Answer question (communication management) Essay Example

In the video, the commentator Rachel Maddow is reporting on the alleged association with corruption. The report claims that Jared Kushner, President Trump, son in law and adviser has financial association with a family whose business is under investigation due to corruption deals in Guinea in Africa. The reporter passionately brings out the story, articulating the facts as well backings to make her claim. Her point of view is that corruption has impoverished the tiny country of Guinea and blames it mainly on corrupt leaders (Maddow, 2017). Maddow strongly condems the Americans who partner with the world dictators to fleece the poor countries of their resources. Presenting the story through such a style makes the listen to pose and think about the weight of the matter. The person who is being accused of association with the corrupt is a senior figure in the government. Maddow in her characteristic figure is not afraid to take the powerful figure. She is poised to expose the corrupt deal, bringing the vice to the public court. I would be afraid to articulate the matter in the similar manner due to fear of reprisal from the powerful figures but I would express the story in the same perspective.(Maddow, 2017)

Informative presentation aims at informing the audience about a given topic. It aims at making the audience know about a specific issue. It is a session which aims at passing knowledge to the people, in this case something new and interesting.

Persuasive presentation aims to drive the audience to a particular direction. Its objective is to persuade or convince others to perform action. The speaker seeks the audience support or aims at influencing them to adopt his or her opinion. Every year the Prime Minister of Australia addresses the nation where he articulates the policies that the government has undertaken. This speech is mainly directed providing information to the people. From that perspective, the speech takes an informative angle. On the same note the Prime Minister is also interested in making people believe that the government is delivering on the promises made, so the speech also in some parts takes a persuasive approach (Cherry, 2013).

B3: Compare and contrast two television programs, noting how each communicates the meaning via visual communication rather than words or dialogue.

Sopranos and Madmen are two popular television shows in Australia; the programs use visual communication more often to appeal to all the fans. The visual communication is meant to ensure that there is a balance as far as both types of communication is concerned. An episode of pictures showing different scenes is followed by a short interlude where the characters engage in a dialogue. Sopranos are more of a drama program where the visual scenes make the views glued to their screen as they await for the next action. It brings out the suspense more than Madmen does

B4: Search online for an informative speech or presentation that applies to business or industry. Indicate one part or aspect of the presentation that you thought was effective and one you would improve. Provide a link to the presentation in your entry.

Lee, a venture capitalist and currently a partner with Battery ventures , made a speech which he was seeking to run for an office. The speech was to persuade business professionals more those who have passed through Yale University to vote for him.The speech gave details on how he will transform the business and make it more fun and rewarding. The speech was to the point and the listeners were moved given the reaction. The speech was not just a plain text, it borrowed heavily from current affairs, this was aimed at keeping the listeners with the flow(Pasnova, 2017). The speaker at times delved too much on personal information and forgot what the listeners wanted to hear. They were interested in the future, what he would do for the organization and how he would turn it around, this was the information which would have dominated the speech while the part which talk about personal achievement should be kept at minimum.

Samsung Edge 7

This is the latest of the Samsung high end phones. An informative speech on the gadget , would involve telling the audience of the presence of the gadget, its features and also the history. The information would be knowledge based.

I would follow the following order

Announcing the availability of the gadget

Its history

Features of the phone

Its uniqueness

I would start by informing the audience about the availability of the phone, the fact that it is available in the market or the fact that it has been released in the market. I would give the history or the background of the device. Informing them how the phone relates with the previous releases from the phone maker. I would follow this by informing them about the features so that they can get to understand about the phone, this would be followed by the information about the phone and how it is different from other models, then I would end the speech with the cost or price and where and how they would get the phone. I would structure the speech in this manner to ensure that the audience gets all the facts about the device. The speech should only aim at giving information rather than persuading purchase.

B6: Think of a social issue, widely held belief, or political position where change has occurred in your lifetime, or where you would like to see change happen. What kinds of persuasion and motivation were involved – or would need to happen – to produce measurable gain? Record your thoughts.

The world is moving towards more integration, there is a wide recognition that people are diverse. Diversity is seen in culture, gender, sexual orientation among others. Same sex marriages or unions are now becoming widely recognized. Within my lifetime, same sex unions have moved from a time when the relationships were not even recognized by the law to a position where the marriages are legal. The society has come to embrace them; people are coming to the open and declaring their relationships. Stigmatization against people in same sex relationships has declined. Extrinsic motivation is what has led to this development. Society has changed its perception on same sex marriage in recognition that those who are in such relationship are also members of society.

