According to Hahn (2005), "More and more companies around the world are hopping national borders to conduct business. Regardless of the organization you join, you are likely to be dealing with people who come from various national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Communicating across language and cultural barriers at home will also challenge your skills. Without leaving your own country, you're likely to come into contact with people from a variety of backgrounds who work in your company, industry, and community." This is extremely true because companies are now global and it's vital to not only be able to communicate effectively within your own culture, but to communicate effectively across many different cultures. I also liked the point Hahn made when he talked about interacting with other cultures even in your own country. The United States has a huge population of immigrants and it's imperative to know how to interact with other cultures.
According to Jandt (2010), "intercultural communication generally refers to face-to-face interactions among people of diverse cultures" (p. 45). I think that all of the aspects of intercultural communication that were mentioned by Hahn in his article are important but the most important, I think, are being aware of body language and being aware of different etiquette rules or manners. Body language is usually pretty universal so it's a good way to evaluate a person or a situation even if there is a language barrier. You can usually tell how a person is feeling just by their body language. Also of equal importance is being aware of specific etiquette rules or manners within a culture. Some cultures take offense to certain hand gestures or movements and it's important to be aware of what to avoid to ensure not offending someone.
References
Hahn, M. (2005, December 30). Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication. Ezine @rticles. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247.
Jandt, F.E. (2010). An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Shockley-Zalabak (2009) states that "technology has changed and is changing literally all types of relationships in which we engage. We no longer work only with those with whom we have face-to-face contact. We work across time zones, different languages, cultural differences, and geographic locations. We work with people without extensive information about their backgrounds, values, or experiences. We are expected to work effectively with others, using a variety of communication technologies" (p.164). There are a variety of ways today in which one can communicate with technology; computers, text messaging, email, cell phones, radio, videoconferencing, instant messaging, faxing, etc. The means by which people communicate can be evaluated for both advantages and disadvantages.
People are now able to communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world and technology has made it possible. There are many advantages and disadvantages to this. The advantages range from people being able to keep in touch with family, being able to communicate on the go, being able to accomplish tasks quickly, being able to interact with people of different cultures and beliefs, online learning, etc. Technology has made an abundance possible in the business world, but similar to most things, there are disadvantages as well as advantages. Some of the disadvantages are that technology allows people to be lazy, people are able to hide their identities making it easier to commit crimes (online predators), people say things that they wouldn't say to someone's face, messages can be misinterpreted, etc.
One of the things that technology advancements has made possible that has had a positive effect on communication is that one can multi-task a number of things instead of only being able to focus on one task at a time. People are able to travel and still communicate with their offices. This offers a level of convenience to professionals. In today's world, people have to be fast-paced, technology savvy, and on top of everything to keep up in business. Being able to communicate on the go is vital and technology has provided a plethora of ways to deliver a message wherever one may be geographically. Often times a business person will need access to a variety of programs and state of the art cell phones, laptop computers, wireless internet, and other technologies have provided the means in which to do so through accessing one single device.
Another business advantage of communicating through technology is being able to accomplish tasks and deliver information quickly. The old adage "time is money" applies to this instance. Business professionals are able to send information in seconds through email, texting, instant messaging, and other means with the click of a button. In today's world, paper has become clutter, therefore technology has replaced paper copies to send and store information without taking up space. Also, files on a computer can be retrieved quickly without having to sift through a pile of paper files. This also enables business professionals and others to be able to multitask and accomplish simple communication needs without having to go through any unnecessary measures.
Technology advancements in communication have also resulted in extensive online learning opportunities for anyone who wants to pursue higher education. According to Allen and Seaman (2008), "over 3.9 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2007 term; a 12 percent increase over the number reported the previous year" (p. 1). Communication is important in any learning situation and technology, especially computer technology, is used to create a classroom setting for discussion forums and other information about the course. Online learning provides a means for anyone to obtain an education despite their obligations in life. Convenience is important to most students who take online courses because they allow a more flexible schedule than traditional on-campus learning. If it weren't for cutting edge technology advances in communication, online learning wouldn't be possible and many people would be deprived of a college education.
Advancements in technology have made the entire world accessible at the tip of one's fingers. People are able to broaden their horizons, learn about other cultures, see pictures from different countries, and even interact with people of different nationalities. There are social networking sites in which one can meet people from anywhere in the world and learn more about them. This truly helps people to be more cultured which is very useful in organizational communication. Being knowledgeable and thinking in a worldly sense gives a person in business an advantage because they are more likely to be able to interact and communicate more effectively with people of any nationality.
