Category: Communication

Team presentation

As a team member of the group, members of the group introduced themselves initiating the process of knowing one other. Initially, there was suspicion and hesitancy but progression to the second stage (storm) receded after each member had defined roles and tasks. This stage was relatively more difficult than the first one with some of the members exhibiting leadership skills, causing some tension. However, the following stage (norm) where group members decided specific roles increased the tolerance level, easing the tension within the group and helped in resolving some conflicts from the previous stage. This also increased the level of trust and cooperation between group members and facilitated group advancement towards achievement of the goal. As the group members began to channelize their energy to accomplishment of tasks, group effectiveness increased. Finally, the final stage of adjournment is when the discussions and planning had achieved the rightful purpose and we felt that there was less need to interact with each other and we could go about working independently to achieve our tasks.

Reflection

Working in a team has educated me regarding the significance of collective working and group discussions which taught me the dynamics of team building and functioning. I also learnt the importance of defining individual tasks so that each team member would individually undertake one and contribute towards the success of the project. I also learnt that communication is of crucial importance and interactions and communication are an important and indispensable aspect of effective group functioning. When interacting with members of a group, it is essential to comprehend their communication styles so that one can address personal styles the limitations and challenges of the other members of the group leading to enhanced functioning. Respect for members of the group is an essential aspect of enhanced group dynamics and facilitates trust and harmonious relationships between members. Practical experience with working in a group will reinforce the knowledge i have gained through the course and will have a crucial impact on my future academic and professional career.

Recommendation plan for communication skills

The one most important lesson I learnt from this group assignment is the importance of communication skills for the effective functioning of group dynamics. I do believe that my oral communication skills are good; however, there is much scope for improvement with regard to my written communication skills. I feel that I should be better equipped to present my thoughts, ideas and plans through the written medium.

Smart Goals

With the intention of improving my presentation skills, I have devised a smart plan so that I can achieve this Specific goal. I want to improve the manner in which I present data and material to make it look more appealing and interesting to read. In order to do this, I will have to focus on two important areas  learning how to take notes and organising them to present through reports and drafts.

I aspire to maintain a record of all the reports I have drafted so far and compare them with the samples of the best reports of students of my class. I also wish to take help from my professor by asking to mark the final report so that I know where I stand and how much I have improved. I will compare these grades to my previous grades and will have a precise measure of how much progress I have made by measuring the goal.

My primary goal is to attain a score of 90% in the final report which will be marked by my professor upon my request.

By putting this plan into action and achieving substantial results in my written presentation skills, I will have the ability and expertise to write well, which is an extremely crucial aspect of academic and professional success. Whether I plan to further my education or begin work, my written communication skills are important to my growth and development. Considering my enthusiasm and desire to learn, I have set a time limit of three months to achieve my goals and I have set a timetable to prepare one report every week. This way I will be doing 4 reports in a month and about 12 reports by the end of three months.

Introduction

Communication is a vital aspect of human lives because people are naturally social beings. More importantly, long-distance communication posed a greater challenge to the early man but due to technological advancements in the field of communication, the threats have been overcome. Before major inventions in communication, people relied on smoke signals, drums messengers, and even carrier pigeons to convey their messages. Over the years, communication trends have changed and currently, people have instant feedback when they pass messages. During the nineteenth century there was a scramble among scientists to develop advanced ways to allow for fast and distant communication. Communication technology has therefore transformed history in many ways since the 1800s to the current world where almost everything depends on information.

Telegraph

One major contribution of communication technology to history is that it helped in replacing human beings who were previously acting as messengers. After the Italian scientist Alessandro Volta invented the battery cell in 1800, other technologists attempted to use voltaic currents to send messages (Headrick 103). The first practical systems were advanced in England and the United States (US). For instance, in 1837, two Englishmen, Charles Wheatstone and William Cooke installed a five-wire telegraph line along the Great Western Railway to avert cases of accidents (Headrick 103). In that year, the American technologist, Samuel Morse personalized his code which enabled the transmission of messages by sending electrical impulses in form of dashes and dots to represent alphabetical symbols (Headrick 104). Morse opened the first telegraph line between Washington and Baltimore in 1844. The electric telegraph was such an achievement that many lines were built in different parts of North America and Europe. As evident, the use of the electric current in telegraph lines did remove humans as the conveyor of messages as was in prehistoric times.

