Ethical Dilemma vs. Ethical Lapse

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1 Professional Communication in a Digital, Social, Mobile World LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P7001012451000000000000000001088) Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work.

2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010D8) Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context.

3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P7001012451000000000000000001167) Describe the communication process model and the ways social media are changing the nature of business communication.

4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001219#P700101245100000000000000000121D) Outline the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication in business.

5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001270#P7001012451000000000000000001274) List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively.

6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P7001012451000000000000000001395) De�ine ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices.

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COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT JetBlue twitter.com/jetblue (http://twitter.com/jetblue)

If you have ever worked in retail, customer service, or a similar job, you know what a challenge it can be to make sure each customer has a great experience with your company. Imagine the challenge of keeping 35 million customers happy. That’s how many passengers JetBlue carries every year —an average of roughly 95,000 customers per day.

As a relatively new airline, taking its �irst �light in 2000, JetBlue has always tried to differentiate itself from the older carriers in the business. A great example is its pioneering use of Twitter as a customer service platform. JetBlue joined Twitter in 2007, only a year after the microblogging service launched and well before most companies were aware of its potential for business communication. The company views its website as the central hub of its online presence, but social media (the company is quite active on Facebook as well, with over a million likes) provide a vital connection between customers and the website. In fact, digital communication of all forms is so important that the company considers itself a digital brand.

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JetBlue’s use of social media for customer support coincides perfectly with air travelers’ use of mobile devices.

© AR Images/Alamy Stock Photo

The airline was also one of the �irst companies to truly get the social part of social media—that Twitter and other systems were about more than just pushing information outward. Morgan Johnstone, the JetBlue communications staffer who got the company started on Twitter, recognized early on the power of listening via social media. He wanted to hear what people were saying about the company, whether it was plea for help during travel, a compliment for a company employee, or even an unpleasant criticism. This interaction became so valuable to the company that it now has more than two dozen Twitter agents all ready to interact in real time with the 2 million travelers who follow the company. They answer questions, resolve problems and complaints, and even rebook �lights on the spot if needed. (When a customer needs speci�ic help, JetBlue’s Twitter team usually takes the conversation private via direct messaging, and its Twitter homepage now encourages customer with service issues to phone or email for help.)

For a company that is all about moving people from point A to point B, it’s no surprise that mobile communication has become an essential part of JetBlue’s connection with its customers. Customers who ask for help or who post complaints on Twitter often do so via their mobile devices, whether they’re on their way to catch a �light, stuck in an airport trying to rebook on a different �light, or even on board an aircraft waiting to take off. Mobile is now a core element in the company’s communication strategy, with a mobile-friendly website and JetBlue smartphone apps. However the company innovates as it moves forward, its focus will be on using digital, social, and mobile communication to make sure customers have the best possible experience.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000156C)

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1.1 Understanding Why Communication Matters LEARNING OBJECTIVE

1 Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work. Whether it’s as simple as a smile or as ambitious as JetBlue’s social media program (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up), communication (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001441) is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers, using one or more media and communication channels. The essence of communication is sharing—providing data, information, insights, and inspiration in an exchange that bene�its both you and the people with whom you are communicating.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000156E) As Figure 1.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P700101245100000000000000000108F) indicates, this sharing can happen in a variety of ways, including simple and successful transfers of information, negotiations in which the sender and receiver arrive at an agreed-on meaning, and unsuccessful attempts in which the receiver creates a different message than the one the sender intended.

Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers.

You will invest a lot of time and energy in this course developing your communication skills, so it’s fair to ask whether the effort will be worthwhile. This section outlines the many ways in which good communication skills are critical for your career and for any company you join.

COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR CAREER

Ambition and great ideas aren’t enough; you need to be able to communicate with people to succeed in business.

Improving your communication skills may be the single most important step you can take in your career. You can have the greatest ideas in the world, but they’re no good to your company or your career if you can’t express them clearly and persuasively. Some jobs, such as sales and customer support, are primarily about communicating. In �ields such as engineering or �inance, you often need to share complex ideas with executives, customers, and colleagues, and your ability to connect with people outside your �ield can be as important as your technical expertise. If you have the entrepreneurial urge, you will need to communicate with a wide range of audiences—from investors, bankers, and government regulators to employees, customers, and business partners.

The changing nature of employment is putting new pressure on communication skills, too. Many companies now supplement their permanent workforces with independent contractors who are brought on for a short period or even just a single project. Chances are you will spend some of your career as one of these freelancers, working without the support network that an established company environment provides. You will have to “sell yourself” into each new contract, communicate successfully in a wide range of work situations, and take full responsibility for your career growth and success.

If you launch a company or move into an executive role in an existing organization, you can expect communication to consume the majority of your time. Top executives spend most of their workdays communicating, and businesspeople who can’t communicate well don’t stand much chance of reaching the top.

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Figure 1.1 Sharing Information

These three exchanges between a software project manager (left) and his boss (right) illustrate the variety of ways in which information is shared between senders and receivers. In the top exchange, the sender’s meaning is transmitted intact to the receiver, who accepts what the sender says at face value. In the middle exchange, the sender and receiver negotiate the meaning by discussing the situation. The negotiated meaning is that everything is �ine so far, but the risk of a schedule slip is now higher than it was before. In the bottom exchange, the receiver has a negative emotional reaction to the word think and as a result creates her own meaning—that everything probably is not �ine, despite what the sender says.

In fact, improving your communication skills may be the single most important step you can take in your career. The world is full of good marketing strategists, good accountants, good engineers, and good attorneys—but it is not full of good communicators. View this as an opportunity to stand out from your competition in the job market.

Strong communication skills give you an advantage in the job market.

Employers sometimes express frustration at the poor communication skills of many employees—particularly recent college graduates who haven’t yet learned how to adapt their communication styles to a professional business environment.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001570) If you learn to write well, speak well, listen well, and recognize the appropriate way to communicate in any situation, you’ll gain a major advantage that will serve you throughout your career.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001572)

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COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR COMPANY

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Aside from the personal bene�its, communication should be important to you because it is important to your company. Effective communication helps businesses in numerous ways, by promoting5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001574)

Effective communication yields numerous business bene�its.

A stronger sense of trust between individuals and organizations Closer ties with important communities in the marketplace Opportunities to in�luence conversations, perceptions, and trends Increased productivity and faster problem solving Better �inancial results and higher return for investors Earlier warning of potential problems, from increasing business costs to critical safety issues Stronger decision making based on timely, reliable information Clearer and more persuasive marketing messages Greater employee engagement with their work, leading to higher employee satisfaction and lower employee turnover

WHAT MAKES BUSINESS COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVE? Effective communication strengthens the connections between a company and all of its stakeholders (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000014A9) —those groups affected in some way by the company’s actions: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbors, the community, the nation, and the world as a whole.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001576) To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, focus on making them practical, factual, concise, clear, and persuasive:

Effective messages are practical, factual, concise, clear, and persuasive.

Provide practical information. Give recipients useful information, whether it’s to help them perform a desired action or understand a new company policy. Give facts rather than vague impressions. Use concrete language, speci�ic detail, and information that is clear, convincing, accurate, and ethical. Even when an opinion is called for, present compelling evidence to support your conclusion. Present information in a concise, ef�icient manner. Concise messages show respect for people’s time, and they increase the chances of a positive response. Do your best to simplify complex subjects to help your readers, and make sure you don’t inadvertently complicate simple subjects through careless writing.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001578) The ability to explain a complex subject in simple terms is immensely valuable, whether you’re training new employees or pitching a business plan to investors. Clarify expectations and responsibilities. Craft messages to generate a speci�ic response from a speci�ic audience. When appropriate, clearly state what you expect from audience members or what you can do for them. Offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations. Show your readers precisely how they will bene�it by responding to your message in the way you want them to.

Keep these �ive important characteristics in mind as you compare the ineffective and effective versions of the message in Figure 1.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010E0) .

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1.2 Communicating as a Professional LEARNING OBJECTIVE

2 Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context. You’ve been communicating your entire life, of course, but if you don’t have a lot of work experience yet, meeting the expectations of a professional environment might require some adjustment. A good place to start is to consider what it means to be a professional. Professionalism (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000149D) is the quality of performing at a high level and conducting oneself with purpose and pride. It means doing more than putting in the hours and collecting a paycheck: True professionals go beyond minimum expectations and commit to making meaningful contributions. Professionalism can be broken down into six distinct traits: striving to excel, being dependable and accountable, being a team player, demonstrating a sense of etiquette, making ethical decisions, and maintaining a positive outlook (see Figure 1.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P700101245100000000000000000110C) on page 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#page_8) ).

Communication is an essential part of being a successful professional.

A key message to glean from Figure 1.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P700101245100000000000000000110C) is how much these elements of professionalism depend on effective communication. For example, to be a team player, you have to be able to collaborate, resolve con�licts, and interact with a wide variety of personalities. Without strong communication skills, you won’t be able to perform to your potential, and others won’t recognize you as the professional you’d like to be.

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Figure 1.2 Effective Professional Communication

At �irst glance, the top email message here looks like a reasonable attempt at communicating with the members of a project team. However, compare it with the bottom version by referencing the notes lettered (a) through (h) to see just how many problems the original message really has.

Figure 1.3 Elements of Professionalism

To be respected as a true professional, develop these six qualities.

This section offers a brief look at the skills employers will expect you to have, the nature of communication in an organizational environment, and the importance of adopting an audience-centered approach.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT EMPLOYERS EXPECT FROM YOU Today’s employers expect you to be competent at a wide range of communication tasks. Fortunately, the skills employers expect from you are the same skills that will help you advance in your career:8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000157A)

Employers expect you to possess a wide range of communication skills.

Recognizing information needs, using ef�icient search techniques to locate reliable sources of information (particularly from online sources), and using gathered information ethically; this collection of skills is often referred to as digital information �luency9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000157C) Organizing ideas and information logically and completely Expressing ideas and information coherently, persuasively, and concisely Actively listening to others Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences Using communication technologies effectively and ef�iciently Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality writing and speaking

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Communicating in a civilized manner that re�lects contemporary expectations of business etiquette, even when dealing with indifferent or hostile audiences Communicating ethically, even when choices aren’t crystal clear or you have to share news that people don’t want to hear Managing your time wisely and using resources ef�iciently Using critical thinking (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001459) , which is the ability to evaluate evidence completely and objectively in order to form logical conclusions and make sound recommendations

You’ll have the opportunity to practice these skills throughout this course, but don’t stop there. Successful professionals continue to hone communication skills throughout their careers.