B7: Do you think the principle of consensus often works – are people often persuaded to buy things because other people own that item, or are going to buy it? Are you susceptible to this kind of persuasion?

Consensus is a strategy that involves the parties coming into a common agreement. The members of a group agree that they will support the idea that will come out of the negotiation process. This is done for the best interest of the group as a whole. Some members may have a different opinion but this will be overridden since the compromise strategy will be used to build a consensus. Principle of consensus does not always work, some people may feel that their interests are not taken care of, and may want to withdraw their support (Hartnett, 2011). When making a decision to buy an item some people are influenced by the actions of others. They are influenced by their peers; they would like to have an item so that they can be like other people and keep the relations growing. I am also a victim of this as some of the things I buy, although they are important , the decision to buy was influenced by the fact that my friends have the same and perhaps I have build some confidence around it.

B8: Select a commercial for a product or service you do not believe you would ever buy. Evaluate the commercial according to the principles of persuasion described in the readings. Does it use more than one principle? Is any principle effective on you as an audience member? If you could change the commercial to increase its persuasive appeal to yourself as a customer, what changes would you make?

Commercial for cigarette are often very persuasive, for persons who are easily swayed, one can easily get into smoking. They normally use people who are popular, persons who are liked . They use the liking principle as identified by Cialdini which says that people prefer buying things from those whom they have liked (Cialdini 1984). The advert uses other principles such as commitment and social proof. The principle of liking is the most effective, it makes the consumers identify themselves with the product, it makes them feel secure and comfortable just because someone who they know and like is using the same. I would not change a thing in the commercial as the product in question has some side effects, I would not even advocate for it based on my principles.

B9: Which do you think is a more difficult challenge, discontinuance or deterrence? Why? Give some examples.

There are various sub goals of achieving an action that a speaker can use, some are; discontinuance or deterrence. Discontinuance involves wanting the people to stop doing something while deterrence is preventing them from doing it or basically not to stop doing it if they have not started already. For example you would like people to stop smoking, rather than taking a new habit the speaker is urging them to stop. Stopping people from doing something which they are already in is difficulty than deterrence, that is, asking them not to do it. A habit it easy to start but difficulty to stop. They are already in it and perhaps they have become addicted in a case of drinking and smoking, but when you have shown them the effects of the habit ,for example lung diseases in smoking and liver problems in drinking , they are most likely going to be deterred(Cialdini, 1984).

According to the Maslow hierarchy of needs, they are five levels needs, namely: basic needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self actualization (Cronburg 2010). An individual starts with meeting the basic needs and moves to a higher level once the lower needs are satisfied. I feel my basic, safety and social needs have been meet; now I am in the process of meeting the esteem needs. Two or three years ago, I was at different levels of needs, I was at social needs. My position in the hierarchy has changed. I feel at self esteem as I have cultivated the feeling of belonging and self respect. High self esteem has allowed me to perform better achieve some of my goals. I feel respected and valued in my family and the society too. In future I aspire to be self actualized, a level where I will have realized my full potential, accomplishing everything that I have aspired in life (Mittelman, 1991).

B11: Can persuasion be ethical? Why or why not?

No response or response did not address question

Persuasion can be ethical if it geared towards treating other people with respect, fairness and understanding. If it is aimed at helping other understand themselves and their situations then it is considered ethical. If persuasion is for selfish reasons, personal gains or at the expense of others, then it is not ethical. It should be based on informing and influencing others, giving them the right information and then leave them to make their own decision. In determining whether persuasion is ethical or not, you will have to explore the intention of the person or entity who is persuading. If it is done for the self purpose or for ill purpose or based on deception, then it is unethical. If it meant to benefit the other persons, then it is ethical.

B12: Pick a product or service and prepare an elevator speech (less than a hundred words, no more than thirty seconds). Rehearse the draft out loud to see how it sounds and record your thoughts.

An elevator speech for a web design services

I am a web designer, with ten years experience in web designing and maintenance. I have worked with small and medium companies, providing them with quality websites. I have successfully managed to create and maintain a total of 265 websites and other web platforms. I always focus on giving my customers services that will give them a competitive advantage in their industry. I will create a quality website, relevant content and give you an edge in the internet. I will focus on providing a digital platform that is effective and reliable. In maintaining the website, I will ensure that it delivers the best results to your customers, making it easy to find you regardless of the location of the customer.

An elevator speech is your selling point; it should communicate to the customer and give the information that they need.