Telephone

Communication technology was developing and to curb constant breakdowns in telegraph lines, telephones were invented. In 1876, the telephone was patented by an American, Alexander Graham Bell, a teacher of those who was unable to hear and speak. Bell stated that he had called one Mr. Watson who was distant to go and see him over a mouthpiece gadget, and to his amazement, Watson was there declaring that he had understood Bells message (Headrick 115). Bells instrument was not sophisticated and what made it useful was the establishment of a network which various users would call each other. Undoubtedly, this needed enormous investments in wires and exchanges and therefore employing many individuals as switchboard operators. Starting in the early twentieth century, unmanned switches allowed customers to dial numbers without an operatives assistance (Headrick 115). Through telephone invention, communication was completely revolutionized in Europe and also the difficulty that came with the laying of telegraph cables was vanquished.

Radios

Because of the need to share information from any part of the world, technological advancements in the communication field gave rise to a new enterprise, that was broadcasting. By the 1920s, point-to-point radio connected the world nations and sea-ships. In the 1930s, low-priced shortwave radios enabled the remote places to be equipped with transmitters and people could afford receivers capable of tuning in the world (Headrick 119). As such, broadcasting started in 1920 with station KDKA in Pittsburgh, constructed by the Westinghouse Company (Headrick 119). The mid-1920s witnessed many radio stations mushrooming first in the US, and then other parts of Europe, as manufacturers made cheap receivers and sold them to customers who were keen on sports, soap operas and music (Headrick 119). Further, broadcasting in the US was supported by the enterprises that sponsored programs in exchange for the right to intermix their programs with commercials for their products and services. In so doing, they encouraged the consumer culture of people spending money for advertised products. Broadcasting has therefore grown to its full potential because of communication devices such as receivers which were pioneered in the twentieth century.

Television

Once radios became popular in the 1920s, scientists worked harder to invent ways through which pictures and sound could be transmitted. The main challenge that was faced by the inventors was that the transmission of pictures involved more information per second than was the case with sound (Headrick 138). However, the scientific investigation on television was stalled because the equipment and the expertise were directed at the manufacturing of radars, a period preceding Word War II (Headrick 138). After the war, broadcasting resumed in the US and therefore television became indispensable. Between 1949 and 1951, the number of television sets rose from 1 million to 10 million worldwide, and a hundred million in 1975, in the world (Headrick 138). Accordingly, television sets revolutionized information transmission by involving pictures and hence gaining an advantage over radios.

Telecommunication Satellites

Technological inventions in the communication field continued to impact human lives in different ways. Indeed, after World War II great strides were made in the information technology sector in the developed nations such as the America and Britain, to mention a few. In particular, the year 1962 witnessed the launch of the first commercial telecommunication satellite, Telstar that began to transmit television broadcasts globally (Headrick 137). This brought transformation in many parts of the world because, in the 1990s, many countries in the world had joined the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Intelsat), which operated satellites covering the globe (Headrick 137). From 1993, a system of global positioning satellites enables an inexpensive handheld gadget to determine an individuals location within a couple of yards, an extraordinary precision in the land or water (Headrick 137). Without a doubt, the world had entered the era of instantaneous global telecommunications.

Fiber-Optic Cables

Innovations in any field need periodical improvements, and that is why despite having radios, telephones, television sets, scientists had to develop fiber-optic cables. This specific device had lasers that emit pulses of light that could carry information without obtrusion or blurring (Headrick 140). This technology spread quickly and in 1988, a union of AT & T, France Telecom, and British Telecom laid TAT-8, a fiber-optic across the Atlantic Ocean that could carry 40,000 simultaneous conversations (Headrick 140). During the 1990s fiber-optics linked various world nations and therefore reducing long-distance communication costs because of the enormous carrying capacity of the cables (Headrick 140). Notably, the fiber-optic cables have enabled sharing of information through the internet to be efficient since its inception.

Conclusion

In summary, communication technology has changed history in ways that affect human lives as an individual or as a nation. The first remarkable transformation is in the replacement of human, as a messenger, by wires and electric current to relay a message as was seen in the telegraph lines. Telegraph lines became more unreliable because of their constant breakdowns, therefore scientists invented telephones. In the early years of the 1920s, international trade had thrived and the need to create an advertisement for products was important, giving rise to broadcasting through radio receivers. Further, the inclusion of pictures alongside sound necessitated television invention in the 1940s, which boosted broadcasting in addition to radios. Telecommunication continued to grow further and providing real-time feedback by technological advancements such as satellites and fiber-optic cables. Technological inventions in the communication sector have therefore made the twenty-first century be called an information era.

