Bryan University BA100 – Business Communications

Week 1 Assignment - Communicating in the Workplace

Answer the following questions and submit your file to the dropbox in week 1 assignment.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. “If there’s no definitive solution, then all ways of handling a business

communication problem are equally good.” Using the discussion of business
communication problem solving in this chapter, explain why this statement is
false. (LO6) ANSWER- It is true that there are no guarantees that even the best-
planned, most carefully designed message will succeed. But one that is not well
thought out and well executed will almost certainly fail.
2. Is communication skill more important to the successful performance of a
supervisor than to the successful performance of a company president? Defend
your answer. (LO1) ANSWER- Certainly communication ability is important to
both, but the president is likely to have greater communication needs than those at
lower levels. As noted in the chapter, the higher one’s position, the greater the
need for communication.
3. To get a feel for how rapidly information technologies are changing and how
significant the impact is on business, make a list of all the information
technologies (devices and applications) that you’ve learned to use over the last
five years. Now reflect on how your communication, work, and life have changed
as a result of these technologies. (LO2) ANSWER- All of the information and
technologies I have learned in the last fast years are
Online lesson plans
Educational apps
Interactive games
Online video and graphics
Accessing books and articles via tablets and e-readers
Reflecting on how my communication, work, and life has changed as a result of these
newer technology devices my knowledge has expanded, I now have more access to
newer apps and public records.
4. “People need to leave their cultures and values at the door when they come to
work and just do business.” Discuss the possible merits and flaws of this attitude.
(LO2) ANSWER- Values would include not stealing or cheating anyone. You
would want these values in the workplace. I believe that while at work people
should limit speaking in any foreign language. It's just rude to exclude anyone
within hearing distance from the conversation. If it's a private conversation, have
it in private.

Chapter 1: Communicating in the Workplace

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5. List the types of external-operational and internal-operational communication that

occur in an organization with which you are familiar (school, fraternity, church,
etc.). (LO3) ANSWER- External operational communication is that part of an
organization's structured communication concerned with achieving the
organization's work goals that is conducted with people and groups outside the
organization. All the communication that takes place within an organization,
during the process of work is known as internal-operational communication.
Some primary technologies used in operational communication include
telephones that are being used in schools and churches, email and computers. As
technology advances, the ability to communicate will become easier due to better
technology.

6. “Never mix business with personal matters – it just leads to damaged

relationships, poor business decisions, or both.” In what ways might this be a fair
statement? In what ways is it unwise advice? (LO3) ANSWER- I believe that it is
completely possible to become friends with employees, coworkers, and superiors.
There is nothing wrong with those friendships carrying over into off-duty time,
and it happens frequently. Some of my closest personal friends are people I have
worked with, and some of them have worked for me in the past. The most
problematic situations seem to occur with romantic relationships. There is good
reason for companies to have policies against managers dating subordinates.
There is too much potential for abuse of company trust if a manager supervises
someone s/he is romantically involved with. However, I don't think that trying to
prevent coworkers from dating each other is either enforceable or necessary.

7. Describe the formal network of communication in an organization, division, or

department with which you are familiar (preferably a simple one). Discuss why
you think the communication network has taken this form and how successfully it
seems to meet the business’s needs. (LO4) ANSWER- Not all the communication
that occurs in business is operational. In fact, much of it is without apparent
purpose as far as the operating plan of the business is concerned. This type of
communication is personal. Do not make the mistake of underestimating its
importance. Personal communication helps make and sustain the relationships
upon which business depends. Personal communication is the exchange of
information and feelings in which we human beings engage whenever we come
together. We are social animals. We have a need to communicate, and we will
communicate even when we have little or nothing to say. You may have noticed
that even total strangers are likely to communicate when they are placed together,
as on an airplane flight, in a waiting room, or at a ball game. Such personal
communication also occurs in the workplace, and it is a part of the
communication activity of any business. Although not an obvious part of the

Chapter 1: Communicating in the Workplace

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business’s plan of operation, personal communication can have a significant effect

on the success of that plan. This effect is a result of the influence that personal
communication can have on the attitudes of the employees and those with whom
they communicate. The employees’ attitudes toward the business, each other, and
their assignments directly affect their productivity. And the nature of conversation
in a work situation affects attitudes. In a work situation where heated words and
flaming tempers are often present, the employees are not likely to give their best
efforts to their jobs. Likewise, a rollicking, jovial work situation can undermine
business goals. Wise managers cultivate the optimum balance between
employees’ focus on job-related tasks and their freedom to bring their personal
selves to work. They also know that chat around the water cooler or in the break
room encourages a team attitude and can often be the medium in which actual
business issues get discussed. Even communication that is largely internal
operational will often include personal elements that relieve the tedium of daily
routine and enable employees to build personal relationships. Similarly,
communication with external parties will naturally include personal remarks at
some point. Sometimes you may find yourself writing a wholly personal message
to a client, as when he or she has won a major award or experienced a loss of
some kind. Other times, you may compose an external-operational message that
also includes a brief personal note, perhaps thanking a client for a pleasant lunch
or referring to a personal matter that came up in the course of a business meeting.
Personal communication on the job is inevitable. When wisely undertaken, it makes
business more successful, pleasant, and fulfilling.

8. Make a list of types of companies requiring many kinds of communication. Then

make a list of types of companies requiring few kinds. What explains the
difference between these two groups? (LO5) ANSWER- The lists will vary.
Some possibilities for companies requiring extensive communication
are these: insurance companies, newspaper publishers, electronics
manufacturers, banks, and real estate companies. Examples of organizations
requiring less communication are these: plumbing companies, painting
contractors, home builders, and television repair shops. As noted in the text,
certain factors explain these differences between groups: 1) Nature of
the business. Some work activities require little communication. Plumbers
working for a plumbing company, for example, often spend long work periods
with little or no communication. On the other hand, most workers for an insurance
company rarely have long periods of time without communication. 2) Operating
plan of the business. Depending on the size and nature of operations, operating
plans vary. The larger and more complex operations obviously require much
communication in order to coordinate activities. 3) The business environment. All
other things being equal, those working for companies in a stable environment
will probably need to communicate less, and less often, than those in a volatile
one. 4) Geographic dispersion. Clearly, coordinating a widely dispersed
workforce will require more communicating than coordinating a centrally located
one.

Chapter 1: Communicating in the Workplace

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 Bryan University BA100 – Business Communications

9. Think of a recent transaction you had with a business person or with a staff person
at your school. Describe the contexts of your communication, from the larger
context (business-economic, sociocultural, and historical) down to the personal
(to the extent you know them). How did these influence the outcome of your
communication? (LO7) ANSWER- Only recent transaction I can think of is when
I made a payment for enrollment. Basically to initiate the fact that I’m an official
college student! The communication was broad and it was self-explanatory.
10. Using this chapter’s discussion of communication, explain how people reading or
hearing the same message can disagree on its meaning. (LO7, LO8) ANSWER-
Everyone has their own background and context that they overlay on top of what
they hear. It’s our jobs as communicators to consider that perspective and to adjust
the way we communicate accordingly. If we do, we stand a better chance of
persuading them to agree with our point of view. It’s not easy, but the reality is
that your outcomes – at work and at home – will improve if you focus on what
people “hear” rather than what you say.

Chapter 1: Communicating in the Workplace

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