COMMUNICATING IN AN ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT In addition to having the proper skills, you need to learn how to apply those skills in the business environment, which can be quite different from the social and scholastic environments you are accustomed to. Every organization has a formal communication network (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001485) , in which ideas and information �low along the lines of command (the hierarchical levels) in the company’s organization structure (see Figure 1.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P7001012451000000000000000001148) ). Throughout the formal network, information �lows in three directions. Downward communication �lows from executives to employees, conveying executive decisions and providing information that helps employees do their jobs. Upward communication �lows from employees to executives, providing insight into problems, trends, opportunities, grievances, and performance, thus allowing executives to solve problems and make intelligent decisions. Horizontal communication �lows between departments to help employees share information, coordinate tasks, and solve complex problems.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000157E)

A company’s formal communication network mirrors its organizational structure.

Every organization also has an informal communication network (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001489) , often referred to as the grapevine or the rumor mill, which encompasses all communication that occurs outside the formal network. Some of this informal communication takes place naturally as a result of employee interaction on the job and in social settings, and some of it takes place when the formal network doesn’t provide information that employees want. In fact, the inherent limitations of formal communication networks helped spur the growth of social media in the business environment.

ADOPTING AN AUDIENCE-CENTERED APPROACH

An audience-centered approach involves understanding, respecting, and meeting the needs of your audience members.

Figure 1.4 Formal Communication Network

The formal communication network is de�ined by the relationships between the various job positions in the organization. Messages can �low upward (from a lower-level employee to a higher-level employee), downward (from a higher-level employee to a lower-level employee), and horizontally (between employees at the same or similar levels across the organization).

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An audience-centered approach (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001439) involves understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a way that is meaningful to them. This approach is also known as adopting the “you” attitude (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000014B1) , in contrast to messages that are about “me.” Learn as much as possible about the biases, education, age, status, style, and personal and professional concerns of your receivers. If you’re addressing people you don’t know and you’re unable to �ind out more about them, try to project yourself into their position by using common sense and imagination. This ability to relate to the needs of others is a key part of emotional intelligence, a combination of emotional and social skills that is widely considered to be a vital characteristic of successful managers and leaders.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001580) The more you know about the people you’re communicating with, the easier it is to concentrate on their needs—which, in turn, makes it easier for them to hear your message, understand it, and respond positively.

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Etiquette, the expected norms of behavior in a particular situation, can have a profound in�luence on your company’s success and your career.

A vital element of audience-centered communication is etiquette (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000147D) , the expected norms of behavior in any particular situation. In today’s hectic, competitive world, etiquette might seem a quaint and outdated notion. However, the way you conduct yourself and interact with others can have a profound in�luence on your company’s success and your career. When executives hire and promote you, they expect your behavior to protect the company’s reputation. The more you understand such expectations, the better chance you have of avoiding career-damaging mistakes. The principles of etiquette discussed in Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000015f4#P70010124510000000000000000015F4) will help you communicate with an audience-centered approach in a variety of business settings.

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1.3 Exploring the Communication Process LEARNING OBJECTIVE

3 Describe the communication process model and the ways social media are changing the nature of business communication. Even with the best intentions, communication efforts can fail. Messages can get lost or simply ignored. The receiver of a message can interpret it in ways the sender never imagined. In fact, two people receiving the same information can reach different conclusions about what it means.

Viewing communication as a process helps you identify steps you can take to improve your success as a communicator.

Fortunately, by understanding communication as a process with distinct steps, you can improve the odds that your messages will reach their intended audiences and produce their intended effects. This section explores the communication process in two stages: �irst by following a message from one sender to one receiver in the basic communication model and then by expanding on that approach with multiple messages and participants in the social communication model.

THE BASIC COMMUNICATION MODEL By viewing communication as a process (Figure 1.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P7001012451000000000000000001171) ), you can identify and improve the skills you need to be more successful. Many variations on this process model exist, but these eight steps provide a practical overview:

Figure 1.5 The Basic Communication Process

This eight-step model is a simpli�ied view of how communication works in real life; understanding this basic model is vital to improving your communication skills.

The sender has an idea. Whether a communication effort will ultimately be effective starts right here and depends on the nature of the idea and the motivation for sending it. For example, if your motivation is to offer a solution to a problem, you have a better chance of crafting a meaningful message than if your motivation is merely to complain about a problem. The sender encodes the idea as a message. When someone puts an idea into a message (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001495) —which you can think of as the “container” for an idea—he or she is encoding (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001465) it, or expressing it in words or images. Much of the focus of this course is on developing the skills needed to successfully encode your ideas into effective messages.

The medium is the form a message takes, whereas the channel is the system used to deliver the message.

The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium. With the appropriate message to express an idea, the sender now needs a communication medium (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000144D) to present that message to the intended audience. To update your boss on the status of a project, for instance, you might have a dozen or more media choices, from a phone call to an instant message to a slideshow presentation. The sender transmits the message through a channel. Just as technology continues to increase the number of media options at your disposal, it continues to provide new communication channels (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001449) you can use to transmit your messages. The distinction between medium and channel can get a bit murky, but think of the medium as the form a message takes (such as a Twitter update) and the channel as the system used to deliver the message (such as a mobile phone).

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The audience receives the message. If the channel functions properly, the message reaches its intended audience. However, mere arrival at the destination is no guarantee that the message will be noticed or understood correctly. As “How Audiences Receive Messages” (page 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#page_12) ) explains, many messages are either ignored or misinterpreted as noise. The audience decodes the message. After a message is received, the receiver needs to extract the idea from the message, a step known as decoding (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000145D) . “How Audiences Decode Messages” (page 13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#page_13) ) takes a closer look at this complex and subtle step in the process. The audience responds to the message. By crafting messages in ways that show the bene�its of responding, senders can increase the chances that recipients will respond in positive ways. However, as “How Audiences Respond to Messages” (page 14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#page_14) ) points out, whether a receiver responds as the sender hopes depends on the receiver (1) remembering the message long enough to act on it, (2) being able to act on it, and (3) being motivated to respond. The audience provides feedback to the sender. In addition to responding (or not responding) to the message, audience members may give feedback (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001481) that helps the sender evaluate the effectiveness of the communication effort. Feedback can be verbal (using written or spoken words), nonverbal (using gestures, facial expressions, or other signals), or both. Just like the original message, however, this feedback from the receiver also needs to be decoded carefully. A smile, for example, can have many meanings.

Considering the complexity of this process—and the barriers and distractions that often stand between sender and receiver—it should come as no surprise that communication efforts often fail to achieve the sender’s objective. Fortunately, the better you understand the process, the more successful you’ll be.

The following sections take a closer look at two important aspects of the process: environmental barriers that can block or distort messages and the steps audiences take to receive, decode, and respond to messages.

Barriers in the Communication Environment

Within any communication environment, messages can be disrupted by a variety of communication barriers (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001445) . These barriers include noise and distractions, competing messages, �ilters, and channel breakdowns:

A number of barriers can block or distort messages before they reach the intended audience.

Noise and distractions. External distractions range from uncomfortable meeting rooms to computer screens cluttered with instant messages and reminders popping up all over the place. Internal distractions are thoughts and emotions that prevent audiences from focusing on incoming messages. The common habit of multitasking—attempting more than one task at a time—is practically guaranteed to create communication distractions. Multitasking dramatically increases the workload on your brain because you’re forcing it to constantly switch between sets of rules and contexts, which requires it to reorient each time.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001582)

Rather than getting more done, research shows that chronic multitasking often reduces productivity and increases errors.13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001584) As more communication takes place on mobile devices, the need to insulate yourself from noise and distractions will keep growing. Competing messages. Having your audience’s undivided attention is a rare luxury. In most cases you must compete with other messages that are trying to reach your audience at the same time. Filters. Messages can be blocked or distorted by �ilters, any human or technological interventions between the sender and the receiver. Filtering can be both intentional (such as automatically �iling incoming messages based on sender or content) or unintentional (such as an overly aggressive spam �ilter that deletes legitimate emails). As mentioned previously, the structure and culture of an organization can also inhibit the �low of vital messages. And in some cases the people or companies you rely on to deliver your message can distort it or �ilter it to meet their own needs. Channel breakdowns. Sometimes the channel simply breaks down and fails to deliver your message. A colleague you were counting on to deliver a message to your boss might have forgotten to do so, or a computer server might have crashed and prevented your blog from updating.

Minimizing barriers and distractions in the communication environment is everyone’s responsibility.

Everyone in an organization can help minimize barriers and distractions. As a communicator, try to be aware of any barriers that could prevent your messages from reaching their intended audiences. As a manager, keep an eye out for any organizational barriers that could be inhibiting the �low of information. A small dose of common sense and courtesy goes a long way in any situation. Silence your phone before you step into a meeting. Don’t talk across the tops of other people’s cubicles. Be sensitive to volume when you’re listening to music or podcasts or watching videos; even if you’re wearing headphones, audio that leaks into your colleagues’ spaces can disrupt their work�low and concentration.

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Finally, take steps to insulate yourself from distractions. Don’t let messages interrupt you every minute of the day. Instead, set aside time to attend to messages all at once so that you can focus the rest of the time. If the environment is noisy or busy, �ind ways to block out distractions, such as wearing noise-canceling headphones.

Inside the Mind of Your Audience

After a message works its way through the communication channel and reaches the intended audience, it encounters a whole new set of challenges. Understanding how audiences receive, decode, and respond to messages will help you create more effective messages.

How Audiences Receive Messages

For an audience member to receive a message, three events need to occur: The receiver has to sense the presence of a message, select it from all the other messages clamoring for attention, and perceive it as an actual message (as opposed to random, pointless noise).14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001586) You can appreciate the magnitude of this challenge by driving down any busy street in a commercial section of town. You’ll encounter hundreds of messages— billboards, posters, store window displays, car stereos, pedestrians waving or talking on mobile phones, car horns, street signs, traf�ic lights, and so on. However, you’ll sense, select, and perceive only a small fraction of these messages.