Work Cited

Headrick, Daniel. Technology: A World History. Oxford University Press, 2009.

The chosen artifact demonstrates an informal interpersonal communicative situation between a man and a woman of approximately the same age. They are sharing a personal moment on what appears to be a lunch date. The two people are sharing a hug and holding hands, looking pleased with each others company.

This image reflects one of the most important principles of interpersonal communication  contextuality. As noted by Bowman (2018), communication occurs in the context, and for an interaction to be ethical and effective, it needs to take the circumstances into account.

In the picture, the man and the woman are on a romantic date, which implies informal conversations and possibly public display of affection. It would not be appropriate for them to act in such a manner in the workplace or other regulated environments. Besides, if either of them tried to make advances and shorten the distance while at work without the other persons consent, such behavior could qualify as harassment.

Reference

Bowman, J.M. (2018). Interconnections: Interpersonal communication foundations and contexts (1st ed.). Cengage Learning.

Effective use of email and instant messaging in business communication

When using email to communicate, the geographical and chronological constraints of communication media are invalidated. Thus, it is imperative to adhere to the necessary guidelines in a bid to promote the efficiency of the communication process. It is prudent to include the 5Ws of communication: who; where; when; what and why. By so doing, the recipients are able to respond to the instructions contained in the message. Emails should include a clear subject that acts as a guideline to what is contained in the message. Clarity and brevity are of utmost importance (Lehman, 150). Similarly, each email should contain a single piece of information in order to retain the weight of the contents.

The effective use of voice and wireless technologies

Voice communication is an effective medium of communication since feedback is instant. However, the lack of permanent records in the absence of recording media presents a challenge. The use of voice communication should be restricted to appropriate venues to avoid public disturbances and invasion of privacy (Lehman, 170). Text messages are convenient as a means of passing short messages. However, the amount of information passed through short messaging services is limited and feedback is not instant. With the advancement in technology, most organizations are settling for wireless communication that offers improved security for information. The flexibility achieved during the transfer of voice and data messages has improved the appropriateness of wireless communication in business.

Use of technology in communication

As outlined by Lehman (p32), the ease of communication provided by technology exposes us to legal and ethical issues. The instances of invasion of privacy have been on an increase despite assurances by service providers that the security of content is guaranteed. The freedom of speech embedded in the constitution applies as two-way traffic. Therefore, organizations have to establish strict controls and security measures to protect sensitive information. As a result, password protection and encryption of documents have become common. Departments dealing with sensitive information have ethical and legal guidelines related to the use of the facility.

Describe the deductive outline for good news and routine information

For effective communication, the tone of a message should match the contents (Lehman, 206). For messages intended to deliver pleasant or routine news, the main idea is articulated first. This approach, the deductive approach, enables the reader to appreciate the purpose of the message in the first instance. By so doing, the message will capture the interest of the reader thus contributing to the success of the communication process. However, cultural and social differences on the global scale may dictate otherwise.

Preparation of messages that convey good news

According to (Lehman, 206) messages containing positive messages are best relayed using the deductive approach. The purpose of the message should appear as the first piece of information. By so doing, the writer will lay emphasis on the purpose of the message. The success of thank you and appreciation messages is hinged on the ability to capture the individuals attention at the earliest opportunity. Through the use of few words and direct sentences, such a message remains relevant and effective.

References

Lehman, Carol M. Business Communication, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2007. p 32-207.

Ideas and thoughts can be communicated by different means other than spoken words. Thus, nonverbal communication may be defined as a method of communication, which consists of messages other than words which are usually used in verbal or oral communication. The importance of nonverbal communication arises due to its pre-positioned usage prior to verbal communication. For example, a frown expresses ones dissatisfaction about something (Besson, Graf, Hartung, Kropfhäusser, & Voisard, 2005). Thus, before uttering a sentence, the listener observes the speakers facial expression, which divulges the symbolic message. It is believed that nonverbal cues can persuade its listeners (Cesario & Higgins, 2008) and they transmit messages, which are not expressible through words (Tenjes, 2001). This has been reiterated by Tenjes:

Gesticulation is often an important component of the utterance unit produced, in the sense that the utterance unit cannot be fully comprehended unless its gestural component is taken into consideration. In many instances it can be shown that the gesticulatory component has a complementary relationship to what is encoded in words, so that the full significance of the utterance can only be grasped if both words and gesture are taken into account. (2001, p. 303)

Thus, nonverbal communication is more useful at times than verbal communication.

