management of engineering professional- spring 2012

1. MSE 608BOL
Management of Engineering Professionals
Spring 2012
Communication
Professor:
Dr. Mark Rajai
Prepared by:
Rijul Dhruv
Riyanka Daga
Kia Vakili
Abdul Aziz

2. INDEX
Table of contents:
1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………….....3
2. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION…………………………………………..4
3. 7C’S OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION………………………………...5
4. CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION…………………………………6
5. CORPORATE COMMUNICATION……………………………………….. 8
6. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………10
7. REFERENCES………………………………………………………………10
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3. INTRODUCTION
Communication is the activity of conveying information. Communication has been derived from the
Latin word "communis", meaning to share. Communication is the only means by which humans can channel
their thoughts and expressions. Various categories of verbal and non-verbal communication exist such as
eye contact, body language, paralanguage, sign language, haptic communication and chronemics. It also
includes communication in the form of media such as pictures, graphics, sound, and writing. Manipulative
Communication is one of the advanced categories studied recently. Intentional and unintentional ways of
manipulating words using sarcasm, criticism and rude gestures to "get what we want", by being demeaning
and disrespectful are a part of Manipulative communication.
Based on the categorization, there are four different types of communication: 1. Verbal
communication is the basis of interaction between people. It could include speaking, language, sounds and
words. 2. Non-verbal communication involves physical ways of communication, like, tone of the voice,
touch, smell and body motion. Singing, music, dancing and sculpturing also symbolizes as a part of creative
non-verbal communication. Symbols and sign language are also a part of non-verbal communication. 3.
Written communication is more elaborative and detailed which is the most essential form of
communication for business purposes. It is exercised in lots of different languages. Business articles, project
reports, e-mails and memos are few examples of written communication in business. 4. Visual
communication is visual display of information, like topography, photography, signs, symbols and designs.
Television and video clips are the electronic form of visual communication.
For any communication to be successful and meaningful it has to be effective. The articulate form of
communication cannot originate overnight. It is a learning process incorporated with your skills to improve
effective communication. Effective communication plays a significant role in corporate world especially
with the diversity found in every company along with globalization. Interpersonal skills and Cross
cultural differences are the biggest challenges faced in corporate communication. It is very important for
managers in today’s world to overcome all cultural and personal barriers for the growth of their companies.
They can strategize and make informed decisions only if they are influential and capable of expressing their
desires and needs to employees.
This article will interpret not only ways to alleviate effective communication and overcome its barriers
but also discuss ways to improve interpersonal skills, cross cultural communication and communication in
corporate world.
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4. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
The art of effective communication skills lies within every individual. Some of those skills include:
1. The Art of Communication
 Always be confident
 A good practice of listening skills
 Always think before you speak
 Being updated with current issues and participating in intellectual conversations
 Not being a gossip monk and rather staying away from it
 Don’t pretend as there is no shame in acknowledging something you are unaware of
 The most important aspect is to “Be Yourself”
2. The Art of Listening
 Being attentive
 Strong grasping power
 Delivering positive reflection of your views after the end of conversation
3. The Art of Expressing
 The most important attribute here is ‘Honesty’
 Coherent and clear verbiage use
4. The Art of taking Criticism Positively
It is a natural tendency of human beings to defend their stand when criticized. Use a constructive and
positive way to deal with criticism.
5. The Art of avoiding arguments
Most controversial, egoist and healthy conversations turn into an argument. We all know “Time is money”.
An argument has no solution and is a waste of time and money. Once we realize this fact, a constructive
way to mild heated situations is the only alternative.
6. The Art of Understanding the Audience
Understanding your audience is the key, as you ultimately speak for them. Knowing the perception of your
audience helps you to plan your actions for deliverance.
7. The Art of taking Feedback
“A colleague doing exactly the opposite of what you asked him to do?”. This is most common scenario at
most workplaces. The best thing for you to do is take a feedback. Without taking proper feedback, you
wouldn't know the perspective of the person in front of you.
.