To truly receive a message, audience members need to sense it, select it, then perceive it as a message.

Today’s business audiences are much like drivers on busy streets. They are inundated with so many messages and so much noise that they can miss or ignore many of the messages intended for them. Through this course, you will learn a variety of techniques to craft messages that get noticed. In general, follow these �ive principles to increase your chances of success:

To improve the odds that your messages will be successfully perceived by your audience, pay close attention to expectations, ease of use, familiarity, empathy, and technical compatibility.

Consider audience expectations. Deliver messages using the media and channels that the audience expects. If colleagues expect meeting notices to be delivered by email, don’t suddenly switch gears and start delivering the notices via blog postings without telling anyone. Of course, sometimes going against expectations can stimulate audience attention, which is why advertisers sometimes do wacky and creative things to get noticed. For most business communication efforts, however, following the expectations of your audience is the most ef�icient way to get your message across. Ensure ease of use. Even if audiences are actively looking for your messages, they probably won’t see them if you make them hard to �ind, hard to navigate, or hard to read. Emphasize familiarity. Use words, images, and designs that are familiar to your audience. For example, most visitors to company websites expect to see information about the company on a page called “About” or “About Us.” Practice empathy. Make sure your messages speak to the audience by clearly addressing their wants and needs—not yours. People are inclined to notice messages that relate to their individual concerns.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001588) Design for compatibility. For the many messages delivered electronically these days, be sure to verify technological compatibility with your audience. For instance, if your website requires visitors to have a particular video capability in their browsers, you won’t reach those audience members who don’t have that software installed or updated.

How Audiences Decode Messages

A received message doesn’t “mean” anything until the recipient decodes it and assigns meaning to it, and there is no guarantee the receiver will assign the same meaning the sender intended. Even well-crafted, well-intentioned communication efforts can fail at this stage because assigning meaning through decoding is a highly personal process that is in�luenced by culture, individual experience, learning and thinking styles, hopes, fears, and even temporary moods. Moreover, audiences tend to extract the meaning they expect to get from a message, even if it’s the opposite of what the sender intended.16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000158A) In fact, rather than “extract” your meaning, it’s more accurate to say that your audience members re-create their own meaning—or meanings—from the message.

Decoding is a complex process; receivers often extract different meanings from messages than senders attempt to encode in them.

Cultural and personal beliefs and biases in�luence the meaning audiences get from messages. For instance, the human brain organizes incoming sensations into a mental “map” that represents the person’s individual perception (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001499) of reality. If an incoming detail doesn’t �it into that perception, a message recipient may simply distort the information to make it �it rather than rearrange his or her mental map—a phenomenon known as selective perception (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000014A1) .17

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(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000158C) For example, an executive who has staked her reputation on a particular business strategy might distort or ignore evidence that suggests the strategy is failing.

Selective perception occurs when people ignore or distort incoming information to �it their preconceived notions of reality.

Differences in language and usage also in�luence received meaning. If you ask an employee to send you a report on sales �igures “as soon as possible,” does that mean within 10 seconds, 10 minutes, or 10 days? By clarifying expectations and resolving potential ambiguities in your messages, you can minimize such uncertainties. In general, the more experiences you share with another person, the more likely you are to share perception and thus share meaning (see Figure 1.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P70010124510000000000000000011DB) ).

Individual thinking styles are another important factor in message decoding. For example, someone who places a high value on objective analysis and clear logic might interpret a message differently than someone who values emotion or intuition (reaching conclusions without using rational processes).

Figure 1.6 How Shared Experience Affects Understanding

The more two people or two groups of people share experiences—personal, professional, and cultural—the more likely it is that receivers will extract the intended meanings senders encode into the messages.

How Audiences Respond to Messages

Your message has been delivered, received, and correctly decoded. Now what? Will audience members respond in the way you’d like them to? Only if three events occur.

Audiences will likely respond to a message if they remember it, if they’re able to respond, and if they’re properly motivated to do so.

First, the recipient has to remember the message long enough to act on it. Simplifying greatly, memory works in several stages: Sensory memory momentarily captures incoming data from the senses; then, whatever the recipient pays attention to is transferred to short-term memory. Information in short-term memory quickly disappears if it isn’t transferred to long-term memory, which can be done either actively (such as when a person memorizes a list of items) or passively (such as when a new piece of information connects with something else the recipient already has stored in long-term memory). Finally, the information needs to be retrieved when the recipient wants to act on it.18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000158E) In general, people �ind it easier to remember and retrieve information that is important to them personally or professionally. Consequently, by communicating in ways that are sensitive to your audience’s wants and needs, you greatly increase the chance that your messages will be remembered and retrieved.

Second, the recipient has to be able to respond as you wish. Obviously, if recipients simply cannot do what you want them to do, they will not respond according to your plan. By understanding your audience (you’ll learn more about audience analysis in Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001f59#P7001012451000000000000000001F59) ), you can work to minimize these unsuccessful outcomes.

By explaining how audiences will bene�it by responding positively to your messages, you’ll increase their motivation to respond.

Third, the recipient has to be motivated to respond. You’ll encounter many situations in which your audience has the option of responding but isn’t required to. For instance, a record company may or may not offer your band a contract, or your boss may or may not respond to your request for a raise. Throughout this course, you’ll learn techniques for crafting messages that can help motivate readers to respond positively to your messages.

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The Internet of Things

See how the IoT is reshaping numerous business processes, including business communication. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

THE FUTURE OF COMMUNICATION

The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the billions of devices now connected to the Internet and the networking potential of having all these gadgets communicate with each other, feed data into vast information warehouses, and interact with people and the physical environment. These “things” range from simple sensors that measure temperature, location, and other parameters all the way up to robots and other complex systems. People and animals with Internet-capable sensors (such as implanted chips) or devices also qualify as things in this model.

Imagine you walk into a department store and your mobile phone automatically gives you directions to the aisle where you could �ind the clothing styles you have recently been browsing online or discussing in social media. When you reach that aisle and start browsing, a coupon pops up on your phone, offering discounts on the speci�ic items you’re considering. When you pull a garment off the rack, the store’s customer database checks other purchases you’ve made and suggests which items you already own that coordinate with this piece. If you could use an accessory to complete the out�it, the store’s computers can tell your phone just where to take you. And if you need more advice, you can text or talk—and possibly not know whether you’re conversing with a store employee or an automated chatbot on a computer somewhere.

Now imagine this simple concept expanded and applied in various ways to industrial facilities, agriculture, transportation, buildings, health care, and other systems. By relying on networked IoT devices for such communication functions as observing, measuring, and reporting, these enhanced systems can supplement or replace communication �lows that were previously carried out by human participants.

IoT is poised to reshape many business processes on a scale that some experts compare to the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. It also seems likely to in�luence business communication as it takes over some routine tasks and brings the power of smart networking and computing to others. Basic communication skills will remain as essential as ever, but don’t be surprised if some of the conversations you have in the future aren’t with your fellow humans.

WHAT’S YOUR PREDICTION?

Research the current state of IoT innovation to identify one way in which the technology has the potential to change business communication practices, such as automated report writing or conversational bots that mimic human speech or writing. Do you agree with the predictions the experts make? Why or why not?

Sources: Stacey Higginbotham, “IBM Is Bringing in Watson to Conquer the Internet of Things,” Fortune, 15 December 2015, fortune.com (http://fortune.com) ; Jacques Bughin, Michael Chui, and James Manyika, “An Executive’s Guide to the Internet of Things,” McKinsey Quarterly, August 2015, www.mckinsey.com (http://www.mckinsey.com) ; Cora Cloud, “Internet of Things (IOT) Role in Business Communications,” Digium, 9 April 2015, blogs.digium.com (http://blogs.digium.com) ; Danial Burrus, “The Internet of Things Is Far Bigger Than Anyone Realizes,” Wired, accessed 3 March 2016, www.wired.com (http://www.wired.com) .

THE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION MODEL The basic model presented in Figure 1.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P7001012451000000000000000001171) illustrates how a single idea moves from one sender to one receiver. In a larger sense, it also helps represent the traditional nature of much business communication, which was primarily de�ined by a publishing or broadcasting mindset. For external communication, a company issued carefully scripted messages to a mass audience that didn’t have many options for responding to those messages or initiating messages of their own. Customers and other interested parties had few ways to connect with one another to ask questions, share information, or offer support. Internal communication tended to follow the same “we talk, you listen” model, with upper managers issuing directives to lower-level supervisors and employees.

The conversational and interactive social communication model is revolutionizing business communication.

In recent years, however, a variety of technologies have enabled and inspired a new approach to business communication. In contrast to the publishing mindset, this social communication model (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000014A5) is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. Audience members are no longer passive recipients of messages but active participants in a conversation. Social media have given customers and other stakeholders a voice they did not have in the past. And businesses are listening to that voice. In fact, one of the most common uses of social media among U.S. businesses is monitoring online discussions about a company

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and its brands.19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001590)

The social communication model can increase the speed of communication, reduce costs, improve access to expertise, and boost employee satisfaction.

Instead of transmitting a �ixed message, a sender in a social media environment initiates a conversation by asking a question or sharing valuable information. Information shared this way is often revised and reshaped by the web of participants as they forward it and comment on it. People can add to it or take pieces from it, depending on their needs and interests. Figure 1.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P700101245100000000000000000120B) lists some of the signi�icant differences between the traditional and social models of business communication.

Figure 1.7 The Social Communication Model

The social communication model differs from conventional communication strategies and practices in a number of signi�icant ways. You’re probably already an accomplished user of many new-media tools, and this experience will help you on the job.

For all their advantages, social media tools also present a number of communication challenges.

The social communication model offers many advantages, but it has a number of disadvantages as well. Potential problems include information overload, a lower level of engagement with tasks and other people, fragmented attention, information security risks, reduced productivity, and the dif�iculty of maintaining a healthy boundary between personal and professional lives.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001592) All business professionals and managers need to choose and use digital tools wisely to control the �low of information they receive.

Of course, no company, no matter how enthusiastically it embraces the social communication model, is going to be run as a club in which everyone has a say in every business matter. Instead, a hybrid approach is emerging in which some communications (such as strategic plans and policy documents) follow the traditional approach, whereas others (such as project management updates and customer support messages) follow the social model.

