Communication Management Issues - Assignment Example

mmuniсаtiоn Mаnаgеmеnt Name Course Instructor Date Question Responses A1 Examples of environmental cues in communication include color, light, signs and contrast. Environmental cues influence expectations for communication when they put a person in a situation that will trigger appropriate responses or behaviors, and by reducing distracting stimulations. Environmental cues also influence communication expectations by providing visual support in order for messages to be relayed and interpreted correctly (Sherwyn, Michael & Judy 2000, p. 14). A2 Yes the speaker has a responsibility to the audience and the audience has a responsibility to the speaker. The communicator’s responsibility involves being organized, clear, punctual and concise. In addition, the communicator has a responsibility to ensure that they have selected a topic that is appropriate to the audience, gathered adequate information to cover major points and organized the information logically. The audience has a responsibility to listen actively to the speaker and to be engaged in asking questions or making comments. The audience also has a responsibility to avoid causing distractions to the speaker. Being responsible ensures effective communication (Trenholm & Jensen 2013, p. 360). A3 Thought influences use of language in that the former determines ideas, which are then expressed in language. In effect, one cannot speak without thinking and therefore thought impacts strongly not only on the words used in communication but also how they are used as well as the accompanying non-verbal cues. For example, people cannot have words for things they have not thought about, meaning that words and language are conceived in thoughts. A4 Language affects the choice of words and expression people use to describe themselves and the environment around them, and hence their perceptions of self concept. If a particular language lacks enough vocabularies, its speakers will lack the necessary words to describe themselves. This causes the speakers to have poor self concept. For example, the Guugu Yimithirr language of Australia lacks words for egocentric direction (right, left, front and back) but uses geographic direction (west, east, north and south) in its place. For the speakers of this language, it can be difficult to describe self concept in terms of egocentric direction. A5 The news article (http://wapo.st/2c9GrT8) appeared in the Washington post recently. The article is about US presidential candidate Hilary Clinton’s sudden sickness which happened during a memorial service in New York. The article’s headline is written in a large catchy font size than the rest of the article and is limited to attention-grabbing, context key words. The rest of the article and main points have been supported by incorporating elements of clarity, consistency and relevance, which makes the article interesting and captivating. The rules of spelling and grammar have also been upheld. The conclusion is short, concise and reverts back to the main subject. A6 Double speak is the intentional use of words to disguise, distort, obscure or change the meaning of what is communicated. The use of doublespeak can be justifiable if it is meant to make the information palatable or avoid causing emotional and psychological distress to the audience. For example, the military may talk about ‘neutralizing the enemy’ to mean killing enemy troops. In this case, avoiding the word ‘kill’ hides the truth about human causalities (Trenholm & Jensen 2013, p. 361). A7 http://nmd.bg/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Summary-of-research-on-the-effects-of-corporal-punishment-April-2013.pdf Signposting mean using words and expression to tell readers about the content of an article and what to expect. The article in the above link uses small scale and large scale signposting to move its users from the beginning to the end. Expressions used for small scale signposting in this article include ‘however’ and ‘since then’. For large scale signposting, the article uses the following expressions: ‘this research illuminates how’, ‘It supports arguments that’, ‘one study found’, ‘studies suggest that’ and ‘in some studies’’. These sign postings have the effect of making the user to be aware of what to expect. A8 http://monkeyseamonkeydoo.com/why-should-you-care-about-parabens-in-shampoo-body-care-products/ The above article warns readers to be aware of health risks posed by dangerous chemicals found in body care products. The main terms that can be considered jargon in this article are parabens, fungi, bacteria, all natural and organic products, moisturizers, shampoos, lotions, allergic reactions, cosmetics, dermatitis and rosacea. In some cases the author has given the definition of these terms to enable readers understand their meanings. In other cases, no definitions have been given. However, most of these terms are easier to understand and there was no reason for their meanings to be explained. A9 Self concept influences an individual’s writing by lending insight into the person’s awareness and conscious. Being aware determines what an individual pays attention to and how to express intentions through writing, speech or body language. Awareness also determines the perspective one takes when writing or expressing ideas through any other medium. A person with poor self concept is likely to have a poor opinion of themselves and the world around them. This will in turn influence their writings negatively (Sherwyn, Michael & Judy 2000, p. 14). A10 A self-fulfilling prophesy is a situation where a person causes a situation to happen the way it is expected to happen. Psychology states that expectations about a situation can affect people’s behaviors in a manner that causes the expectations to be realized. This means that individuals involved in self fulfilling prophesies adopt behaviors that ultimately cause situations to unravel in expected and predictable ways. A11 People’s behaviors and thoughts are based on how they perceive the reality. Perception can be different from the reality itself and therefore it is possible for two people to perceive the same reality differently. These differences in perception can limit or expand people’s view. Therefore, it is possible for people to change how they perceive things. For example, developing a positive or negative attitude towards a certain situation can change how it is perceived. A12 The main benefit of people oriented listening is that the listener shows strong concern for the speakers and their feelings. On the negative side, the listener may not appreciate the content of the speaker’s message. The benefit of action oriented listening is that the listener gets to understand what the speaker wants. However, the listener may not understand the speaker’s description fully. Content-oriented listening enables the listener to