CHAPTER 1:

UNDERSTANDIN
G BUSINESS
COMMUNICATIO
N
Business Communication
10e, Newman
Understanding Business Communication

Verbal and
Components of
Nonverbal Barriers
Communication
to Communication

Criteria for
Potential Legal
Choosing
Consequences of
Communication
Communication
Media

Ethical
Communication

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Business Communication

Verbal and
Components of
Nonverbal Barriers
Communication
to Communication

Criteria for
Potential Legal
Choosing
Consequences of
Communication
Communication
Media

Ethical
Communication

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 Model of Communication

Encode Decode
Sender Message Channel Receiver
Feedback/Response

Environment

Barriers: Filters of the Mind

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Directions of Formal Communication
Downward Communication
Flow of information from managers to
their employees (people who report to
them)

Lateral (or Horizontal) Communication

Flow of information among peers
within an organization

Upward Communication
Flow of information from lower-level
employees to upper-level employees or
managers

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
The Informal Communication Network

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The Grapevine

“I’ve discovered that the less I say, the more rumors I start.”

- Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers hockey player

• Why do you think this may be true?

• As a manager, you can never stop the
grapevine, but how can you manage it and
learn from it?

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Business Communication

Verbal and
Components of
Nonverbal Barriers
Communication
to Communication

Criteria for
Potential Legal
Choosing
Consequences of
Communication
Communication
Media

Ethical
Communication

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
8
product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Verbal Communication Barriers

Inadequate
Differences in
Knowledge or
Interpretation
Vocabulary

Inappropriate
Language
Use of
Differences
Expressions

Overabstraction
Polarization
and Ambiguity

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
More Mistranslated Signs

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Nonverbal Communication Barriers

Inappropriate or Differences in
Conflicting Signals Perception

Inappropriate
Distractions
Emotions

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Aggresshop Retail Store
• What verbal and nonverbal communication
barriers do you identify in this scene?
• Do you find the sales associate too aggressive
or simply a good salesperson?

Click image to play the video

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Aggresshop Retail Store

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Business Communication

Verbal and
Components of
Nonverbal Barriers
Communication
to Communication

Criteria for
Potential Legal
Choosing
Consequences of
Communication
Communication
Media

Ethical
Communication

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Traditional Communication Channels

© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SPIFF Y J5
Written Communication
• Colorful brochures

• Financial statements

• Solicitation letters

• Complex reports

• Periodicals (magazines, journals, newspapers)

Oral Communication Examples

ROBERT DALY/JUPITER IMAGES

• One-on-one meetings

• Team meetings
• Conferences

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Technology-Based
Communication Channels

Email, Phone, Instant and Text

Social Media
Voice Mail Messaging

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Social Media Examples

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Communication Media Choices

Teleconferencing Brochure
Face-to-Face Phone Call Newsletter
Meeting Voice Message Flier
Blog
Videoconferencing Microblog IM

RICH LEAN

Online Meeting Report Text Message

In-Person Video Email
Oral Vlog
Presentation

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Choosing Communication Media
Relationship Considerations Logistical Considerations
• Length and complexity of
• New or existing
relationship? the message?
• Number and location of
• Good news or bad?
recipients?
• Feedback needed?
• Urgency of the message?
• Audience level and
• Probability of audience
preference?
understanding?
• Likely audience reaction?
• Access to technology?
• Confidential message?
• Documentation needed?

How do these factors affect the medium

you choose for your message?
© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Business Communication

Verbal and
Components of
Nonverbal Barriers
Communication
to Communication

Criteria for
Potential Legal
Choosing
Consequences of
Communication
Communication
Media

Ethical
Communication

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Avoid Legal Consequences

If you delete an email,

isn’t it gone forever?

• Avoid writing or saying anything that you would not like

to become public.
• Read your company’s social media policy carefully.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Business Communication

Verbal and
Components of
Nonverbal Barriers
Communication
to Communication

Criteria for
Potential Legal
Choosing
Consequences of
Communication
Communication
Media

Ethical
Communication

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
22
product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Types of Ethics

Professional Social Individual

Ethics Ethics Ethics

Defined by
Defined by Defined by a
an
society person
organization

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Ethical Decision Making
Is the action legal?

Does the action comply with your company’s

policies and guidelines?

Who will be affected by your decision and

how?

Does the action comply with company values?

How will you feel after the decision is known?

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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 NEWS STORIES AND
VIDEOS EXAMPLES

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Flair in Office Space
• What verbal and

RESERVED. COURTESY: EVERETT COLLECTION.

© 20TH CENTURY FOX FILM CORP. ALL RIGHTS
nonverbal
communication
barriers can you
identify in this scene?
• How could the manager communicate for
better results?
• How could the employee communicate
differently?

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Communication Media in
Up in the Air

In the movie Up in the Air, Natalie Keener

and Ryan Bingham debate using
videoconferencing to communicate layoffs.

• What are the advantages and

disadvantages of Natalie’s idea?
• If a company must lay people off, what
do you think is the best approach?

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain
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product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.