Quick
 
Learning Guide Chapter 1
Business Communication Essentials, 7th Edition Professional Communication in
Today’s Digital, Social, Mobile World
 

SUMMARY
  OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES KEY TERMS

1 Define communication, and explain the importance of effective business communication. and meaning between
senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic media. The ability to communicate well will
play a key role in your success as a business professional. Communication is essential to every function in business, and
audience-centered approach
Understanding and respecting the
poor communication skills will limit your career prospects, no matter how ambitious or skilled you are in other areas. members of your audience and making
Communication skills also give you an important competitive advantage in the job market.
As an effective communicator, you will be more valuable to your company as well, because good communication
every effort to get your message across
skills help companies in many ways: building closer ties with important communities in the marketplace; influencing in a way that is meaningful to them
conversations, perceptions, and trends; increasing productivity and solving problems in less time; attaining better
financial results and higher return for investors; enabling earlier warning of potential problems; making better decisions;
code of ethics Written guidelines to
creating more compelling promotional messages; and improving employee engagement. help employees determine what is
To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, focus on making them practical, factual, concise, acceptable
clear, and persuasive.
communication The process of

2 Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context. Communicating as a professional

starts with being a professional, which embodies striving to excel, being dependable and accountable, being a team
player, demonstrating a sense of etiquette, making ethical decisions, and maintaining a positive outlook.
transferring information between
senders and receivers
As a professional, you will be expected to bring a wide range of communication skills, including organizing ideas communication channels Systems
and information; expressing yourself coherently and persuasively in a variety of media; building persuasive arguments;
evaluating data and information critically; actively listening to others; communicating effectively with diverse audiences;
used to deliver messages
using communication technologies; following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality communication medium The digital or
writing and speaking; adapting your messages and communication styles as needed; demonstrating strong business nondigital form in which a message is
etiquette; communicating ethically; respecting confidentiality; following applicable laws and regulations; managing your
time wisely; and using resources efficiently. presented
Communicating in an organizational context involves adapting your skills to a professional environment and using copyright A form of legal protection for
the company’s communication system (in the broadest sense of the word) to gather and distribute information. An
audience-centered approach to communication means focusing on understanding and meeting the needs of all your the expression of creative ideas
audience members, rather than focusing on your own needs. cultural competency An appreciation
for cultural differences that affect
3 Describe the communication process model and explain how social media are changing the nature of business
communication. Communication can be modeled as an eight-step process: (1) the sender has an idea, (2) the sender
encodes that idea in a message, (3) the sender produces the message in a transmittable medium, (4) the sender transmits
communication and the ability to adjust
one’s communication style to ensure
the message through a channel, (5) the audience receives the message, (6) the audience decodes the message, (7) the
audience responds to the message, and (8) the audience provides feedback to the sender. that efforts to send and receive
Social media have given customers and other stakeholders a voice they did not have in the past by giving them the messages across cultural boundaries
tools to gather information from multiple sources, to respond to companies and other organizations, and to initiate are successful
conversations in the marketplace. Social media are also changing the nature of messages. A message initiated by one
party is often revised and reshaped by the web of participants as they share it and comment on it. cultural context The pattern of physical
cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit
4 Outline the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication in business. The challenges and opportunities of
mobile communication include the mixed blessing of constant connectivity, the challenge of creating and consuming
content on small screens and keyboards, the multitasking behavior of mobile users in chaotic environments, the pressure
understanding that convey meaning
between two members of the same
being put on traditional expectations of grammar and spelling, the opportunity for mobile devices to be sensory and culture
cognitive extensions, security and privacy concerns, improvements to productivity and collaboration, the ability to use
business-focused apps for a variety of tasks, accelerating decision making and problem solving, and the opportunity to culture A shared system of symbols,
creative more-engaging experiences using the unique features of mobile devices. beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations,
and norms for behavior
5 Define ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for
making ethical communication choices. Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a
society; they define the boundary between right and wrong. Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is
decoding Extracting the idea from a
true in every sense, does not violate the rights of others, and is not deceptive in any way. message
An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut; an ethical lapse is a clearly diversity The collections of personal
unethical (and frequently illegal) choice. To ensure the decisions you make are ethical, follow these six guidelines: make
sure you have defined the situation fairly and accurately, make sure your intentions are honest and fair, understand the and cultural attributes that define
impact your messages will have others, ensure that your messages will achieve the greatest possible good while doing the individuals
least possible harm, make sure your underlying assumptions won’t change over time, and make sure you are comfortable
with your choices. encoding Putting an idea into a
message (words, images, or a
6 Explain how cultural diversity affects business communication, and describe the steps you can take to
communicate more effectively across cultural boundaries. Cultural diversity affects business communication because
culture influences the way people create, send, and interpret messages. Moreover, the influences of culture can be
combination of both)
ethical communication
profound, and they are often unrecognized by the people involved. Major aspects of culture that affect communication Communication that includes all relevant
include cultural context, legal and ethical differences, social customs, nonverbal communication, age differences, gender,
religion, and ability. information, is true in every sense, and
To communicate effectively across cultures, avoid ethnocentrism and stereotyping, don’t make assumptions about is not deceptive in any way
others’ beliefs and values, avoid judgment, learn to communicate respect, tolerate ambiguity, don’t be distracted by
superficial elements, recognize your own cultural biases, be flexible, and learn about cultures with whom you do ethical dilemma Situation that involves
business. Also, follow the advice for writing and speaking in multilanguage environments. making a choice when the alternatives
aren’t completely wrong or completely
7 List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively. To help avoid the potential drawbacks
of using communication technology, (1) keep technology in perspective so that it doesn’t overwhelm the communication
process, (2) learn your tools so you can use them productively, (3) guard against information overload by sending only
right
ethical lapse A clearly unethical choice
those messages of value to your audiences and by protecting yourself from too many low-value incoming messages, and
(4) disengage from the computer frequently to communicate in person.

