Business Communication Ch 1

Tolerance

A willingness to learn about and practice beliefs and practices different from one's own; being open minded and receptive to new experiences 6y

High-Context Cultures

Cultures such as those in Asian, Arabian, and South American countries whose members tend to be intuitive and contemplative, relying on unwritten social rules

Attached, you should find three charts and two graphs. I have scheduled the first conference call for 18.10.09 and the next for 20.10.09. What has she done to make her writing more easily understood? Check all that apply. - conversational idioms are used to enhance readability - the sentences are shortened using acronyms - the sentences are short - contractions are not used - humor is used to be friendly - the date format matches local styles

the sentences are short contractions are not used the date formate matches local styles

Empathy

The ability to share another person's experiences and emotions; thinking of how the receivers feels and is likely to respond

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the superiority of one's own culture; judging others by one's own values

Message sent from a BlackBerry mobile device to a client: R U going 2 B in this PM need 2 chat - Professional - Unprofessional

Unprofessional

nonverbal communication

all unwritten and an unspoken messages, whether intended or not; silent signals conveyed by body language, gestures, eye contact, appearance, and other factors

The staff members _____ sharply divided

are

Which of the following are appropriate strategies for communication in diverse workplaces? Check all that apply. - focus on cultural differences - use stereotypes to understand others - build on similarities - seek training - understand the value of difference - practice ethnocentrism - develop healthy bias

build on similarities seek training understand the value of difference

Identify tips that would help Diane listen more effectively to her team. Check all that apply. - raise her hand -capitalize on lag time - establish a receptive mind set - hold her fire - control her surroundings

capitalize on lag time establish a receptive mind set hold her fire

To boost company recognition, Musashi, the president of StreetLife Entertainment, makes daily blog entries - non-territorial offices - changing communication technologies - emphasis on ethics

changing communication technologies

Wordsmith, a small newsletter writing company, has just installed a new server that will hose newsletters online as wikis. Rina, the CEO, is excited about broadening Wordsmith's client base - emphasis on ethics - changing communication technologies - non-territorial offices

changing communication technologies

The president of the Association of Accounting Students is a junior. - common noun - proper noun

common noun

South Americans sometimes speak with extravagant or poetic language - individualism - power distance - time orientation - communication style

communication style

The administrative assistant prepared the executive briefing. - concrete noun - abstract noun

concrete noun

North Americans value explicit communication and clearly articulated messages - individualism - communication style - context - time orientation

context

The ___________ from both magazines are meeting next Tuesday

editors in chief

Your company is restructuring, and two layers of management have been eliminated. You now report directly to the national sales manager instead of a regional sales manager - changing communication technologies - non-territorial offices - flattened management hierarchies

flattened management hierarchies

Stereotypes are - oversimplified perceptions of behavioral characteristics of groups of people - reliable and accurate descriptions of cultural norms - useful of determining the general characteristics of groups of people

oversimplified perceptions of behavioral characteristics of groups of people

How we use time in North America reveals insights into our ________. Additionally, the way we structure space and territory can provide information on our ______

personalities and attitudes objectives and ourselves

What is the best way to develop tolerance? - study discrimination - socialize with different people - practice empathy

practice empathy

In your workplace, your personal appearance and the appearance of your business documents should reveal ____

professionalism and care in preparation

After a gas pipeline explosion that destroyed homes and injured dozens of people, Pacific Power Company publicly unveiled a new mission statement with a greater focus on safety and corporate accountability - renewed emphasis on ethics - changing communication technologies - heightened global competition

renewed emphasis on ethics

Which of the following are correctly spelled plural nouns? Check all that apply. - copyers -secretaries - faxs -companies -CPAs - familys

secretaries companies CPAs

In American culture, good eye contact reveals ________ and ________

sincerity, confidence truthfulness

You can improve your listening if you ______

stop talking and let others explain their views

Ethnocentrism is - being open to many cultures and attitudes - the belief in the superiority of one's own culture - the study of ethnic diversity in the workplace

the belief in the superiority of one's own culture

Culture

A complex system of shared values, traits, morals, and customs that molds the way people think, behave, and communicate

Individualism

A cultural dimension that refers to an attitude of independence and freedom from control; common in low context cultures

Time Orientation

A cultural dimension that refers to how individuals perceive and use time

Context

A cultural dimension that refers to the stimuli, environment, or ambience surrounding an event

Communication Style

A cultural dimension that refers to the way individuals communicate and use words

Low-Context Cultures

A culture in which communicators tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented; messages are explicit; Swiss, German, and American cultures are considered low context

Power distance

A dimension of culture that refers to how people in different societies cope with inequality and how they relate to powerful individuals because of their wealth, position, seniority, or age

Groupthink

An absence of critical thinking sometimes found in homogeneous groups

Stereotype

An oversimplified behavioral pattern applied to entire groups

As the leader of your workgroup, you want to encourage a positive working environment. You decide to make posters for the hallway with tips for improving communication between the diverse members of your group. What would be the best tip to be placed on a poster? -Build on similarities. Value differences. -Conflict? How to always win an argument. -Diversity Training on Friday, February 18, at 5. Managers and their wives encouraged to attend.

