1、Business Communications,“Never look down on anybody unless youre helping him up.”- Jesse Jackson,Business Communications Class Announcements,We will make a seating chart today, so at the break, please sit where you would like to sit for the rest of the semester. Check out the course website.,Welcome
2、 to Business Communications,Week 2: Chapter 1 The Role of Communication in Business,1.1 - Business Communication Defined,A dynamic, multi-channeled process, which covers internal as well as external communication in a given organization.Some key words:dynamic (active)multi-channeledinternalexternal,
3、1.1 - Business Communication Defined,In other wordsBusiness Communication is how you communicate with everyone in your company, and how you communicate with people outside of your company.,1.2 The Organization & Its Structure,Organization :An administrative and functional structure (like a company o
4、r corporation), in which people are able to communicate with each other and are willing to make contributions to a common goal.,1.2 The Organization & Its Structure,Organization (simpler definition): “a structured group of people with a particular purpose”The larger the organization, the more compli
5、cated its structure will be.There must be a hierarchical differenceSomeone must be at the top. (Boss)Someone must be on the bottom and/or middle. (Employees),1.2 The Organization & Its Structure,THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES:1) On the basis of PRODUCT 2) On the basis of FUNCTION
6、 3) On the basis of REGION,1.2 The Organization & Its Structure,THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES:1) PRODUCT ORIENTATION:See Fig. 1.2 on page 3Advantage is that each department is independent.If there is a problem with one department, the others can continue working.,1.2 The Organiz
7、ation & Its Structure,THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES:2) FUNCTION ORIENTATION:See Fig. 1.3 on page 4Advantage is that people with same background and education work together.Easier to handle specific problems and create new ideas.,1.2 The Organization & Its Structure,THREE DIFFERE
8、NT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES:3) REGION ORIENTATION:See Fig 1.4 on page 4Advantage is that each department can be an expert for their geographic region.This can “backfire” if management doesnt fully understand the region.,1.2 The Organization & Its Structure,Why is it important to know a com
9、panys organizational structure?It is important because you need to know who to talk to in order to accomplish your goals!Business communication is all about RELATIONSHIPS!,ACTIVITY: Each group (4 or 5 people) will have a company. Discuss which way you would organize the company if you were the CEO.1
10、) On the basis of PRODUCT2) On the basis of FUNCTION3) On the basis of REGIONGive 2 reasons why you made your choice and give some examples of the divisions of your company. Do not use the same ideas from the book! Think about what your company does, and divide it practically.Example: Company: Gap (
11、Clothing Store) Organized on the basis of: Product Product Divisions: Mens Clothing, Womens Clothing, Childrens Clothing,Take a break! And choose your seat,1.3 Dynamic & Multi-Channeled Nature of Business Communication,Business Communication is DYNAMICIt is always changing with changing business and
12、 it never remains static.Everyday has new business activities, problems, and goals.Communication must adapt to these changes.,1.3 Dynamic & Multi-Channeled Nature of Business Communication,Business Communication is MULTI-CHANNELED. Employees communicate in different ways (multi-channeled) all the ti
13、me with people inside and outside their company. It is important to choose the BEST way to communicate depending on the situation.What is the best way to communicate with a company on the other side of the world?What is the best way to communicate with someone in your office?If you are stuck in traf
14、fic, what is the best way to tell your boss that you are going to be late for work?,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,Internal Communication communication that takes place inside a given organization3 TYPES OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION:1) DOWNWARD Communication 2) UPWARD Communication 3) HORIZONTAL Communicat
15、ion,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,1) DOWNWARD CommunicationCommunication that goes from the top to the bottom; from management to subordinates.Examples: 1. CEO Departments2. Manager Employee,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,DOWNWARD CommunicationOf the 3 types of communication, this plays the leading role an
16、d is most important.People at the top must pass down important information about the companys goals or vision.The manager must choose what kind of communication will work the best.Examples: newsletter, email, telephone, speech, or presentation,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,DOWNWARD CommunicationBecause
17、 the information comes from the top, DC is always authoritative and influential.It is important that DC is clear because it represents how employees see management.If it is unclear (like the telephone game), then problems will arise.,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,DOWNWARD CommunicationThough DC is for
18、managers to give information, DC is also important for the employee!Employees want to know what is going on at their company! Examples: They want to know the hours they have to work or how much job security they have.One example of DC is Management by Walking Around (MBWA). Another example is Manage
19、ment by Coaching.,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,DOWNWARD CommunicationDC can:Make employees feel included and respected; feel like part of the family or part of the team.Help employees not have doubts or believe false rumors.Give employees an opportunity to give feedback - their opinion or perspective
20、on something.,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,DOWNWARD CommunicationOpinion Questions: How would you most like to view your boss? as an authority figure (impersonal)? as a friend? as a coach?In which way do you think most Chinese bosses act in general?,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,2) UPWARD CommunicationCo