You can learn more about business uses of social media in Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003454#P7001012451000000000000000003454) .

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1.4 The Mobile Revolution LEARNING OBJECTIVE

4 Outline the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication in business. As much of a game changer as social media have been, some experts predict that mobile communication will change the nature of business and business communication even more. The venture capitalist Joe Schoendorf says that “mobile is the most disruptive technology that I have seen in 48 years in Silicon Valley.”21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001594) The researcher Maribel Lopez calls mobile “the biggest technology shift since the Internet.”22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001596)

Companies recognize the value of integrating mobile technology, from communication platforms to banking to retail. Mobile apps and communication systems can boost employee productivity, help companies form closer relationships with customers and business partners, and spur innovation in products and services (see Figure 1.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001219#P7001012451000000000000000001222) ). Given the advantages and the rising expectations of employees and customers, �irms on the leading edge of the mobile revolution are working to integrate mobile technology throughout their organizations.23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001598)

This section offers a high-level view of the mobile revolution, and you’ll see coverage of speci�ic topics integrated throughout the book—everything from collaborative writing and research to presentations and job search strategies.

Figure 1.8 Mobile Communication Tools

Mobile technologies offer multiple ways to improve communication and other key business processes. For example, note-taking apps such as Note Taker HD offer an easy and unobtrusive way to take notes during meetings, site visits, and other business functions.

Software Garden

THE RISE OF MOBILE AS A COMMUNICATION PLATFORM Whether it’s emailing, social networking, watching videos, or doing research, the percentage of communication and media consumption performed on mobile devices continues to grow. For millions of people around the world, a mobile device is their primary way, if not their only way, to access the Internet. Globally, more than 80 percent of Internet users access the web with a mobile device at least some of the time.24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000159B)

Mobile devices are rapidly taking over as the primary communication platform for many business professionals.

Mobile has become the primary communication tool for many business professionals, including a majority of executives under age 40.25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000159D) Email and web browsing rank �irst and second in terms of the most common nonvoice uses of smartphones, and more email messages are now opened on

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mobile devices than on PCs.26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000159F) Roughly half of U.S. consumers use a mobile device exclusively for their online search needs, and many online activities that eventually migrate to a PC screen start out on a mobile screen.27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015A1) For many people, the fact that a smartphone can make phone calls is practically a secondary consideration; data traf�ic from mobile devices far outstrips voice traf�ic.28 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015A3)

Moreover, mobile phones—particularly smartphones—have become intensely personal devices in ways that PCs never did. For many users, the connection is so close they feel a sense of panic when they don’t have frequent access to their phones.29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015A5) When people are closely attached to their phones, day and night, they are more closely tied to all the information sources, conversations, and networks that those phones can connect to. As a result, mobile connectivity can start to resemble a continuous stream of conversations that never quite end, which in�luences the way businesses need to interact with their stakeholders. If wearable technologies become mainstream devices, they will contribute even more to this shift in behaviors (see Figure 1.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001219#P7001012451000000000000000001235) ).

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Exploring the potential of wearable technologies

Will wearable technologies in�luence business and business communication? These presentations explore the potential. Go to real- timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

The parallels between social media and mobile communication are striking: Both sets of technologies change the nature of communication, alter the relationships between senders and receivers, create opportunities as well as challenges, and force business professionals to hone new skills. In fact, much of the rise in social communication can be attributed to the connectivity made possible by mobile devices. Companies that work to understand and embrace mobile, both internally and externally, stand the best chance of capitalizing on this monumental shift in the way people communicate.

HOW MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES ARE CHANGING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Figure 1.9 Wearable Technology

Smartwatches and other wearable mobile devices offer intriguing possibilities for business communication. The Uno Noteband incorporates Spritz speed-reading technology that makes it easier to read message content quickly.

Used by permission of Uno Inc.

The rise of mobile communication has some obvious implications, such as the need for websites to be mobile friendly. If you’ve ever tried to browse a conventional website on a tiny screen or �ill in complicated online forms using the keypad on your phone, you know how frustrating the experience can be. Users increasingly expect websites to be mobile friendly, and they’re likely to avoid sites that aren’t optimized for mobile.30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015A7) As mobile access overtakes computer-based access, some companies now take a mobile-�irst approach, in which websites are designed for optimum viewing on smartphones and tablets rather than conventional PC screens.31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015A9) Another successful approach is creating mobile apps that offer a more interactive and mobile-friendly experience than a conventional website can provide.

However, device size and portability are only the most obvious changes. Just as with social media, the changes brought about by mobile go far deeper than the technology itself. Mobile changes the way people communicate, with profound implications for virtually every aspect of business communication.

People who grew up with mobile phones often expect to have the same level of connectivity in their roles as both customers and as employees.

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The social media pioneer Nicco Mele coined the term radical connectivity to describe “the breathtaking ability to send vast amounts of data instantly, constantly, and globally.”32 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015AB) Mobile plays a major and ever-expanding role in this phenomenon by keeping people connected 24/7, wherever they may be. People who’ve grown up with mobile communication technology expect to have immediate access to information and the ability to stay connected to their various social and business networks.33 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015AD)

Here are the most signi�icant ways mobile technology is changing the practice of business communication:

Constant connectivity is a mixed blessing: You can work from anywhere at any time, but it’s more dif�icult to disconnect from work and recharge yourself.

Constant connectivity is a mixed blessing. As with social media, mobile connectivity can blur the boundaries between personal and professional time and space, preventing people from fully disengaging from work during personal and family time. On the other hand, it can give employees more �lexibility to meet their personal and professional obligations.34 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015AF) In this regard, mobile plays an important role in efforts to reduce operating costs through telecommuting and other nontraditional work models.35 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015B1) Small mobile displays and sometimes-awkward input technologies present challenges for creating and consuming content, whether it’s typing an email message or watching a video. As you’ll read in Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000002ade#P7001012451000000000000000002ADE) , for example, email messages need to be written and formatted differently to make them easier to read on mobile devices. Mobile users are often multitasking—roughly half of mobile phone usage happens while people are walking, for instance—so they can’t give full attention to the information on their screens.36 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015B3) Moreover, mobile use often occurs in environments with multiple distractions and barriers to successful communication. Mobile communication, particularly text messaging, has put pressure on traditional standards of grammar, punctuation, and writing in general. Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001f59#P7001012451000000000000000001F59) has more on this topic.

Mobile devices can serve as sensory and cognitive extensions.37 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015B5) For example, they can help people experience more of their environment (such as augmented reality apps that superimpose information on a live camera view) and have instant access to information without relying on faulty and limited human memory. The addition of location- aware content, such as facility maps and property information, enhances the mobile experience.

Mobile devices create a host of security and privacy concerns for end users and corporate technology managers alike.38 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015B7) Companies are wrestling with the “bring your own device” or “BYOD” phenomenon, in which employees want to be able to access company networks and �iles with their personal smartphones and tablets, both in the of�ice and away from it. These devices don’t always have the rigorous security controls that corporate networks need, however, and users don’t always use the devices in secure ways. Mobile tools can enhance productivity and collaboration by making it easier for employees to stay connected and giving them access to information and work tasks during forced gaps in the workday or while traveling.39 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015B9)

Mobile apps can assist in a wide variety of business tasks, from research to presentations40 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015BB) (see Figure 1.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001219#P700101245100000000000000000125F) ). Companies aren’t restricted to commercially available apps, either. With digital publishing tools, companies can create custom apps with content and capabilities geared speci�ically toward their customers or employees.41 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015BD)

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Figure 1.10 Mobile Communication: Opportunities and Challenges

From 24/7 connectivity to business-oriented apps that let professionals perform work tasks on the go (such as making notes for a presentation, as shown here on the mobile version of PowerPoint), mobile technology is revolutionizing business communication.

MS PowerPoint by Microsoft Corporation

Mobile connectivity can accelerate decision making and problem solving by putting the right information in the hands of the right people at the right time. For example, if the people in a decision-making meeting need more information, they can do the necessary research on the spot.42 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015BF)

Mobile communication also makes it easier to quickly tap into pockets of expertise within a company.43 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015C1)

Customer service can be improved by making sure technicians and other workers always have the information they need right at hand.44 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015C3)

Companies can also respond and communicate faster during crises.45 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015C5)

Collaboration and problem solving are two key areas where mobile connectivity can boost productivity by enabling real-time interaction and access to vital information.

With interactivity designed to take advantage of the capabilities of mobile devices (including cameras, accelerometers, compasses, and GPS), companies can create more engaging experiences for customers and other users.46 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015C7)

The mobile revolution complicates business communication in some ways, but it can enhance communication in many other ways if done thoughtfully.You’ll read more about mobile in the chapters ahead.

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1.5 Using Technology to Improve Business Communication LEARNING OBJECTIVE

5 List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively. Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to enhance communication. In fact, many of the technologies you might use in your personal life, from microblogs to video games, are also used in business. Technology is discussed extensively throughout this book, with speci�ic advice on using both common and emerging tools. The four-page photo essay “Powerful Tools for Communicating Effectively (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001270#P70010124510000000000000000012B3) ” (see pages 22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001270#page_22) –25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001270#page_25) ) provides an overview of the technologies that connect people in of�ices, factories, and other business settings.

MOBILE APP

Pocket collects content you’d like to read or view later and syncs it across your mobile devices.

However, anyone who has used advanced technology knows the bene�its are not automatic. Poorly designed or inappropriately used technology can hinder communication more than help. To communicate effectively, learn to keep technology in perspective, guard against information overload and information addiction, use technological tools productively, and frequently disengage from the computer to communicate in person.

KEEPING TECHNOLOGY IN PERSPECTIVE

Don’t rely too much on technology or let it overwhelm the communication process.

Perhaps the single most important point to remember about technology is that it is simply a tool, a means by which you can accomplish certain tasks. Technology is an aid to interpersonal communication, not a replacement for it. Technology can’t think for you or communicate for you, and if you lack some essential skills, technology can’t �ill in the gaps. Throughout the book, you’ll see advice on keeping the focus on your messages and your audiences, and using technology to enhance the communication process.

GUARDING AGAINST INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Information overload results when people receive more information than they can effectively process.