B13: Find an example of an elevator speech online and review it. Post the link and a brief summary of strengths and weaknesses.

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZKga8LJUjw

The elevator speech is concise, it list the main points in a format that is clear and easy to understand. The web designer in a very brief way introduces himself in mentioning his qualification. The persons who are targeted by the web designer as busy executives and may not have time to listen through the speech. This requires that the speech be short and to the point. The web designer does not repeat himself; every other sentence gives new information which can persuade the customer to take action.

The speech does not come out clearly on the past customers. For a customer to have trust on a service provider, past reviews must be available. Through providing information about the customers who have been served, it makes it easy to ask around and build some confidence on the provider.

B14: Does it limit or enhance our understanding of communication to view nonverbal communication as that which is not verbal communication? Explain your answer.

Nonverbal communication is the part of speech which is not spoken through words. It involves communicating through actions, the way we carry ourselves, the non words reaction which you get from the audience. Viewing nonverbal communication as that which not verbal enhances our observation. We play special attention to the non spoken part of the speech. Actions are said to speak louder than word, so the way we define the term verbal communication will have a direct effect on the way to we receive the message or feedback as well as the reactions that we get as a result. We are able to understand it better when we take it as anything that is not said by the audience. However, the non verbal and verbal speeches should go hand in hand, we are able to understand each other better when were interpret each part of the speech correctly. We may get the verbal speech but fail to understand the non verbal cues making the whole process of communication ineffective.

B15: What kind of value do you have for time and what is truly important to you? Make a list of what you spend your time on, and what you value most. Do the lists match? Are you spending time on what is truly important to you? Relationships take time, and if you want them to succeed in a personal or business context, you have to make them a priority.

I see time as a precious resource which should be used wisely. It should be spent on doing things which are beneficial to oneself as well as others.

What is spend time on

Spending time with my friends and relatives

Working on tasks that make a difference in my life

Engaging in activities that promote good health, both physically and mentally

What I value most

Relationships

Good health

The list is matching; I spend my time on things which I are important to me. I take relationships seriously; I take great effort to ensure that what I do involves building strong relationship. Relationships are a priority to me, I value them and that is why I give them ample time. I also value good health; I believe that happiness and quality life is greatly determined by being healthy.

B16: To what degree is time a relevant factor in communication in the information age? Give some examples.

Time is an important factor in communication, more so in the information age. For a message to be relevant, it must get to its recipient on time. A delayed message will not have the intended impact; it will already have been overtaken by time. In the information age message travels fast, this means that people can pass a message and gets to its recipient on time. If a message is required urgently , one only need to select a medium which is fast, selecting a slow channel will delay the message and it might not be relevant by the time it gets to the recipient. Information age also presents an opportunity to have a real time communication, this where the sender pass the message and recipient send a feedback almost immediately. Such a situation gives a room for quick decision making. In a project , the manager who is giving instructions to a remote team would need an immediate response on the recipient and understanding of the details. This is important since the project team ought to be reading from the same page.

B17: What do you think are the assumptions (explicit and underlying) about nonverbal communication in the readings?

In business communication, nonverbal communication is an important component. It is said to give more than what words can deliver. There are some assumptions which are made in non verbal communication. One of them is culture, it is assumed the person who is communicating will be in a position to interpret the non verbal cues or read between the line. There is an assumed a universal meaning in a given non verbal speech, which is what it to be communicated, is understood across the board, especially by the recipient.

It is also assumed that non verbal speech consists of that which the speaker may or may not want to pass. Sometimes the speaker may be hiding some details in the spoken word but the audience is able to discover this in the manner that he speech is being given . In some speeches the spoken word and non verbal cues show a discontent as far as the communication is concerned.

There is also an assumption that he content is context appropriate, due to cultural differences the message may be misinterpreted.

B18: Create a sample agenda for a business meeting to discuss the quarterly sales report and results from the latest marketing campaign. Decide what information is needed, and what position might normally be expected to produce that information.

Quarterly sales reports and results meeting

1. Preliminaries

• Welcoming and Introduction

• Reading of the previous meeting minutes

2. Presentation of the current sales results and reports

3. Highlights of the achievement or missing targets

4. Challenges facing the marketing team

5 Way forward

6. Any other business

The main agenda for the meeting is to discuss the results and reports for the last marketing campaign. The information needed for this meeting involves the type of campaigns that were used, the people who were involved as well as the budget for each item as well as the campaign as a whole.