Individualist-Collectivist Communication Style

Collectivist and individualistic individuals are bipolar entities. Collectivists have been described as ones who value goals and interests associated with cultural groups while individualists have a more personal goals and tasks (Milhouse, 1996). Therefore, the former is more socially oriented and the latter is driven by personal goals. Collectivists have a different communication style as individuals with collectivist values will consider relationally sensitive behaviors to be particularly important for satisfying cultural expectations and complying with social norms (1996, p. 45). Therefore, according to the requirements of their culture these individuals are more likely to organize their behavioral style according to the accepted social patterns and interactions. Some argue that in relatively high collectivist societies where maintaining face is important as members belonging to this group believe that rationally susceptible behavioral style (nonverbal communication) is more capable in expressing feelings than direct communication (verbal communication). According to the study by Milhouse (1996), there is no significant difference in individualists and collectivists styles of communication as people from both the groups are comfortable about socialization with each other.

Usually collectivist and individualist ideals are considered bipolar and thus the polarity is used to explain the differences between the two. However, the balance that needs to be drawn in these two extreme situations is seldom enumerated. For viewing these as two extremes opens the possibility of provoking a dispute. Members in the individualistic groups are more likely to pick up conflicts while collectivists avoid conflicts. The collectivists avoid compromising styles. Thus collectivists are very competitive, but with out-groups. Communication in different cultures is important as they demonstrate how individuals behave in social or personal situations. Thus as the individual differs in their style for being collectivist or individualist, there is a difference in their communication style. Depending on culture being individualist or collectivist, there strikes a difference in interaction in personal life and in corporate communication. The collectivist communication style in office is expressed in its need to preserve group harmony. For instance, in Japan and Korea which are known for their collectivist values stress on group dynamics and harmony. In order to preserve this harmony, collectivists adopt an implicit style of communication. They use ambiguous words in order to avoid confrontation or dissatisfaction. Words, which are used mostly in such groups, are perhaps, maybe, etc (Earley, 1993). Collectivists communication has least amount of negative responses, as they want to preserve group harmony. However, individualists are less concerned with group harmony, and are more likely to use words, which are explicit like absolutely, certainly, and positively (1993). In collectivist, societys corporate communication is mostly personal and oral form of communication and based on two-way flow communication.

Group meetings and activities are more common I collectivist societies than among individualists. These meetings are the means to clarify decisions and strategies and to coordinate activates both horizontally and vertically (Earley, 1993, p. 126). The style of conducting the meetings differs in collectivist and individualistic styles. In individualist style, open confrontation is expected while collectivists will avoid it. The collectivists to avoid confrontation during meetings will discuss the differences prior to the meeting and will look for solution in the meeting. Decisions in collectivist society are made through consensus while in individualistic society through majority rule. Further, communication in collectivist environment is bottom-up while in individualistic society it is top-down.

Direct and Limited Effect Model

Direct effect model pertain to early years of television and radio when communication researchers believed that media had the full power to directly affect its audiences. This view grew out of studies like the Payne Fund studies was conducted by was conducted by the Motion Picture Research Council in 1929 (Ferguson, 2000). The study showed that participants in an academic survey their play, fashion, style, hair, and emotions were directly influenced by the movies. The study brought out that people emulated movie stars considerably. Research also indicated that media had the capability of directly influencing childrens viewpoint regarding a social issue. It also advocated that the attitudinal change was more when exposed to similar media construct was repetitive. Thus, Madden suggests, Youthful moviegoers imitated the behavior of movie stars, unintentionally learned things their parents might prefer remain hidden, and found themselves emotionally moved by what they viewed. (Madden, 2001).

