Influencing behaviors for good. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications. Meyer, S. (2014). Performing and creating speeches, demonstrations, and collaborative learning experiences with cool new digital tools. New York: Rosen Central. Miller, J. (2007) ‘Preparing and Presenting Effective Research Posters’, Journal of Presentation, 42(1), pp. 311–328.  Normore, A. H., Long, L. W., & Javidi, M. (2016). Handbook of research on effective communication, leadership, and conflict resolution. Hershey, PA : Information Science Reference. Read More