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5. 7C’S OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
There are 7 C’s of effective communication which are applicable to both written as well as oral
communication. These are as follows:
1. Completeness - The communication must be complete. It must be full of facts, figures and pictures to
convey an appropriate message based on the receiver’s mindset. Important features include:
 Strategic cost saving approach due to completeness of all the necessary information in
corporate business
 Completeness of the data leaves no doubt in the audience/ receivers’/ readers’ mind as all the
desired crucial information is received
 Helps to be in a much better decision-making position
2. Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, direct or to the point. It has following features:
 A very comprehensive approach which makes it more appealing to the crowd or the audience.
 A more time-saving and economic path
 Usage of short and limited verbiage underlining key elements by being non-repetitive
3. Consideration - Consideration means “stepping into the shoes of others”. Modify your words in
message to suit the audience’s needs while making your message complete. Features of considerate
communication are as follows:
 Being Empathetic is necessary to stimulate positive reaction from your listeners
 Showing optimism and stressing on positive words to influence the audience
 Modification of words to suit your listeners/ customers/ readers’ needs
4. Clarity - Clarity emphasizes on a specific message or goal at a time, rather than looking at the overall
scenario. Clarity in communication has following features:
 Clear understanding
 Increased grasping power and clarity of thoughts enhancing the meaning of message.
5. Concreteness - Concrete communication implies strengthening your confidence by being particular
rather than general. Concrete message has following features:
 It is supported with specific facts and figures.
 A vivid, definite message rather than being vague, obscure makes up for a good reputation
 It reinforces confidence
6. Courtesy - Courtesy in message implies empathetic message along with respect for the receiver.
Courteous message has following features:
 Consideration of viewpoints by being sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic
 It is an unbiased, positive and customer centric message
 Courtesy builds goodwill and strengthens relations
7. Correctness - Correctness in communication includes no grammatical errors in communication.
Correct communication has following features:
 The message is exact, correct and well-timed.
 Correct information boosts up the confidence level.
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6. CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Communication and culture mutually influence each other. Communication is interactive; therefore an
important influence on its effectiveness is our relationship with others. Do they interpret our saying
correctly? Are they listening well? In their responses do they really distinguish the correct meaning that we
had asked? Is our communication is and effective one or not? The answers to these questions would give us
some ideas and clues as regarding the effectiveness of our communication and will ease the conflict that
could potentially happen across cultures.
Understanding Cultural Diversity
Understanding the cultural differences create a challenge to the work environment. This is still could
occur when all the piers speaks the same language but live in a different country for example the people
from U.S, Australia, and U.K .Knowing all these differences would help us have successful business
experience. Therefore an effective communication for both parties is needed. All it takes is to have a
strategy in order to understand and respect both parties’ requirements.
Case Study:
This case study talks about the failure of PR campaign due to lack of understanding the importance of
cultural communication. Pepsodent tried to penetrate in Southeast Asia selling its toothpaste product. They
kept on emphasizing on “whitens your teeth “advertising. They found out that the people from that area try
to blacken their teeth by chew betel nuts as they believe that darken teeth are more attractive. As a result if
PR Company had analyzed this behavior their failure could have been avoided.
Communication and Misinterpretation
"Communication is successful if the person interpreting the saying conveys a meaning to the message
the same way what was tried by the person transmitting it". People’s cultural background disposes them to
look at the world in a particular way. By enculturation we would have expectations in communication. If
we use our expectations in regards to communication, interpret using our symbolic systems, ineffective
communication well occur. Misunderstandings in communication could cause some cultural conflicts and
mostly it occurs internationally. Some of these misunderstandings are including:
 The message transmission may not be understandable by others.
 Differing communication rules throughout the cultures.
 One side may not be able to speak and understand the language being used properly and effectively.
 People may not be able to attribute due to their group identity intergroup expectations.
Causes of cross-cultural conflict
Misunderstandings/conflict across the cultures may happen when there are cultural differences. Some
major causes that could generate cultural conflicts or misunderstandings are including:
 How to use words: Words can have different meanings across the cultures for instance some
cultures may use emotions for emphasis whereas others may use language.
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7.  Eye contact: eye contact can be interpreted differently across the cultures. it can be the sign of
respect, encouragement, challenge, attention, or even disrespect.
