Business and Professional Speaking Midterm Study Guide

The midterm will cover notes from class, book chapters, and assigned external readings. Those include: Chapters One, Two, Three, Eight, Nine, Reading #1: Corporate Social Responsibility, Reading #2: Businesses Speak Out, Reading #3: Role-play for Management Theory, and Reading #3: Strategy Maps. Below is a narrowing down of what you will be expected to know about what we’ve covered so far, but do not let this be the sole determining factor of what you study. Be aware that these sub-topics/areas are directions for you to help lead your research process. Best of luck to everyone!

Reading #1: CSR
- what is corporate social responsibility?
CSR as situations where the firm goes beyond compliance and engages in "actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law."
- examples of CSR
For example, a firm might provide day care to increase employee morale and decrease absenteeism. The provision of this day care may provide social benefits by lowering juvenile crime and increasing school retention.

Reading #2: Making Academia Applicable
- what’s the disconnect between academic and businesses?
Lack of communication
- what are modern problems businesses are facing?
New technology the threat of new competition reducing firm market share substitutes internal turmoil an overall decline in an industry due to new competition rapid increase in the costs of major inputs
- what are the recommended solutions? business curricula can be more carefully tailored a feedback loop can be created

Reading #3: Role-play for Management Theory
- what are the three management theories discussed?
Theory X--Workers are lazy. You have to stand over them with a stick to get them to work.
Theory Y-- Work is as natural as play. Hire the right people, and get out of their way
Theory Z-- Teamwork is best. We work on teams to set and reach our goals together on our team.

Reading #3: Strategy Maps
- what should guide how you create a strategy map?
Specific strategy
- how to create a strategy map
The strategy map is created using a framework that plots the dimensions (or perspectives) of the balanced scorecard down the left side. then use the map as a cause-and-effect architecture to show how the strategy in each dimension is to be carried out to achieve the desired outcomes.

Chapter 1
- the components of business and professional communication (old and new)
Old model: Sendermessagereceiver
New model: (7 elements) Sender, receiver, messages, noise, feedback, channels, context.
- influences of context
Under different context, such as physical situation, cultural, communication history, the contents of message could be interpreted differently.
- the functions of business and professional communication 1. Organizing tasks and people 2. Creating Identities 3. Sense-Making and Interpretation
- the interrelated parts of identity
Organizational persona—who we are perceived as within the organization(one’s position, status, rank years of service, or role in the company.)
Organizational Credibility—whether we do what we say we will do.(being a trustworthy, honest, responsible, fair, and ethical person in organization.)
Organizational savvy—a person’s ability to successfully negotiate political and social boundaries in an organization. (knowing whom to approach to get a job done. The ability to gain new resources from unexpected sources).
- organizational culture
Consists of the histories, habits, values and rules for conduct that make working in a particular organization feel unique
- strategic communication
Communication planned with specific audiences and intentions in mind
- CCCD format
Choose, Create, Coordinate, Delivery
- conscious-communication principles
Conscious communication is mindful—you take into consideration the needs and expectation of others, as well as contexts.
Conscious communication displays awareness of communication as process—ongoing process
Conscious communication respects diversity

Chapter 2
- be aware of historical and theoretical influences, as well as their vision for the workplace and important factors/components
- classical management and information transfer
Strictly vertical, top-down arrangement.
Organization by rank and status—hierarchy
Scientific management—management is a true science and should be governed by scientific principle and rules.
Creation of bureaucracy.
Information transfer model: message transfer form senders to receiver.

- human relations/resources and transactional process
Human relations movement viewed employees less as individual, replaceable machine parts and more as sources of group information and that could be developed through training and education.
Hawthorne studies: increased attention to the workers led to improved productivity.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: PhysiologicalSafetyLoveSelf-EsteemSelf-Actualization
Transactional process model: communication as vital to manager-employee relations.
- systems thinking and communication networks
Systems thinking combines holism and interdependence. It views an organization as a system of interconnected individuals and teams.
Communication networks: Formal chains of command and through established groups and teamwork. Informal or social patterns of routine interaction that are not prescribed or authorized by the organization in a formal way.
Two patterns helps message travel through organization.
- organizational cultures, communication, and power
Organizational cultures: unique identity
Communication is the process by which the culture is formed and transformed. (communication is the culture)
Power: the sources of influence derived by an individual within an organization.
- organizational narratives and dialogue
Organization constructs “organizational narratives” to re-create and retell the important events in its working lives.
Dialogue refers to an ongoing, open, and dynamic process in which individual communicators have a balanced chance to speak and to be heard, and in which each person makes a conscious effort to understand and empathize with the perspective, experiences, and positions of the other.
- requirements of mindful communication
Mindful communication is both purposeful and strategic
Requirements:
* Analyzing communication situations * Thinking actively about possible communication choices available to us * Adapting our message to inform, amuse, persuade, or otherwise influence our listener or audience * Evaluating the feedback
- the disciplines of a learning organization
Five disciplines * Systems thinking * Personal mastery * Mental models * Shared vision * Team learning

Chapter 3
- general communication outcomes
To inform
To persuade
To entertain
To build a relationship with listeners.
- purpose
A general statement that defines the primary goal for your message.
- thesis statement
A simple declarative sentence that (a) introduces your audience to your message (b) and announces your intentions.
- basic organizational patterns * Causal—offering a cause and effect * Problem-solution—stating a problem and a solution * Chronological—detailing the sequence of events * Topical—outlining the main ideas surrounding the problem or issue
- types of verbal supporting materials * Facts and statistics * Testimony * Examples * Narratives or personal stories
- the requirements of an effective introduction and conclusion
Introduction:
1. Gain the attentions from listeners 2. State a thesis 3. Preview the main points 4. Offer and inducement
Conclusion:
1. Review of main points 2. Restate thesis 3. Closing device
- fluency refers to the smooth or effortless articulation of a speech.
- naturalness refers to an easy, genuine manner of speaking.
- vivacity refers to the energy and enthusiasm used when speaking.
- nonverbal competence refers to the ability of a speaker : * Eye contact * Body movement * Incorporate visual aids

Chapter 8
- goals of most interviews
- different types of interviews
Interrogation—the most mindless, one-sided interview concentrates on negative aspects of a situation
Persuasive interviews—one-sided and can be manipulative
Performance reviews—a review or critique of an employee’s work and job performance. Designed to give feedback.
Information interviews or Focus Groups—group uses it to gather specific information.
Employment interviews
- job description

Chapter 9
- differences that stand out between mindless and mindful job seeking
- the benefits of job research
- types of resumes
- requirements for a good cover letter
- interview styles