   
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KEY TERMS (continued)
   The accepted principles of
ethics
conduct that govern behavior within a
society
ethnocentrism Judging other groups
according to the standards, behaviors,
and customs of one’s own group
etiquette The expected norms of
behavior in any particular situation
feedback Information from receivers
regarding the quality and effectiveness
of a message
high-context culture Culture in which
people rely less on verbal
communication and more on the context
of nonverbal actions and environmental
setting to convey meaning
information overload Condition in
which people receive more information
than they can effectively process
low-context culture Culture in which
people rely more on verbal
communication and less on
circumstances and cues to convey
meaning
message The words and images used
to express an idea
professionalism The quality of
performing at a high level and
conducting oneself with purpose and
pride
social communication model An
interactive, conversational approach to
communication
stakeholders Groups affected by a
company’s actions: customers,
employees, shareholders, suppliers,
neighbors, the community, and the world
at large
stereotyping Assigning a wide range of
generalized attributes to an individual on
the basis of membership in a particular
culture or social group
transparency A sense of openness in
business matters, of giving all
participants in a conversation access to
the information they need to process the
messages they are receiving
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Understanding Why Communication
Matters
Communication is Important to Your
Career
Communication is Important to Your
Company
What Makes Business Communication
Effective?
Communicating as a Professional
Understanding What Employers Expect
from You
Communicating in an Organizational
Context
Adopting an Audience-Centered
Approach
Exploring the Communication Process
The Basic Communication Model
The Social Communication Model
The Mobile Revolution
The Rise of Mobile as a Communication
Platform
How Mobile Technologies Are Changing
Business Communication
Committing to Ethical Communication
Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas from
Ethical Lapses
Making Ethical Choices
Communicating in a World of Diversity
The Advantages and Challenges of a
Diverse Workforce
Key Aspects of Cultural Diversity
Advice for Improving Intercultural
Communication
Using Communication Technology
Effectively
Keeping Technology in Perspective
Using Tools Productively
Guarding Against Information Overload
Reconnecting with People Frequently

Figure 1.4 (page 10) 
Business Communication: 1.0 Versus 2.0 
Business Communication 2.0 differs from conventional 
communication strategies and practices in a number of 
significant ways. You’re probably already an accomplished 
user of many new‐media tools, and this experience will 
help you on the job. 

Figure 1.3 (page 9) 
The Basic Communication 
Process  
This eight‐step model is a 
simplified view of how 
communication works in real 
life; understanding this basic 
model is vital to improving 
your communication skills. 
(Note that, as explained on 
page 9, the social media 
revolution is changing the 
relationship between senders 
and receivers and even the 
nature of messages 
themselves.)