 Distance between communicators: While for some people like to be close to each other while
talking, some others prefer to keep a certain distance. ( commonly around two and half inches)
 Starting and ending a conversation: In some cultures it is important that who and how should be
opening a conversation and not paying attention to that may result in being disrespectful.
 Being interactive during conversations: some cultures accept to have an interactive conversation
meaning you can response immediately and accordingly whereas in some others this could be
interpreted as a rude reaction and listener should be quiet throughout the speech.
 Unawareness of informal rules: some cultures have informal and unwritten rules.
 Silence/ Pause: in some cultures, silence may mean withdrawal. For others silence is emptiness that
has to be replaced with conversation.
 Topics of Conversation: In some cultures speaking of sex, drugs, and etc. is not appreciated.
 Humor: Although in some cultures sense of humor is common and is not in some culture.
 Understanding how much to talk: some people take ales amount of talking more respectful than
talking a lot on the contrary some other want to hear an extended version of speech.
 Facial gestures, Physical contact, and volume of Voice: can all be interpreted differently in
various cultures.
Case Study:
While speaking to young Cree-Canadian student he /she might not look at your eyes, this behavior has
nothing to do with being dishonest, or rude. That should be a nonverbal cue. “Assumptions often made in
European-Canadian culture. Rather, a lack of eye contact may simply relate that in Cree culture eye contact
is not made with those in authority”. For most Native North Americans, looking into someone’s eyes is not
a respectful behavior, and it is not acceptable on the contrary looking down or away shows respect.
Cross-cultural conflict resolution
1. Tendency and importance of solving the conflict
 Developing Awareness of Cultures
 Understanding different cultural factors contributing to cultural differences
 Be welcoming and appreciate immigrants and welcome other cultures
2. Understand the possible resistances
 Resistance to try our own values, believe and accept our Cultural bias
 Denial of the existing conflict and not taking responsibility, blaming others
 Interest in finding out the problems and barriers and looking for a way to shrink the resistance
3. Methods that would lead us to resolve of conflicts
 Distinguish the differences and similarities between both sides
 Understand the differences and try to balance you and the other person that has conflict with you
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8. CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
Scope and definition:
In order to better define the term of cooperate communication, it is important to take a deep look on
how the company is functioning from inside. Until the mid of 1970s, the term ‘public relations’ was used to
describe the communication channel between the company and their stakeholders. In fact, at that time, the
information shared by the companies was not satisfactory to the public and stakeholders. That is, other
stakeholders started to demand more data and reports about the performance of the company. Hence, the
managements began to modify their functionality by sharing a bigger picture of what is happening inside the
company. To fulfill this demand, new specialized discipline, labeled as corporate communication, was
applied to provide a holistic and a more integral form of the company to its stakeholders, both internally and
externally. Precisely, cooperate communication is “A management function that offers a framework for
the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall purpose of
establishing and maintaining favorable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organization
is dependent”.
Integrated Corporate communication functions:
The corporate communication profession, which is more like a commitment from the corporation to its
stakeholders, helps protecting the company’s reputation; however, in the contemporary organizations,
corporate communication discipline is manifested by accomplishing four primary functions.
 Media Relations:
It is considered the main function, and, takes into account the writing and broadcasting of the company’s
reports and news to the media. Particularly, the mangers are responsible for the planning of all types of
conferences, including what information should be displayed, or even, shared. Besides, the arrangement
required for the spokespersons to appear on television and radio.
 Public Relations:
The way in which a company raises the level of customers trust is considered as public relations. As a
part of Corporate communication role, it is important to respond to all of the customers inquires, including
preparing newsletters and brochures that answer the public questions. Not only this, but also, manage the
company’s website and social networking media to take the advantage of the feed-backing.
 Crisis Communication:
The notion behind crisis communication is that when the company faces a major disaster that could
threaten the public safety or a company’s reputation, the corporate communicators must respond to control
the situation. In fact, the special training, which the corporate communicators practice, will help them to act
professionally under these circumstances such as, the chemical spills, violence at workplace, and accidental
death on the job.