The data on the sales before and after the campaign will be needed or an analysis of the data showing how the marketing campaign affected the sales. The information will be expected to be produced by the marketing team as well as the sales office.

B19: Consider the following scenario. Your large company is opening a new office in a new town and you have been designated to be part of the team that will be on the front lines. You want to establish goodwill, but also recognise that, being an outsider, you and your company may not be welcomed with open arms by the local business community. Your company produces a product and provides a service (feel free to choose; a coffee shop for example) that is currently offered in the area, but your organization perceives room for market growth as well as market share. Describe how you would handle relations with the local media.

When opening a new branch for a hospitality service such as a hotel offering food and accommodation, it is important to establish a good relationship with the locals, be they the people in the area or businesses. As an entry point one should familiarize with the media as they will form a big component of your success. If media portrays you negatively, that the perception which will be created. You need to create a good rapport with the local media. You need to identify the influential media in the area and engage them constructively while maintaining ethical practices. You need to make the media understand the factors that made your company choose this area for their next branch. It should highlight the growth prospects and the need for a new company providing hospitality services. Also, to win the support of the locals , it is important to convince media to highlight some of the benefits that your business will bring into the area.

B20: When people don’t know what to do in a crisis situation, what happens? How can you address probably challenges before the crisis occurs?

Crisis situation can create confusion in an organization. It makes people panic and rush to find for a solution to the situation. It can make people make rational decisions, some of which might affect the organization negatively. When people do not have a solution of do not what to do, the situation will worsen and lead to de-motivation.

Dealing with a crisis before it escalates can save the face of an organization. I would ensure that risk are identified, analyzed and managed. This would help in dealing with the risks even before they happen. I would ensure that there proper mechanisms in place to ensure that if crisis occur, it can be dealt with. For example, there is a likelihood that fire might occur in an organization, ensuring that there are equipment to fight fire and also mechanisms which would be used to secure people are in place would go a long way in minimizing the risk and even avoiding the crisis altogether.

B21: How important do you think self-disclosure is in business settings? Give some examples.

Self disclosure involves communication that is aimed at revealing about oneself. It can either be through verbal or non verbal communication.

When done in a business setting self disclosure helps in building a relationship. The other parties get to known and the process of engagement can start at earnest. Through this trust will build among the parties involved (Hargie, 2011). When it is done by a customer, the business will learn what they want and the business can focus in meeting the needs. The process of self disclosure also helps in making comparison and establishing where you are as a business. Such information can help in identifying the strategies to use in order to perform better than the competition. A good example of self disclosure in business is where one talks about the business as an establishment, when it was started, the composition of investors, and type of services of goods or services they deal with among other information about the business but is not in the public limelight (Hargie, 2011).

B22: How does the employment interview serve both interviewer and interviewee?

Employment interview is an important process in recruitment or hiring process. It ensures that the employer gets the best employee, somebody who can help in meeting the goals and objectives of an organization. The interview process allows both the employer and employee to meet and engage in a process where they will each get to know each other better. The interviewer is interested in knowing whether the person about to hire meets the criteria set by the organization. He or she wants to gauge the level of qualification in order to ensure that the person who is picked is the best. The interviewee on the hand gets a chance to present his or her case, convincing the interviewer that has what it takes to be the candidate for the job. It is an opportunity to know the employer more, where questions can be asked about the job requirements and expectation. This process allows the interviewer to make a decision on whether to take the offer or not.

B23: Of the strategies for managing conflict described in this section, which do you think are the most effective? Why?

Conflict has been known to occur in social setting as human beings interact with one another. Absence of conflict signals lack of a meaning interaction between people owing to the fact that human beings have different perceptions and view the world differently.Duetchman and Coleman (2000) describe conflict as neither and nor good but how it is a handled within the organization determines whether its constructive or destructive. Compromising is the most effective strategies of managing conflict; it ensures that all the parties are satisfied. It aims at building a consensus where each of the parties gives up something and in return gets something. It is a give and take method, where there is not loser, all the parties win. It is a win –win situation. This strategy ensures that the conflict is effectively managed as none of the parties feels disadvantaged. To get to this point, the process of reaching a compromise may take long.

B25: What would be the hardest part of an overseas assignment for you and why? What would be the easiest part of an overseas assignment for you and why?