Technology advancements help people to stay in touch with their family members and friends. Communicating is vital in maintaining a relationship with anyone whether it be a spouse, a relative, a child, or a friend. Today, it's common that someone has the possibility to relocate due to business reasons and technology allows people to stay in touch no matter how far apart. Having the ability to talk to or even see family and friends can help keep up an employee's morale. Having content and generally happy employees can be an important key to the success of a business. There is everything from videoconferencing to text messaging to help people communicate long distance whether it be to keep in touch with family or to stay in sync with another branch of business within the company.
References
Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2008). Staying the course: online education in the United States, 2008. Needham: Sloan-C.
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. (2009). Fundamentals of organizational communication. Boston: Pearson.
Shockley-Zalabak (2009) states that "technology has changed and is changing literally all types of relationships in which we engage. We no longer work only with those with whom we have face-to-face contact. We work across time zones, different languages, cultural differences, and geographic locations. We work with people without extensive information about their backgrounds, values, or experiences. We are expected to work effectively with others, using a variety of communication technologies" (p.164). There are a variety of ways today in which one can communicate with technology; computers, text messaging, email, cell phones, radio, videoconferencing, instant messaging, faxing, etc. Media technologies are basically any sort of medium that allows information to be transferred through them, even without the presence of technological means. Without these media technologies, people would not have newspapers, social networking sites, cell phones, radio, television, business presentations, online learning, etc. Media technologies allow people to have the world at the tip of their fingers and make almost anything possible.
Examples of Media Technologies, Their Intended Audiences, and Their Uses -
Emails - The intended audience of emails is anyone who has access to a computer or a cell phone with the capability to use these technologies. People are now able to access their personal email from any computer and web-ready cell phone. This allows people to communicate with their work, their friends, or anyone else they may need to talk to.
Newspapers - The intended audience of newspapers would probably be the older generation of people who still enjoy reading a physical newspaper. Newspapers allow people to find out about events and information locally and globally. People also use newspapers to conduct research for different reasons.
Online Shopping - The intended audience of online shopping would primarily be females who either don't have time to shop or would rather shop online than in a store. Online shopping allows people to compare prices of products from different places and to shop without leaving their homes.
Cell Phones - The intended audience using cell phones are from the younger generation to middle-aged people who need to be connected while on the go. According to Roebuck (2006), "For example, the latest generation of office accessories, from cells phones to the RIM Blackberry, has brought a new level of sophistication and a way to manipulate perceptions. The new options allow people to do far more than send emails from the beach" (p. 427).
References
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. (2009). Fundamentals of organizational communication. Boston: Pearson.
Roebuck, D. (2006). Improving Business Communication Skills. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
My motivation for studying communication is to learn how to be a more effective communicator and to learn how to understand why people do and say certain things. Everyone has a very different way of transferring a message and I think that understanding communication and the ways people communicate makes you a more efficient communicator. Guo (2009) states that "Although we utilize various forms of communication on a daily basis, it is not the ability to communicate that we lack, but rather the ability to communicate well and convey our meanings as intended" (p. 8).
The benefits of understanding the aspects of communication are that you can understand yourself better, be confident, advance in the workplace, be more relaxed, understand others better, and practice self control. Especially in the workplace, it is important to be an excellent communicator. A person who can practice all of the elements of effective communication can understand others emotions and goals and employers desire people like that. I also think that understanding communication gives you benefits in your personal life as well. I have noticed that the better communication you have with a person (family member, friend, spouse, etc.) the better relationship you have.
According to Trenholm (2008), “interpersonal communication is generally reserved for two-person, face-to-face interaction and is often used interchangeably with the term dyadic communication” (p. 141). Interpersonal communication is the largest form of communication. A person can go through life without speaking in public, writing a letter, or talking on the telephone but he or she cannot avoid speaking to a person directly (face-to-face interaction).
Another form of communication is organizational communication. Organizational communication in Fundamentals of Organizational Communication is defined as the "process through which organizations are created and in turn create and shape events. The process can be understood as a combination of process, people, messages, meaning, and purpose" (Shockley-Zalabak, 2009, p.15). One of the most vital aspects in the business world is organizational communication and how each company uses it to set itself apart from other companies. Organizational communication is basically the communication throughout the upper and lower levels of a company or organization.
Communication is so very important because it's the main way we interact with people. It's vital to be able to give someone a message and have it be understood in the way it is intended to be received. Knowing about the specific areas of communication, the different forms of communication, the means through which we communicate, etc., helps us to all become better communicators. References
Guo, K. (2009). Effective communication in health care: Strategies to improve communication skills for managers. The Business Review, Cambridge,12(2), 8-17. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from ProQuest.
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. (2009). Fundamentals of organizational communication. Boston: Pearson.
Trenholm, S. (2008). Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human communication. Ithaca College: Pearson.