 Employee communication:
In addition to “broadcasting” the company’s messages the external stakeholders, the corporate
communication managers must provide a kind of communication to its internal stakeholders. In fact, the
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9. corporate communicators are responsible to design and print some internal publications, announce the
company’s news through the email. Moreover, they are acquired to advise the first-line managers on how to
lead a group of employees.
Case Study - The Tragedy of Barclays’s Communication team
The poor the corporate communication function is, the less successful and, therefore, the less reputable
the company would be. To illustrate that, in 2003, Barclays, a UK based bank and financial services group,
declared their contracting with a new advertising agency, to perform some “humane ads”. In fact, the ads
have met the customer satisfaction for a while, until it suddenly turned into a communication disaster when
they simultaneously accompanied that with the news of closing 170 branches. Moreover, Barclays started
losing their reputation especially when a confidential report exposed that the new CEO, which hired to
control this disaster, has been paid £ 1.3 for three month only.
Consequently, the corporation started to face a customer revolt as the local communities, or rather, the
customers felt angry about the whole situation. Besides, the competitors, including NatWest, started to take
advantage of the entire issue. What made the problem worse, Barclays’s spokesperson announced that,”
their main focus was on shareholder returns and larger customers across their investment and retail
businesses”. From this point, the customers and media, in general, started to lead an antagonistic campaign
against the corporation. Indeed, Barclays Bank lost the stakeholders trust, whether they were employees or
customers, even though, they tried to fix the issue again and again. Truly, Barclays’s communication stuff
lacked one of the main objectives of the corporate communication discipline, which is managing
communication under crisis.
Corporate Communication Enhancement Skills:
The corporate communication staff must possess and master variety of professional skills, including:
 Conduct effective meetings: which requires following four steps; plan the meeting, announce the
meeting , conduct the meeting, and finally evaluate the meeting
 Take care of the pitch and the tone: the communicator voice, during meetings, must be clear and
easy to be heard by the stakeholders, internally and externally.
 Understand the second party well: this requires knowing their thoughts, culture and education.
 Do not always depend on verbal communication: it advisable for the communication coordinator
to send formal e-mails regarding to what occurred in the meetings
 Transparency must be found among all the team members: to do so, the corporate
communication department must maintain hierarchy to allow uncomplicated flow of information.
 Be yourself and be confident: the corporate communicators must work positively, take care of what
is said, and control their own emotions and nervous traits.
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10. CONCLUSION
“Actions speak louder than words”. The words we choose to communicate hold the key, especially in a
culturally diverse environment. According to the findings, effective communication is extensively
dependent 80% on non-verbal communication and a mere 20% on verbal communication. Communication
has evolved from being one-on-one between people in today’s technologically advanced world to social
medias like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. where we are communicating with thousands of people
simultaneously all across the globe. A key to success lies in breaking all communication and cultural
barriers in order to convey various messages in the form of music, painting, dance forms, poster
presentations, rallies, flash mobs, etc. It’s equally important even in corporate meetings to be presentable
and understandable.
Future of communication is already and will continue to be heavily dependent on advanced
communication technologies all across the globe.
REFERENCES
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication
2. http://www.effective-communication.net/
3. http://notesdesk.com/notes/business-communications/the-seven-cs-of-effective-business-
communication/
4. http://www.managementstudyguide.com/seven-cs-of-effective-communication.htm
5. Frederick, Ann. What Are the Functions of a Corporate Communication Department? 15 April 2012
<http://smallbusiness.chron.com/functions-corporate-communication-department-23716.html>.
6. Goodman, Michael B. and B. Peter Hirsch. "Tools and Techniques for Internal Corporate
Communication ." Corporate Communication . Harvard Buisness Press , 2012.
7. "SAGE." http://www.uk.sagepub.com. 10 April 2012 <http://www.uk.sagepub.com/upm-
data/39352_978_0_85702_243_1.pdf>.
8. http://www.beyondintractability.org/bi-essay/cross-cultural-communication
9. http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/Cross-Cultural-communication.htm
10. http://www.managementstudyguide.com/intercultural-communication.htm
11. Communication in Personal Relationships Across Cultures by William B. Gudykunst, Stella Ting-
Toomey and Tsukasa Nishida (Aug 7, 1996)
Final Video Presentation Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSAkpYlsqnA
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