An overseas assignment would see me travelling to a foreign country, a place which has a different ways of life, a different culture. The move would present its own challenge, to perform my duties effectively, I would be required to learn the ropes and fast. One of the hardest parts would be adjusting to a new culture, getting to know new people and the way things are done in the new country. Overcoming the culture shock would be the hardest part of this shift as an expatriate. It would take some time to get used in my new workplace. The easiest part of the assignment would be fitting in within the work setting. I am a person who likes to learn, I would use the opportunity presented to learn and get all that is required. Although it would take some time to recover from the culture shock, I believe my skills and experience would help me fit it within the workplace pretty fast.

B24: Imagine that you are a manager in charge of approximately a dozen workers. Would you prefer to rely primarily on Theory X, Y, or Z as your management style? Why? Write a short essay defending your preference, giving some concrete examples

Have preference for theory Y as it has an optimistic look at things. I would approach it from a perspective of the team liking their work, where they see it as a challenge which is supposed to make them better. I would use the participative approach, where the team members are given autonomy to showcase their ability while on the side offering a supportive role. Theory Y proposes the need to motivate the team, providing an environment which is conducive for team work and also working hard. A team in a project is supposed to work with a common goal, when they are managed in a participatory manner, they will have an opportunity to prove themselves, therefore they will be motivated to work hard. They will own what they are doing it further increasing the chances of success. Theory Y encourages creativity, while at the same time tempering ambitions with motivation (Sorensen, 2015).

of management decisions you would make.

B26: Is it possible for an outsider (a nongroup member) to help a group move from the storming stage to the norming stage? Explain your answer.

According to Tuckman theory on group development, there are five stages , namely: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (Kerzner,2001). Storming stage sees the highest level of disagreement and conflict among members. The members often challenge group goals and struggle for power. Groups which are not able to resolve the conflict are often disbanded or if they continue they do not advance to the rest of the stages. An outside would not help the group move to the norming stage, the members have gotten used to one another and they have learned to compromise, Bringing in a non group member would only lead to confusion as members need to know each other and feel comfortable with each other. A new member would also need time to learn about the group and its members making it hard to perform that role (Luthans, 2005).

B27: Do you prefer working in a group or team environment, or working individually? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

While my preference may depend on the kind of task at hand, working as a team or individual presents own benefits and challenges. Working individual especially on non challenging tasks gives an individual freedom to navigate through the work. You do not rely on others to make a decision, the process is fast. It also means that you take all the credit when things go wrong but on the other hand you take all the blame if things do not work out. Working as a team ensures that there is sharing of ideas, although it make long to reach an agreement, team members supplement each other. When it comes to blame, team members have shared it, it does not fall in an individual. Just like Chinese proverb says, “ if you want to walk fast , walk alone but if you want to go far, walk together as a team. I would prefer covering a long distance as this builds, working as a team is more advantageous than alone as you are also presented with a chance to learn(Luthans, 2005).

B28: Think of a leader you admire and respect. How did this individual become a leader – for example, by appointment, democratic selection, or emergence? How would you characterize this leader’s style – is the leader autocratic or laissez-faire, a technician, or a coach?

Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin group of companies is an admired personality in the business world. His style of leadership is admired by many and has been referred in several occasions including academic circles. He acquired the leadership through emergence, where he has come out as a personality who guides his companies and have steered them to the higher heights. Mr Branson , as a leader gives freedom to his employees to run the show, his style of leadership can be described as laissez faire, a free for all , although there is regular touch of base with an aim of establishing the company performance

(Barling, 2015). His companies are known to perform well in their areas of operations as the managers and workers in general are given freedom to make decision. They do not have to look at their back to see whether the boss is listening, this has motivated them to take up their roles with confidence.

References

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Deutsch, M and Coleman, P (2000) The Handbook of Conflict Resoultion: theory and practice, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass

Hamilton Cherry (2013) Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions; Cengage Learning

Hargie, O (2011) Skilled Interpersonal Interactions: Research, Theory and Practice , London Routledge

Hartnet, T (2011) Consensus Oriented Decision Making , Gabriola Island, New Society Publishers

New York, NY:John Wiley & Sons, 2001, pp 379-408 Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling.Kerzner H. Conflicts. In:

10th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2005. Organizational Behavior. Luthans, F.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel- maddow/watch/jared- kushner-courts-scandal-with-sketchy-business-backers- 930668099607Maddow, R/(2017)The Rachel Maddow Show 4/26/17 . Jared Kushner courts scandal with sketchy business backers; available at

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Pasnova, A. (2017) Roger Lee, Tech Entrepreneur Holds passion for education accessed from http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2017/04/28/roger-lee-tech-entrepreneur-holds-passion-for-education/

Sorensen ,P (2015) Theory X and Theory Y Management