understand the meaning of the message and whether it is factual. However, the listener fails to establish emotional connection with the speaker. The benefit of time oriented listening is that it allows a listener to pick content under situations of time constraint. However, the listener may become impatient with lengthy or slow deliveries (Trenholm & Jensen 2013, p. 361). A13 Psychological noise refers to the speaker’s prejudices, internal preoccupations and opinions which affect the ability to communicate effectively. Psychological noise impacts communication by impairing the ability of the brain to interpret messages correctly. Prejudices and internal preoccupations can be overcome by staying calm and avoiding any negative thoughts that can lead to bad judgment. A14 I would not send an email like the one in page 315 of the course text to my lecturer. This is because the email lacks proper salutation, subject lines and closing signature. Normative expectations for student-lecturer communications require that the student introduces himself clearly and focuses on the main point. At minimum, an email to my lecturer would include my name, registration number, course code, name and title of my lecturer, a subject for the email and closing signature. I learnt all these through my own research on effective communication. A15 In order for a message to be effective, it should be designed and delivered in a manner that is clear, impactful and relatable to the intended recipients or audience. The audience’s status in relation to the speaker, the discourse culture and prevailing stereotypes are some of the factors that determine the choice of words and use of language in communicating to different audiences. The example below shows how language and words differ when explaining the meaning of democracy to children and adults: i. For children: Democracy is a government chosen by the people. ii. For adults: Democracy is a system of government in which power and authority are vested in the people who rule directly or through a system of elected representatives. A16 Dear Ahmed, It is my pleasure to introduce a Sharia-friendly personal accident insurance cover that can help you and your family meet healthcare needs. Many Muslims have accepted this product and I am sure it will help your family live a stress-free live. Sincerely Dear Simeon, What if you are not there when your dependants need you most? Fortunately, our company offers an exclusive insurance cover that will provide your family with financial security. Sincerely The first letter above targets a potential client of Islamic culture by emphasizing the concept of Shari compliance, which is critical in Islamic transactions. The second targets an American family man and emphasizes the fact that financial insecurity is a major challenge in the US at the moment. A17 It is our pleasure to introduce you our latest innovative development, an anti-aging cream. This product has been tested at the government medical laboratories and is certified for sale to the public. It has also been used by volunteers from several countries, who gave satisfactory feedback. We thought that your body care clinic can be interested in this product. We have therefore enclosed a free sample of the cream for you to try it. A18 The product I would like to offer is an Inventory Management software. I would like to sell my product to Harvey Davidson Woolworths and Kmart. These companies sell retail products and groceries. They can use inventory management software to optimize movement of inventory along the supply chain to better meet business goals. The software can also help these companies to improve management of financial records. A19 A long resume is justified if specific information is required for the position one is applying for. This is especially the case for senior positions and those that need several years of experience. The same applies for technical resumes where the applicant has to give a compelling account of their qualifications. No matter the length, the resume should be concise and avoid superfluous information. A20 A speaker can prepare a speech for a diverse audience by learning how people from different cultural backgrounds receive and interpret information. For example, the speaker can inquire about appropriate signs and gestures to avoid offending the audience. The speaker can also determine whether proverbs and sayings are appropriate for different cultures. A21 Rhetorical situation refers to the circumstances under which information is communicated. It is necessary to consider the rhetorical situation so as to know the right arguments to make and what kind of explanations are needed. For example, considering the rhetorical situation in a court of law can help a speaker know what evidence to emphasize and which one to downplay. A22 I would analyze each target audience’s needs and perceptions regarding the issue of tattoos and then tailor my speech to resonate with them. For example, it is likely that most high school students are avid lovers of tattoos. Therefore, I will give a speech that reinforces their perceptions of tattoos. On the other, most college students are likely to be indifferent about this topic and therefore I will talk about how tattoos can ruin careers. A23 Organizing a presentation involves ethics because the speaker has to uphold high levels of integrity, trust, dignity and respect. Ethical consideration enables the speaker to avoid issues like damaging messages, vulgar language and stereotyping, which can elicit negative response from the audience. A24 http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm ‘I Have a Dream’ is a speech delivered by Martin Luther King Junior, an American civil rights activist. The speech has an introduction, a detailed body that explains key points and a conclusion with a call for action. The speech is succinct, clear and focuses on the object of contention. Although the speech is relatively long, it resonates well with the feelings of the audience, majority of whom were African Americans agitating for freedom. A25 The technology chosen for this question are mobile phones. The first outline is for a speech about benefits of mobile phones while the second outline is for a speech about dangers of mobile phones Outline 1: Benefits of mobile phones Extremely useful in emergency situations. Great utility for improving knowledge. Global communication and instant connectivity. Outline 2: dangers of mobile phones Negative healthy effects Addictive behaviors Mobile phone and driving The effect on the socialization skills References Sherwyn P, Michael M & Judy C 2000, ‘Why Communication is Important: A Rationale for the Centrality of the Study of Communication,’ Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, vol. 29, pp. 1-25. Trenholm, S & Jensen, A 2013, Interpersonal Communication Seventh Edition, New York: Oxford University Press. Read More