chapter 1: understanding business communication in today’s workplace
Chapter summary
Chapter 1 focuses on the importance and benefits of becoming an effective business communicator and highlights characteristics of effective communication. A definition of effective communication is followed by a discussion of the six phases in the communication process. Five key ways to improve business communication are addressed in detail: committing to ethical communication, adopting an audience-centered approach, improving intercultural sensitivity, improving workplace sensitivity, and using communication technology effectively. Examples of unethical communication practices and a discussion of how to recognize ethical choices precede a list of questions to help a communicator make an ethical decision. Readers will learn about ways to recognize cultural differences in areas such as cultural contexts, ethics, social customs, and nonverbal communication. The suggestions for polishing both written and oral intercultural skills can help a businessperson communicate more effectively with those of differing cultural backgrounds, as can the list of tips for working in a culturally diverse workforce. Readers are offered an overview of technologies that connect businesses and aspects of using communication technology effectively are presented. The information presented in Chapter 1 provides a base for all the remaining chapters in the text.
trANSparencies for chapter 1
The following transparencies are available in a separate packet:
Number Content
Transparency 1 Understanding the Communication Process
Transparency 2 Communication Ethics
Transparency 3 Testing for Communication Ethics
Transparency 4 Cultural Differences
Transparency 5 Ethical Choices
Transparency 6 Level 3: Document Critique (Improved Memo)
