Chapter 1

Understanding
Workplace
Communication

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© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use.inNot
website, authorized
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 Chapter Overview
• The importance of communication in business
• Current challenges
• The three main categories of communication
in business
• Formal and informal networks
• Business communication as problem solving
• The contexts of business communication
• The business communication process
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© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Success in Business

Communication is rated the most valuable soft

skill in business, with teamwork and analytical
skills following close behind.

--National Association of Colleges and Employers’

Job Outlook Survey, 2011

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© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Communication Challenges

• The need for expanded media literacy

• Increased globalism and workplace diversity
• Increased need for strong analytical skills
• Increased focus on ethics and social
responsibility

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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Main Categories of Communication

• Operational
– Internal
– External

• Personal

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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Communication Networks

• Formal Network
• Well-established, usually along operational lines
• Depends on certain established forms or “genres”
in the company
• Planned and managed
• Informal Network
• Complex
• Dynamic

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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Formal vs. Informal Communication

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 Factors Impacting Communication

• Nature of the business

• Size and complexity
• Industry environment—stable or volatile?
• Geographic dispersion
• Organizational culture

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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Communication as Problem Solving

• Most business-communication problems are

ill-defined problems requiring
– Research
– Analysis
– Creativity
– Judgment

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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 A Model of Business Communication

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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Communication Contexts

• The larger context

– Business-economic
– Sociocultural
– Historical
• The relationship of the communicators
• The communicators’ particular contexts
– Organizational
– Professional
– Personal
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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 The Communication Process

• The sender . . . • The receiver . . .

– Senses a need to – Receives the message
communicate
– Defines the situation – Interprets it
– Considers possible – Decides on a response
solutions – Replies (becoming a
– Selects the best one new sender)
– Composes the
message (medium,
content, structure,
style, form)
– Sends the message
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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 The Bottom Line

“The goal of business communication

is to create a shared understanding
of business situations that will enable
people to work successfully togethe
r.”

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