21、mmunication that goes from a lower level (subordinates) to a higher level (managers).Examples: 1) Mid-level Manager CEO 2) Ground-level Employee Manager,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,UPWARD CommunicationUpward Communication helps management check the correctness or appropriateness of their decisions.Th
22、is can be difficult because employees dont always TRUST their superiors, so they do not communicate freely.Management must create trust with their employees:Actions speak louder than words!,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,UPWARD CommunicationDiscussion Questions: Is Upward Communication common in Chinese
23、 companies? Can you think of any cultural factors that might influence how much UC there is in a company?,1.4 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION,3) HORIZONTAL CommunicationCommunication that takes place at the same level within an organizationExample: Same level employee Same level employeeIt is characterized b
24、y being fast and easy. (see Fig. 1.6 on page 12)This can be good or bad, so it should be positively guided by Management.,1.5 EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION,EXTERNAL Communication(EC) - communication between a person in an organization with a person not included in that particular organization. It is commun
25、ication OUTSIDE the company.For example, A company communicates with:- Customers (individuals and other companies)- Banks - Furniture store (for office desks, chairs, etc.),1.5 EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION,To manage EC, many companies will have a “Public Relations Department”PR Departments are good becaus
26、e:1) It is important to tell other companies about your company (advertising): Newspaper, Billboard, TV Commercials2) It is important to know what is happening in the world so that your company is prepared.Example: Disneyland prepared for an earthquake (pg. 13).Example: Clothing styles constantly ch
27、ange.,1.5 EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION,Advertising is a very important form of EC. It is very important for people to think your company is good.Some companies spend a lot of money on advertising to make sure that people are aware of the product and like it a lot! Example: American football Super Bowl com
28、mercials Companies often hire other companies to do the advertisingBUT, it is more important to have great products and services. If an advertisement says “call at any time”, the company must have someone ready to answer the phone any time.Customer satisfaction is a popular goal.,1.5 EXTERNAL COMMUN
29、ICATION,Advertisements are everywhere so everyone knows your companys product!,Analyzing Advertisements,We will view several TV commercials. We will ask these questions:- Does the commercial give us a good idea of what the product is? - What are the advertisers using to attract the attention of the
30、viewers?,HomeworkRead Chapter 2 in English.Write a paragraph of 5-7 sentences answering this question: How is nonverbal communication used in Chinese business relationships? Include some examples.I will collect this paper at the beginning of class next week.,1.6 Corporate Culture and IC,Corporate Cu
31、lture the established values, beliefs, and principles in a given organization that motivates them to achieve their goals.Corporate Culture can relate to:What a company considers valuableEthicsDegree of emphasis on Human ResourcesStyle of dressCorporate Culture greatly affects the Internal Communicat
32、ion of a company.Good management should be able to influence a strong corporate culture. (example: Yueshan-Phoenix on p. 16),1.7 Formal and Informal Communication,Internal and External Communication can both be divided up into “formal” and “informal” communication. Look at Fig. 1.7 on page 18.,1.7 F
33、ormal and Informal Communication,FORMAL CommunicationActivities like: speech, product presentation, business letter, etc.Does not always have to be long, might only be a few wordsSerious and exact, therefore, it calls for good preparation: anticipate questions, rebukes, salesWritten communication re
34、quires special tact (usually cannot defend yourself; takes longer to see reaction).,1.7 Formal and Informal Communication,FORMAL CommunicationWays to avoid problems with Formal Communication:If something is controversial, talk about it in a reserved, humble, and calm way. (“This is one possible idea
35、” vs. “Everyone must do this or else”)Use a persuasive tone, instead of giving information in a flat way. Employees feel better psychologically.Train others in communication skills.,1.7 Formal and Informal Communication,INFORMAL CommunicationKnown as the grapevine (also water cooler talk).,1.7 Forma
36、l and Informal Communication,INFORMAL CommunicationThe grapevine has the following characteristics:It is unpredictableIt goes across levelsIt uses Active Messengers (See Fig. 1.8)It is highly selectiveIt is very fast (message can be distorted, like in the telephone game),1.7 Formal and Informal Comm
37、unication,INFORMAL CommunicationThis can become gossip about the company decisions.When formal communication is weak, people will turn to the grapevine to get their information.Good management can curb this by being honest and open, thus eliminating the need to gossip about company issues.Externally
38、 this may be positive, because the more people talk about your products the more they are advertised.,Communication in the workplace,We are going to watch a scene from the movie, “Hitch”, in order to show a style of business communication in the workplace. In this scene, the company is having a meet
39、ing with a customer / client to discuss her finances. As you watch, pay attention to the role of the boss and the other workers, and watch how the customer feels about the situation.,Responding to the movie,What did you notice about the interaction between the boss and everyone else in the room? How does the customer (the woman) feel about this meeting? How does Albert change the situation? Do you think Albert did the right thing? Would you have done it differently?,