The overuse or misuse of communication technology can lead to information overload (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000148D) , in which people receive more information than they can effectively process. Information overload makes it dif�icult to discriminate between useful and useless information, reduces productivity, and ampli�ies employee stress both on the job and at home, even to the point of causing health and relationship problems.47 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015C9)

You often have some level of control over the number and types of messages you choose to receive. Use the �iltering features of your communication systems to isolate high-priority messages that deserve your attention. Also, be wary of subscribing to too many Twitter streams and other sources. Focus on the information you truly need in order to do your job.

An important step in reducing information overload is to avoid sending unnecessary messages.

As a sender, you can help reduce information overload by making sure you don’t send unnecessary messages. In addition, when you send messages that aren’t urgent or crucial, let people know so they can prioritize. Also, most communication systems let you mark messages as urgent; however, use this feature only when it is truly needed. Its overuse leads to annoyance and anxiety, not action.

USING TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS PRODUCTIVELY Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other technologies are key parts of what has been called the information technology paradox, in which information tools can waste as much time as they save. Social media are a particular source of concern: While they offer great opportunities for connecting with

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customers and other stakeholders, the potential for distraction can waste signi�icant amounts of employee time.

MOBILE APP

WhatsApp lets you send and receive messages, videos, and other content via your phone’s Internet connection.

Inappropriate web use not only distracts employees from work responsibilities, it can leave employers open to lawsuits for sexual harassment if inappropriate images are displayed in or transmitted around the company.48 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015CB) Social media have created another set of managerial challenges, given the risk that employee blogs or social networking pages can expose con�idential information or damage a �irm’s reputation in the marketplace. With all these technologies, the best solution lies in developing clear policies that are enforced evenly for all employees.49 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015CD)

Communicating in today’s business environment requires at least a basic level of technical competence.

Managers need to guide their employees in the productive use of information tools because the speed and simplicity of these tools are also among their greatest weaknesses. The �lood of messages from an expanding array of digital sources can signi�icantly affect employees’ ability to focus on their work. In one study, workers exposed to a constant barrage of emails, instant messages, and phone calls experienced an average 10-point drop in their functioning intelligence quotient.50 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015CF)

DIGITAL + SOCIAL + MOBILE: TODAY’S COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT

It’s All Fun and Games—and Effective Business Communication

The fact that millions of people spend billions of hours playing games on their mobile devices is not lost on companies looking for ways to enhance communication with employees and customers. Whether they feature skill, chance, or compelling story lines, successful games try to engage users intellectually and emotionally—just as successful business communicators try to do.

Gami�ication is the addition of game-playing aspects to an activity or a process with the goal of increasing user engagement, and it’s a natural �it for social media and mobile devices. Foursquare’s check-in competitions, in which the person who “checks in” using Foursquare the most times during a certain time window is crowned the “mayor” of that location, were an early use of gami�ication. Foursquare wasn’t invented as a way for people to become imaginary mayors of places where they shop or eat, of course. It is an advertising platform that relies on user activity and user-generated content, and the game element encourages people to use the app more frequently.

Foursquare is a simple example of gami�ication, but other companies are pushing the concept in new ways to engage and motivate employees and other stakeholders. For example, Bunchball’s Nitro software applies gami�ication concepts to a number of business communication platforms. On a customer-service system, the software rewards employees for increasing their productivity, meeting their service commitments to customers, and sharing knowledge with their colleagues. On several collaboration and brainstorming systems, gami�ication encourages people to make more connections, share ideas, and boost their in�luence within a community. Employee orientation systems can use game concepts to help new hires learn their way around the organization.

Gami�ication is also a key strategy for many companies trying to improve customer loyalty. Badgeville’s Reputation Mechanics system, for example, boosts the pro�ile of knowledgeable customers who share expertise on social media sites and other online forums. By rewarding their product champions (see page 345 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004a7a#page_345) ) this way, companies encourage them to keep contributing their expertise, thereby helping other customers be successful and satis�ied.

Incidentally, if you are in the Millennial generation—those born between about 1981 and 1995—you’re a special target of gami�ication in the workplace and the marketplace, given your generation’s enthusiasm for video games. Don’t be surprised to �ind more gami�ied apps and systems on the job and everywhere you turn as a consumer.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Gami�ication is about in�luencing employee and customer behaviors in ways that bene�it a company. Is this ethical? Explain your answer. 2. Assume a company provides a job-search game app that helps you navigate your way through applying for a job, explore various job

openings, and understand what it would be like to work there. Would the app make you feel more positively about the company, or would you �ind that using a game for this purpose would trivialize something as important as your job search? Explain your answer.

Sources: Bunchball website, accessed 3 March 2016, www.bunchball.com (http://www.bunchball.com) ; Badgeville website, accessed 3 March 2016, badgeville.com (http://badgeville.com) ; Foursquare for Business website, accessed 3 March 2016, business.foursquare.com (http://business.foursquare.com) ; Christopher Swan, “Gami�ication: A New Way to Shape Behavior,” Communication World, May–June 2012, 13–14.

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In addition to using your tools appropriately, knowing how to use them ef�iciently can make a big difference in your productivity. You don’t have to become an expert in most cases, but you do need to be familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools you are expected to use on the job. As a manager, you also need to ensure that your employees have suf�icient training to productively apply the tools you expect them to use.

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Get the latest news on gami�ication

The Gami�ication Wiki offers information on gami�ication concepts and examples across a variety of industries. Go to real- timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

RECONNECTING WITH PEOPLE Even the best technologies can hinder communication if they are overused. For instance, a common complaint among employees is that managers rely too heavily on email and don’t communicate face to face often enough.51 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015D1) Speaking with people over the phone or in person can take more time and effort and can sometimes force you to confront unpleasant situations directly, but it is often essential for solving tough problems and maintaining productive relationships.52 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015D3)

No matter how much technology is involved, communication is still about people connecting with people.

Moreover, even the best communication technologies can’t show people who you really are. Remember to step out from behind the technology frequently to learn more about the people you work with and to let them learn more about you.

POWERFUL TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY

The tools of business communication evolve with every advance in digital technology. The 20 technologies highlighted on the next four pages help businesses rede�ine the of�ice, collaborate and share information, connect with stakeholders, and build communities of people with shared interests and needs. For more examples of business uses of social media tools in particular, see pages 207 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003480#page_207) –214 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000353f#page_214) in Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003454#P7001012451000000000000000003454) .

REDEFINING THE OFFICE

Thanks to advances in mobile and distributed communication, the “of�ice” is no longer what it used to be. Technology lets today’s professionals work on the move while staying in close contact with colleagues, customers, and suppliers. These technologies are also rede�ining the very nature of some companies, as they replace traditional hierarchies with highly adaptable, virtual networks.

Web-Based Meetings

Andrey Popov/Shutterstock

Web-based meetings allow team members from all over the world to interact in real time. Meetings can also be recorded for later playback and review. Various systems support instant messaging, video, collaborative editing tools, and more.

Videoconferencing and Telepresence

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dotshock/Shutterstock

Videoconferencing provides many of the beneits of in-person meetings at a fraction of the cost. Advanced systems feature telepresence, in which the video images of meeting participants are life-sized and extremely realistic.

Shared Online Workspaces

Microsoft Of�ice 2013, copyright © 2013 Microsoft Corporation.

Online workspaces help teams work productively, even if they are on the move or spread out across the country. In addition to providing controlled access to shared �iles and other digital resources, some systems include such features as project management tools and real-time document sharing (letting two or more team members view and edit a document on screen at the same time).

Voice Technologies

Fancy Collection/Superstock

Speech recognition (converting human speech to computer commands) and speech synthesis (converting computer commands to human speech) can enhance communication in many ways, including simplifying mobile computing, assisting workers who are unwilling or unable to use keyboards, and allowing “one-sided” conversations with information systems. Speech analytics software can evaluate conversations to improve customer service and other interactions. Mobile VoIP lets people make voice calls on WiFi networks to save connection and roaming charges.

Mobile Business Apps

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Courtesy of bossjock studio, www.bossjockstudio.com (http://www.bossjockstudio.com)

ITranslateapp.com (http://ITranslateapp.com)

Courtesy of Hipmunk, http://www.hipmunk.com (http://www.hipmunk.com)

As the range of business software applications on smartphones and tablet computers continues to expand, almost anything that can be accomplished on a regular computer can be done on a mobile device (although not always as ef�iciently or with the same feature sets).

COLLABORATING AND SHARING INFORMATION

The need to work with and share information quickly and easily is a constant in business. A wide variety of tools have been developed to facilitate collaboration and sharing, from general purpose systems such as instant messaging to more specialized capabilities such as data visualization.

Instant Messaging

Microsoft Outlook, copyright © 2013 Microsoft Corporation.

Instant messaging (IM) is one of the most widely used digital communication tools in the business world, replacing many conversations and exchanges that once took place via email or phone calls. Enterprise IM systems are similar to consumer IM systems in many respects but have additional security and collaboration features. Group messaging systems add �ile sharing and information-management tools to help teams work more ef�iciently.

Wikis

Screenshot “The Motley Fool” from The Motley Fool website. Copyright © by Erik Stadnik. Used by permission of Erik Stadnik

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Wikis promote collaboration by simplifying the process of creating and editing online content. Anyone with access (some wikis are private; some are public) can add and modify pages as new information becomes available.

Crowdsourcing and Collaboration Platforms

Innocentive, Inc.

Crowdsourcing, inviting input from groups of people inside or outside the organization, can give companies access to a much wider range of ideas, solutions to problems, and insights into market trends.

Data Visualization

Courtesy Tableau

Data visualization is a powerful tool for presenting and exploring sets of data that are very large, complex, or dynamic. As more companies rely on “big data” to identify and capitalize on market opportunities, the ability to extract insights from these large data sets can be an important competitive advantage.

Internet of Things

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The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the billions of smart, autonomous devices that are now connected via the Internet. These “things” are sensors, controllers, and other devices that send, receive, or process data. This machine-based communication can support or even replace conventional methods of business communication.

CONNECTING WITH STAKEHOLDERS

Electronic media and social media in particular have rede�ined the relationships businesses have with internal and external stakeholders. Any groups affected by a company’s decisions now have tools to give voice to their opinions and needs, and companies have many more conversational threads that need to be monitored and managed.

Applicant Tracking Systems

Screenshot from Recruit by ZOHO Corporation. Copyright © by Mason Hering. Used by permission of Mason Hering.