Build on similarities. Value differences.

Today's workplace requires all employees, even hourly workers, to create reports and exchange messages. The messages should be _______

Clear and concisely written

Soft Skills

Essential career attributes that include the ability to communicate, work well with others, solve problems, make ethical decisions, appreciate diversity, and display professionalism

Linda Scarpino works for a telecommunications company in the sales department where she regularly communicates with clients. Linda often works from home and uses her home e-mail address, [email protected], to communicate with her clients - Linda's e-mail address is professional - Linda's e-mail address is unprofessional

Linda's e-mail address is unprofessional

Kyoko's team was reorganized to be cross functional, and each member is now expected to collaborate on every step of the process for updating her company's website, including generating content, encouraging traffic through SEO optimization, and tracking the website's hits - Self directed work groups and virtual teams - new work environments - increasingly diverse workforce

Self directed work groups and virtual teams

In a recent company meeting on diversity in the workplace, the HR representative starts a discussion on how to be more sensitive toward the diverse backgrounds of the company's employees. After the informative discussion, you want to know from the HR representative's perspective why your company values diversity in its work environment. What would be the best response from the HR representative? -Team members with different backgrounds come up with more effective problem-solving techniques, providing your company with a competitive advantage over other companies. -Even though it is more expensive for the company to hire a diverse workforce, the people are worth it. -The company doesn't want to hear employees gripe about discrimination, so they hire workers with diverse backgrounds.

Team members with different backgrounds come up with more effective problem-solving techniques, providing your company with a competitive advantage over other companies.

Language problems - we respond unfavorably to unfamiliar jargon and "charged" words - we "tune out" others' ideas that run counter to our own preconceived thoughts - we pretend to pay attention and find it hard to remember what as said

We respond unfavorably to unfamiliar jargon and 'charged' words

Mr. Youngher arrives at his interview for a community relations internship with Bethlehem Electric in Chicago five minutes late and in a rumpled suit. When she is introduced to the chief marketing officer, Mr. Youngher moves in close as they shake hands and winks. The executive takes a step back What advice or tips would you give Mr. Youngher as he prepares for others interviews? - he should learn to appreciate the power of appearance and improve his decoding skills to be a better reader of others' reactions - he should cancel his appointments and clear his schedule when preparing for interviews, so he's not late - he should associate with people from diverse cultures to learn about the various customs he'll encounter in the workplace

he should learn to appreciate the power of appearance and improve his decoding skills to be a better reader of others' reactions

You can counter the effects of psychological listening barriers by _____

keeping an open mind

Although most international business is conducted in English, levels of comprehension can vary. How can you enhance your oral communication skills in international environments? Check all that apply. - listen without interrupting - discourage feedback - speak loudly and slowly - check frequently for comprehension - assign blame - smile when appropriate - observe eye messages

listen without interrupting check frequently for comprehension smile when appropriate observe eye messages

Understanding how your gestures influence the reception of your message is likely to do which of the following? check all that apply - hinder cross cultural communication -make you a more compelling speaker -get you in trouble - improve your delivery -frighten your audience

make you a more compelling speaker improve your delivery

Diane is part of a recently restructured team. Diane previously held a supervisory role in a different division; however, due to a company merger, she is now a new member of a team with no formal hierarchy. In meetings, Diane is often distracted by the fact that she is no longer leading the team, and she doesn't think her new coworkers really "get the big picture." Diane finds herself just waiting for breaks in the conversation to make her points and ideas heard. When others are talking, she is often bored and inattentive, thinking about other tasks she needs to accomplish. Identify the listening barriers. Check all that apply. - faking attention -nonverbal distractions -thought speed -grandstanding -psychological barriers

thought speed psychological barriers

Nonverbal distractions -we don't listen due to our reaction to unusual clothes, speech, or mannerisms - we find it difficult to listen because we sense what the speaker is about to say -we respond unfavorably to unfamiliar jargon and 'charged' words

we don't listen due to our reaction to unusual clothes, speech, or mannerisms