Applicant tracking systems now play a huge role in employment-related communications. At virtually all large companies and many medium and small companies, your résumé and application information will be entered into one of these systems. Recruiters use various tools to identify promising candidates and manage the interview and selection process. After hiring, some �irms use talent management systems to track employee development through workers’ entire careers at the company.

Blogging

Courtesy of Xerox Corporation

Blogs let companies connect with customers and other audiences in a fast and informal way. Commenting features let readers participate in the conversation, too.

Online Video

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Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.

The combination of low-cost digital video cameras and video-sharing websites such as YouTube has spurred a revolution in business video. Product demonstrations, company overviews, promotional presentations, and training seminars are among the most popular applications of business video. Branded channels allow companies to present theirvideos as an integrated collection in a customized user interface.

Content Curation

Bovee and Thill, LLC website

Content curation, selecting videos and other items of interest to followers of a website or blog, has become one of the most popular ways to connect with stakeholders. Pinterest and Scoop.it are among the leading technologies in this area.

Podcasting

RoBeDeRo/E+/Getty Images

With the portability and convenience of downloadable audio and video recordings, podcasts have become a popular means of delivering everything from college lectures to marketing messages. Podcasts are also used for internal communication, replacing conference calls, newsletters, and other media.

BUILDING COMMUNITIES

One of the most signi�icant bene�its of new communication technologies is the ease with which companies can foster a sense of community among customers, enthusiasts, and other groups. In some instances, the company establishes and manages the online community, while in others the community is driven by product champions or other enthusiasts.

User-Generated Content Sites

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“Screenshot” from Segway Social. Copyright by Rodney C. keller. Used by permission of Rodney C. keller.

User-generated content sites let businesses host photos, videos, software programs, technical solutions, and other valuable content for their customer communities.

Gaming Technologies

Monkey Business/Fotolia

Adding game-playing elements to business processes (such as competitions for sales or service teams) can increase engagement from employees and customers alike.

Microblogging

Courtesy of Mathews, Inc

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Microblogging services (of which Twitter is by far the best known) are a great way to share ideas, solicit feedback, monitor market trends, and announce special deals and events.

Social Networking

Courtesy of Fezzari Bicycles. To see more information go to www.fezzari.com (http://www.fezzari.com) .

Businesses use a variety of social networks as specialized channels to engage customers, �ind new employees, attract investors, and share ideas and challenges with peers.

Community Q&A Sites

© 2015 Autodesk, Inc. Used with permission.

Many companies now rely heavily on communities of customers to help each other with product questions and other routine matters.

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1.6 Committing to Ethical and Legal Communication LEARNING OBJECTIVE

6 De�ine ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices.

Ethics (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001475) are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Ethical behavior is a companywide concern, but because communication efforts are the public face of a company, they are subjected to particularly rigorous scrutiny from regulators, legislators, investors, consumer groups, environmental groups, labor organizations, and anyone else affected by business activities. Ethical communication (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001469) includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. In contrast, unethical communication can distort the truth or manipulate audiences in a variety of ways:53 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015D5)

Misleading audiences in any way is unethical.

Plagiarizing. Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s words or other creative product as your own. Note that plagiarism can be illegal if it violates a copyright (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001455) , which is a form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas.54 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015D7) Omitting essential information. Your audience must have all the information necessary to make an intelligent, objective decision. Selective misquoting. Distorting or hiding the true intent of someone else’s words is unethical. Misrepresenting numbers. Statistics and other data can be unethically manipulated by increasing or decreasing numbers, exaggerating, altering statistics, or omitting numeric data. Distorting visuals. Images can be manipulated in unethical ways, such as altering photos to deceive audiences or changing the scale of graphs and charts to exaggerate or conceal differences. Failing to respect privacy or information security needs. Failing to respect the privacy of others or failing to adequately protect information entrusted to your care can also be considered unethical (and is sometimes illegal).

Transparency gives audience members access to all the information they need in order to process messages accurately.

The widespread adoption of social media has increased the attention given to the issue of transparency (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000014AD) , which in this context refers to a sense of openness, of giving all participants in a conversation access to the information they need to accurately process the messages they are receiving. In addition to the information itself, audiences deserve to know when they are being marketed to and who is behind the messages they read or hear.

For example, with stealth marketing, companies recruit people to promote products to friends and other contacts in exchange for free samples or other rewards, without requiring them to disclose the true nature of the communication. This can range from paying consumers to give product samples as “gifts” to paying popular Vine contributors to work products and brand names into the segments they post on the popular video-sharing service.55 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015D9) Critics of stealth marketing, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), assert that such techniques are deceptive because they don’t give targets the opportunity to raise their instinctive defenses against the persuasive powers of marketing messages.56 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015DB)

Aside from ethical concerns, trying to fool the public is simply bad for business. As the LaSalle University communication professor Michael Smith puts it, “The public backlash can be long, deep, and damaging to a company’s reputation.”57 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015DD)

DISTINGUISHING ETHICAL DILEMMAS FROM ETHICAL LAPSES

An ethical dilemma is a choice between alternatives that may not be clearly right or clearly wrong.

Some ethical questions are easy to recognize and resolve, but others are not. Deciding what is ethical can be a considerable challenge in complex business situations. An ethical dilemma (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000146D) involves

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choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut. Perhaps two con�licting alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives lie somewhere in the gray area between clearly right and clearly wrong. Every company has responsibilities to multiple groups of people inside and outside the �irm, and those groups often have competing interests. For instance, employees naturally want higher wages and more bene�its, but investors who have risked their money in the company want management to keep costs low so that pro�its are strong enough to drive up the stock price. Both sides have a valid ethical position.

An ethical lapse is making a choice you know to be unethical.

Figure 1.11 Unethical Communication

The writers of this memo clearly want the company to continue funding their pet project, even though the marketing research doesn’t support such a decision. By comparing this memo with the version shown in Figure 1.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P70010124510000000000000000013D4) (be sure to read the lettered annotations), you can see how the writers twisted the truth and omitted evidence in order to put a positive “spin” on the research.

In contrast, an ethical lapse (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001471) is a clearly unethical choice. With both internal and external communication efforts, the pressure to produce results or justify decisions can make unethical communication a tempting choice. Telling a potential customer you can complete a project by a certain date when you know you can’t is simply dishonest, even if you need the contract to save your career or your company. There is no ethical dilemma here.

Compare the messages in Figures 1.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P70010124510000000000000000013BD) and 1.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P70010124510000000000000000013D4) for examples of how business messages can be unethically manipulated.

ENSURING ETHICAL COMMUNICATION Ensuring ethical business communication requires three elements: ethical individuals, ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support employees’ efforts to make ethical choices.58 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015DF) Moreover, these three elements need to work in harmony. If employees see company executives making unethical decisions and �louting company guidelines, they might conclude that the guidelines are meaningless and emulate their bosses’ unethical behavior.

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MOBILE APP

The PRSA Ethics app is a mobile version of the Publish Relations Society of America’s code of ethics.

Figure 1.12 Ethical Communication

This version of the memo from Figure 1.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P70010124510000000000000000013BD) presents the evidence in a more honest and ethical manner.

Responsible employers establish clear ethical guidelines for their employees to follow.

Employers have a responsibility to establish clear guidelines and set examples for ethical behavior, including ethical business communication. Many companies establish an explicit ethics policy by using a written code of ethics (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P700101245100000000000000000143D) to help employees determine what is acceptable. A code is often part of a larger program of employee training and communication channels that allow employees to ask questions and report instances of questionable ethics. To ensure ongoing compliance with their codes of ethics, many companies also conduct ethics audits (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001479) to monitor ethical progress and to point out any weaknesses that need to be addressed.

However, whether or not formal guidelines are in place, every employee has a responsibility to communicate in an ethical manner. In the absence of clear guidelines, ask yourself the following questions about your business communications:59 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015E1)

If you can’t decide whether a choice is ethical, picture yourself explaining your decision to someone whose opinion you value.

Have you de�ined the situation fairly and accurately? What is your intention in communicating this message? What impact will this message have on the people who receive it or who might be affected by it? Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm? Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems ethical now seem unethical in the future?

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Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed in tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the Internet? Think about a person whom you admire and ask yourself what he or she would think of your decision.

ENSURING LEGAL COMMUNICATION In addition to ethical guidelines, business communication is also bound by a wide variety of laws and regulations, including the following areas:

Business communication is governed by a wide variety of laws designed to ensure accurate, complete messages.

Promotional communication. Marketing specialists need to be aware of the many laws that govern truth and accuracy in advertising. These laws address such issues as product reviews written by bloggers who receive compensation from the companies involved, false and deceptive advertising, misleading or inaccurate labels on product packages, and bait-and-switch tactics in which a store advertises a lower- priced product to lure consumers into a store but then tries to sell them a more expensive item.60 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015E3) Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004853#P7001012451000000000000000004853) explores this area in more detail. Contracts. A contract (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001451) is a legally binding promise between two parties in which one party makes a speci�ied offer and the other party accepts. Contracts are fundamental to virtually every aspect of business, from product sales to property rental to credit cards and loans to professional service agreements.61 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015E5) Employment communication. A variety of local, state, and federal laws govern communication between employers and both potential and current employees. For example, job descriptions must be written in a way that doesn’t intentionally or unintentionally discriminate against women, minorities, or people with disabilities.62 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015E7) Intellectual property. In an age when instant global connectivity makes copying and retransmitting digital �iles effortless, the protection of intellectual property has become a widespread concern. Intellectual property (IP) (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001491)

includes patents, copyrighted materials, trade secrets, and even Internet domain names.63 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015E9) Bloggers and social media users in particular need to be careful about IP protection, given the carefree way that some post the work of others without offering proper credit.

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LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE

Guidelines for trouble-free blogging

The Electronic Frontier Foundation offers a free Legal Guide for Bloggers. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

Financial reporting. Finance and accounting professionals who work for publicly traded companies (those that sell stock to the public) must adhere to stringent reporting laws. For instance, a number of corporations have recently been targets of both government investigations and shareholder lawsuits for offering misleading descriptions of �inancial results and revenue forecasts. Defamation. Negative comments about another party raise the possibility of defamation (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P7001012451000000000000000001461) , the intentional communication of false statements that damage character or reputation.64 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015EB) (Written defamation is called libel; spoken defamation is called slander.) Someone suing for defamation must prove (1) that the statement is false, (2) that the language is injurious to the person’s reputation, and (3) that the statement has been published. Transparency requirements. Governments around the world are taking steps to help ensure that consumers and other parties know who is behind the information they receive, particularly when it appears online. The European Union, for instance, outlaws a number of online marketing tactics, including “�logs,” short for “fake blogs,” in which an employee or a paid agent posing as an independent consumer posts positive stories about a company’s products.65 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015ED) In the United States, FTC guidelines require bloggers and other social media users who review products to disclose if they receive compensation for writing reviews.66 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015EF)

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If you have any doubts about the legality of a message you intend to distribute, ask for advice from your company’s legal department. A small dose of caution can prevent huge legal headaches and protect your company’s reputation in the marketplace.

For the latest information on ethical and legal issues in business communication, visit real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000105b#P700101245100000000000000000105B) .

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT Jetblue Imagine that you’ve joined the Twitter team at JetBlue as one of the more than two dozen communication specialists tasked with monitoring conversations about the company in the Twittersphere and responding to questions, requests, and complaints from passengers. Use what you’ve learned in this chapter to address the following challenges.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: Find a recent Twitter conversation between a passenger and JetBlue. It can be a compliment, a complaint, or a question. How well do you think the JetBlue team handled the conversation? Does the conversation re�lect well on JetBlue? If you had been the passenger, would you have been satis�ied with the outcome? Why or why not?

TEAM CHALLENGE: With a team assigned by your instructor, analyze the writing style of several dozen JetBlue tweets. Next, choose another well-known company that is on Twitter and analyze a series of its tweets. How do the two companies compare in terms of the general tone of their social media writing? Is one more formal than the other? Does one emphasize self-promotion more than the other? Does one engage with customers more, answering queries and resolving complaints? Summarize your analysis, with examples from both companies.

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS

audience-centered approach Understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a way that is meaningful to them

code of ethics A written set of ethical guidelines that companies expect their employees to follow

communication The process of transferring information and meaning using one or more media and communication channels

communication barriers Forces or events that can disrupt communication, including noise and distractions, competing messages, �ilters, and channel breakdowns

communication channels Systems used to deliver messages

communication medium The form in which a message is presented; the three primary categories of media are oral, written, and visual

contract A legally binding promise between two parties in which one party makes a speci�ied offer and the other party accepts

copyright A form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas

critical thinking The ability to evaluate evidence completely and objectively in order to form logical conclusions and make sound recommendations

decoding Extracting the idea from a message

defamation The intentional communication of false statements that damage someone’s character or reputation

encoding Putting an idea into a message (using words, images, or a combination of both)

ethical communication Communication that includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way

ethical dilemma Situation that involves making a choice when the alternatives aren’t completely wrong or completely right

ethical lapse A clearly unethical choice

ethics The accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society

ethics audits Ongoing efforts to monitor ethical progress and to point out any weaknesses that need to be addressed

etiquette The expected norms of behavior in a particular situation

feedback Information from receivers regarding the quality and effectiveness of a message

formal communication network Communication channels that �low along the lines of command

informal communication network All communication that takes place outside the formal network; often referred to as the grapevine or the rumor mill

information overload Condition in which people receive more information than they can effectively process

intellectual property (IP) Assets including patents, copyrighted materials, trade secrets, and even Internet domain names

message The “container” in which an idea is transmitted from a sender to a receiver

perception A person’s awareness or view of reality; also, the process of detecting incoming messages

professionalism The quality of performing at a high level and conducting oneself with purpose and pride

selective perception The inclination to distort or ignore incoming information rather than change one’s beliefs

social communication model An interactive, conversational approach to communication in which formerly passive audience members are empowered to participate fully

stakeholders Groups affected by a company’s actions: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbors, the community, and the world at large

transparency Giving all participants in a conversation access to the information they need to accurately process the messages they are receiving

“you” attitude Communicating with an audience-centered approach; creating messages that are about “you,” the receiver, rather than “me,” the sender

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1 Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work. Effective communication is important to your career because no matter what line of work you pursue, you need to be able to share information with other people. You can have the greatest business ideas in the world, but they’re no good to anyone if you can’t express them clearly and persuasively. In addition to bene�iting you personally, your communication skills will help your company in multiple ways, offering (1)

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closer ties with important communities in the marketplace; (2) opportunities to in�luence conversations, perceptions, and trends; (3) increased productivity and faster problem solving; (4) better �inancial results; (5) earlier warning of potential problems; (6) stronger decision making; (7) clearer and more persuasive marketing messages; and (8) greater employee engagement with work.

2 Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context. Communicating as a professional starts with being a professional, which embodies striving to excel, being dependable and accountable, being a team player, demonstrating a sense of etiquette, making ethical decisions, and maintaining a positive outlook.

As a professional, you will be expected to apply a wide range of communication skills, including organizing ideas and information; expressing yourself coherently and persuasively in a variety of media; building persuasive arguments; critically evaluating data and information; actively listening to others; communicating effectively with diverse audiences; using communication technologies; following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality writing and speaking; adapting your messages and communication styles as needed; demonstrating strong business etiquette; communicating ethically; respecting con�identiality; following applicable laws and regulations; and managing your time wisely and using resources ef�iciently.

Applying these skills effectively in an organizational context involves learning how to use both the formal and informal communication networks in your organization. The formal network mirrors the of�icial hierarchy and structure of the organization; the informal network involves all the communication among members of the organization, regardless of their job positions. Adopting an audience-centered approach involves understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a way that is meaningful to them. This approach is also known as adopting the “you” attitude (where “you” is the recipient of the message you are sending).

3 Describe the communication process model and the ways social media are changing the nature of business communication. Communication is a complex and subtle process, and any attempt to model it involves some simpli�ication, but it is helpful to view the process as eight steps: (1) the sender starts with an idea to share; (2) the sender encodes the meaning of that idea as a message; (3) the sender produces the message in a transmittable medium; (4) the sender transmits the message through a channel; (5) the audience receives the message; (6) the audience decodes the message to extract its meaning; (7) the audience responds to the message; and (8) the audience provides feedback to the sender.

Social media are transforming the practice of business communication and changing the nature of the relationships between companies and their stakeholders. Traditional business communication can be thought of as having a “publishing” mindset, in which a company produces carefully scripted messages and distributes them to an audience that has few options for responding to the company or interacting with one another. In contrast, the social model uses social media tools to create an interactive and participatory environment in which all parties have a chance to join the conversation. Many of the old rules and expectations, including tight control of the content and distribution of the message, no longer apply in this new environment.

4 Outline the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication in business. The challenges of mobile communications in business include the need for websites to be mobile friendly, the dif�iculty of creating and consuming content on small screens and keyboards, the potential for always-on connectivity to blur the lines between personal and professional time, the dif�iculty of getting and keeping the attention of multitasking audiences, and a variety of security and privacy concerns. The opportunities include giving employees more �lexibility to meet their personal and professional obligations, using mobile devices as sensory and cognitive extensions, enhancing productivity and collaboration, assisting in a wide variety of business tasks, accelerating decision making and problem solving, and creating more engaging experiences for customers and other users.

5 List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively. First, keep technology in perspective. Make sure it supports the communication effort rather than overwhelming or disrupting it. Second, guard against information overload and information technology addiction. Third, learn how to use technological tools productively—and avoid using them in deliberately unproductive ways. Fourth, reconnect in person from time to time to ensure that communication is successful and that technology doesn’t come between you and the people you need to reach.

6 De�ine ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices. Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Ethical communication is particularly important in business because communication is the public face of a company, which is why communication efforts are intensely scrutinized by company stakeholders. The difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse is a question of clarity. An ethical dilemma occurs when the choice is unclear because two or more alternatives seem equally right or equally wrong. In contrast, an ethical lapse occurs when a person makes a conscious choice that is clearly unethical.

To make ethical choices in any situation, ask yourself these six questions: (1) Have I de�ined the situation fairly and accurately? (2) What is my intention in communicating this message? (3) What impact will this message have on the people who receive it or who might be affected by it? (4) Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm? (5) Will the assumptions I’ve made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems ethical now seem unethical in the future? (6) Am I truly comfortable with my decision?

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

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Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

1-1. What bene�its does effective communication give you and your organization? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P7001012451000000000000000001086)

1-2. What are the �ive attributes of effective business communication? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P7001012451000000000000000001086)

1-3. What are the six traits of professionalism? [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010D6)

1-4. Why should communicators take an audience-centered approach to communication? [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010D6)

1-5. What steps have to occur before an audience member perceives the presence of an incoming message? [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P7001012451000000000000000001165)

1-6. What are the most common barriers to successful communication? [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P7001012451000000000000000001165)

1-7. What does “BYOD” refer to, and what are the implications of this phenomenon? [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001219#P700101245100000000000000000121B)

1-8. How is communication affected by information overload? [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001270#P7001012451000000000000000001272)

1-9. What is an ethical dilemma? [LO-6] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P7001012451000000000000000001393)

1-10. What is an ethical lapse? [LO-6] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P7001012451000000000000000001393)

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

1-11. Why do you think communication is vital to the success of every business organization? Explain brie�ly. [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P7001012451000000000000000001086)

1-12. How does a company’s use of social media re�lect audience-centered communication? [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010D6)

1-13. How might overuse of social media on the job affect a person’s ability to truly receive important business messages? [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P7001012451000000000000000001165)

1-14. What changes would you make to your email messages if you know your recipients are typically walking or riding on mass transit when they read your messages? [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001219#P700101245100000000000000000121B)

1-15. You’re the CEO of a company whose sales are declining, and there is a 50/50 chance you will need to lay off some of your employees sometime in the next two to three months. You have to decide whether to tell them now so they can look for new jobs as soon as possible, even though you’re not yet sure layoffs will be necessary, or wait until you are sure layoffs will occur. Explain why this is an ethical dilemma. Be sure to consider the effect a sudden exodus of valuable employees could have on the company’s prospects. [LO-6] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P7001012451000000000000000001393)

Practice Your Skills 1-16. Message for Analysis: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P7001012451000000000000000001086) Read the following blog posting, and then (1) analyze whether the message is effective or ineffective (be sure to explain why) and (2) revise the message so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines.

It has come to my attention that many of you are lying on your time cards. If you come in late, you should not put 8:00 on your card. If you take a long lunch, you should not put 1:00 on your time card. I will not stand for this type of cheating. I simply have no choice but to institute an employee monitoring system. Beginning next Monday, video cameras will be installed at all entrances to the building, and your entry and exit times will be logged each time you use electronic key cards to enter or leave. Anyone who is late for work or late coming back from lunch more than three times will have to answer to me. I don’t care if you had to take a nap or if you girls had to shop. This is a place of business, and we do not want to be taken advantage of by slackers who are cheaters to boot. It is too bad that a few bad apples always have to spoil things for everyone.

Exercises

Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

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1-17. Writing: Compositional Modes: Summaries [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P7001012451000000000000000001086) , Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001f59#P7001012451000000000000000001F59) Write a paragraph introducing yourself to your instructor and your class. Address such areas as your background, interests, achievements, and goals. Submit your paragraph using an email, blog, or social network, as indicated by your instructor.

1-18. Media Skills: Microblogging [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P7001012451000000000000000001086) , Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003454#P7001012451000000000000000003454) Write four effective messages (no more than 140 characters each) to persuade other college students to take the business communication course. Think of the �irst message as the “headline” of an advertisement that makes a bold promise regarding the value this course offers every aspiring business professional. The next three messages should be supporting points that provide evidence to back up the promise made in the �irst message.67 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001433#P70010124510000000000000000015F1)

1-19. Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#P7001012451000000000000000001086) Identify a video clip (on YouTube or another online source) that you believe represents an example of effective communication. It can be in any context, business or otherwise, but make sure it is something appropriate to discuss in class. Post a link to the video on your class blog, along with a brief written summary of why you think this example shows effective communication in action.

1-20. Planning: Assessing Audience Needs [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010D6) , Chapter 3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001b46#P7001012451000000000000000001B46) Choose a business career that sounds interesting to you and imagine that you are getting ready to apply for jobs in that �ield. Naturally, you want to create a compelling, audience-focused résumé that answers the key questions a hiring manager is most likely to ask. Identify three personal or professional qualities you have that would be important for someone in this career �ield. Write a brief statement (one or two sentences) regarding each quality, describing in audience-focused terms how you can contribute to a company in this respect. Submit your statements via email or the class blog.

1-21. Communication Etiquette: Communicating with Sensitivity and Tact [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010D6) Potential customers frequently visit your production facility before making purchase decisions. You and the people who report to you in the sales department have received extensive training in etiquette issues because you deal with high-pro�ile clients so often. The rest of the workforce has not received such training, however, and you worry that someone might inadvertently say or do something that would offend one of these potential customers. In a two-paragraph email, explain to the general manager why you think anyone who might come in contact with customers should receive basic etiquette training.

1-22. Collaboration: Team Projects; Planning: Assessing Audience Needs [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010D6) , Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000015f4#P70010124510000000000000000015F4) , Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001f59#P7001012451000000000000000001F59) Your boss has asked your work group to research and report on corporate child-care facilities. Of course, you’ll want to know who (besides your boss) will be reading your report. Working with two team members, list four or �ive other things you’ll want to know about the situation and about your audience before starting your research. Brie�ly explain why each of the items on your list is important.

1-23. Planning: Constructing a Persuasive Argument [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000010d4#P70010124510000000000000000010D6) , Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004853#P7001012451000000000000000004853) Blogging is a popular way for employees to communicate with customers and other parties outside the company. In some cases employee blogs have been quite bene�icial for both companies and their customers by providing helpful information and “putting a human face” on other formal and imposing corporations. In other cases, however, employees have been �ired for posting information that their employers said was inappropriate. One particular area of concern is criticism of the company or individual managers. Should employees be allowed to criticize their employers in a public forum such as a blog? In a brief email message, argue for or against company policies that prohibit critical information in employee blogs.

1-24. Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P7001012451000000000000000001165) Use the eight phases of the communication process to analyze a miscommunication you’ve recently had with a coworker, supervisor, classmate, teacher, friend, or family member. What idea were you trying to share? How did you encode and transmit it? Did the receiver get the message? Did the receiver correctly decode the message? How do you know? Based on your analysis, identify and explain the barriers that prevented your successful communication in this instance.

1-25. Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001219#P700101245100000000000000000121B) Using a mobile device, visit the websites of �ive companies that make products or provide services you buy or might buy in the future. Which

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of the websites is the most user friendly? How does it differ from the other sites? Do any of the companies offer a mobile shopping app for your device?

1-26. Technology: Using Communication Tools [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001270#P7001012451000000000000000001272) Find a free online communication service that you have no experience using as a content creator or contributor. Services to consider include blogging (such as Blogger), microblogging (such as Twitter), community Q&A sites (such as YahooAnswers), and user-generated content sites (such as Flickr). Perform a basic task such as opening an account or setting up a blog. Was the task easy to perform? Were the instructions clear? Could you �ind help online if you needed it? Is there anything about the experience that could be improved? Summarize your conclusions in a brief email message to your instructor.

1-27. Communication Ethics: Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Lapses [LO-6] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P7001012451000000000000000001393) Knowing that you have numerous friends throughout the company, your boss relies on you for feedback concerning employee morale and other issues affecting the staff. She recently asked you to start reporting any behavior that might violate company policies, from taking of�ice supplies home to making personal long-distance calls. List the issues you’d like to discuss with her before you respond to her request.

1.28. Communication Ethics: Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Lapses [LO-6] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P7001012451000000000000000001393) Brie�ly explain why you think each of the following is or is not ethical.

a. Keeping quiet about a possible environmental hazard you’ve just discovered in your company’s processing plant b. Overselling the bene�its of instant messaging to your company’s managers; they never seem to understand the bene�its of

technology, so you believe it’s the only way to convince them to make the right choice c. Telling an associate and close friend that she needs to pay more attention to her work responsibilities, or management will �ire her d. Recommending the purchase of equipment your department doesn’t really need in order to use up your allocated funds before the

end of the �iscal year so that your budget won’t be cut next year, when you might have a real need for the money 1-29. Communication Ethics: Providing Ethical Leadership [LO-6] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001390#P7001012451000000000000000001393) Cisco, a leading manufacturer of equipment for the Internet and corporate networks, has developed a code of ethics that it expects employees to abide by. Visit the company’s website at www.cisco.com (http://www.cisco.com) and �ind its Code of Conduct. In a brief paragraph describe three speci�ic examples of things you could do that would violate these provisions; then list at least three opportunities that Cisco provides its employees to report ethics violations or ask questions regarding ethical dilemmas.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Locate an example of professional communication from a reputable online source. It can re�lect any aspect of business communication, from an advertisement or a press release to a company blog or website. Evaluate this communication effort in light of any aspect of this chapter that is relevant to the sample and interesting to you. For example, is the piece effective? Audience-centered? Ethical? Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief analysis of the piece (no more than one page) citing speci�ic elements from the piece and support from the chapter.

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to �ind a website, video, article, podcast, or presentation that describes an innovative use of mobile technology in business communication. Write a brief email message to your instructor or a post for your class blog describing the item and summarizing the information you found.

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

1-30. Why is critical thinking considered an essential communication skill? [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001163#P7001012451000000000000000001165)

1-31. How is mobile technology changing the practice of business communication? [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001219#P700101245100000000000000000121B)

Endnotes 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000105b#rP700101245100000000000000000156C) . JetBlue website, accessed 3 March 2016, www.jetblue.com (http://www.jetblue.com) ; JetBlue Facebook page, accessed 3 March 2016, www.facebook.com/jetblue (http://www.facebook.com/jetblue) ; Yuyu Chen, “What Twitter Marketers Can Learn from JetBlue, Emirates and Royal

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Dutch Airlines,” ClickZ, 18 November 2015, www.clickz.com (http://www.clickz.com) ; “5 Social Media All-Stars,” CNNMoney, 29 August 2013, money.cnn.com (http://money.cnn.com) ; JetBlue Twitter account, accessed 3 March 2016, https://twitter.com/JetBlue (https://twitter.com/JetBlue) ; Todd Wasserman, “How JetBlue’s Social Media Strategy Took Flight,” Mashable, 1 June 2011, mashable.com (http://mashable.com) ; “A Day In The Life: Social Media,” BlueTales blog, 19 January 2012, blog.jetblue.com (http://blog.jetblue.com) , Chantal Tode, “JetBlue Exec: Mobile Is Discovery Piece for Travelers,” Mobile Marketer, 22 January 2013, www.mobilemarketer.com (http://www.mobilemarketer.com) .

2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#rP700101245100000000000000000156E) . Richard L. Daft, Management, 6th ed. (Cincinnati: Thomson South-Western, 2003), 580.

3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#rP7001012451000000000000000001570) . “Employers: 13 Common Complaints About Recent Grads,” Youturn, 2 October 2012, www.youturn.com (http://www.youturn.com) .

4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#rP7001012451000000000000000001572) . Julie Connelly, “Youthful Attitudes, Sobering Realities,” New York Times, 28 October 2003, E1, E6; Nigel Andrews and Laura D’Andrea Tyson, “The Upwardly Global MBA,” Strategy + Business 36 (Fall 2004): 60–69; Jim McKay, “Communication Skills Found Lacking,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 28 February 2005, www.delawareonline.com (http://www.delawareonline.com) .

5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#rP7001012451000000000000000001574) . Martin Zwilling, “How Effective Is Your Business Communication Skill?” Forbes, 20 January 2015, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) ; Brian Solis, Engage! (Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2010), 11–12; “Majority of Global Companies Face an Engagement Gap,” Internal Comms Hub website, 23 October 2007, www.internalcommshub.com (http://www.internalcommshub.com) ; Gary L. Neilson, Karla L. Martin, and Elizabeth Powers, “The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution,” Harvard Business Review, June 2008, 61–70; Nicholas Carr, “Lessons in Corporate Blogging,” BusinessWeek, 18 July 2006, 9; Susan Meisinger, “To Keep Employees, Talk—and Listen—to Them!” HR Magazine, August 2006, 10.

6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#rP7001012451000000000000000001576) . Daft, Management, 147.

7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001084#rP7001012451000000000000000001578) . Zwilling, “How Effective Is Your Business Communication Skill?”

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