The strong or powerful effects model thus suggests that mass media communication can significantly affect the views and uniformly across masses. Such effects are expected to generate false image in the mind of the viewer. They often are mimed by viewers and they copy non-healthy activities like drinking, smoking, etc. this tool is effective in communicating individualistic society wherein a strong message pertaining to bad habits will be more acceptable as there exists collective disregard. Thus according to this theory media has the capacity to capture the mind and soul of the viewers and divert them according to need.

Even though the power effect model is interesting, scientific research into the model does not support it adequately. Later research showed that people could be persuaded by the media, but the degree to which persuasion was possible was limited.

Thus, there are other reasons, which influence the person to emulate media actions other than media itself. Thus, the limited effect model postulates that media does have the capacity to influence people, but the degree or nature of influence depends on the primary cause, which may or may not be media report. Thus it must be noted that Variations in individual psychology and values, membership in a particular social category, disparities in income, religion, age, gender, and other demographic characteristics can and often do overwhelm a mass medium message. (Madden, 2001).

Thus, the difference in the two models lie in their assumptions wherein the first assumes that the viewers have isolated being and have no social interaction while the limited effect model suggests that people are social being and they interact with their family, friends, and coworkers. These differences affect the kind of message they will absorb and select to consume and the messages they will reject. This can be furthered by stating that in individualistic society people have fewer social interactions and thus the influence of media is stronger while in case of collectivist societies the level of interaction between people is high, thereby, increasing reducing the influence of media on peoples ideas and decisions. Further, non-verbal communication has greater influence in collectivist society as they believe in implicit communication while individualistic society will depend more on verbal communication. Thus, the thesis statement that the paper proposes is the degree of effect of communication on collectivist people is less and vice versa.

Research Method

The research method that is proposed to be used is ethnography. The reason for this suggestion is that methods like conversation analysis can be used to analyses verbal communication, but not nonverbal communication and unobtrusive analysis can be used when observations are to be done in a simulated situation. However when we intend to observe the effect of the media discourse on a group of people it is better if they are observed in their natural context so that the real effect can be captured by the researcher.

Reference

Besson, C., Graf, D., Hartung, I., Kropfhäusser, B., & Voisard, S. (2005). The Importance of Non-verbal Communication in Professional Interpretation. Web.

Cesario, J., & Higgins, E. T. (2008). Making Message Recipients Feel Right. Psychological Science 19(5) , 415-420.

Earley, P. C. (1993). Culture, self-identity, and work. New York: Oxford University Press.

Ferguson, S. D. (2000). Researching the public opinion environment: theories and methods. Thousand Oaks: CA: SAGE.

Madden, R. (2001). Media, Effects, and Politics. Web.

Milhouse, V. H. (1996). Intercultural strategic competence: An effective tool collectivist and individualist students can use to better understand each other. Journal of Instructional Psychology 23(1) , 45.

Tenjes, S. (2001). Gestures As Pre-Positions In Communication. Trames 5(55/50) , 302320.

To calculate the number of communication channels for effective project management, use the formula (N(N-1))/2, where N is the number of team members. In case the team is represented by five people, the total number of required communication channels is defined as (5(5-1))/2=(5(4))/2=20/2=10. Therefore, a project with five people requires ten channels of communication in order to ensure effective operational interactions. In an effective team, communication must be ensured between all parties involved in order for opinions and needs to be shared. In other words, each team member must be able to interact with their partners within the workgroup. According to the formula, the final number of connections in this group is defined as ten; this is reflected visually in the figure below. It can be seen that, in this case, the condition that everyone interacts with everyone is achieved; that is, all participants are connected by a channel. Consequently, this formula should be agreed with and accepted as it works for calculating the effective number of channels.

It is more challenging to decide on the need to involve all stakeholders, including those outside the final project, in communication channels in general. It is worth clarifying that stakeholders are a generalization of all the channels related to the goals and implementation of the business. This includes potential customers whose involvement in the project, however, is not a sensible idea. Consequently, involving stakeholders not involved in the project in communication channels may be redundant. Instead, effective project management requires that the team clearly knows and targets stakeholder interests in order for the completion of the project to make sense at all. In terms of clients, investors, or the abstract community, the project would have to be responsive to stakeholders interests and expectations.

At the current stage of its development, the world is more globalist than it has ever been. Notably, information about other nations continues to become more and more available for ordinary citizens, and cross-cultural communication can occur through several channels in parallel. The paper examines three, of which each has certain limitations but allows for a broader picture of the world on the condition of correct use.

One channel is transnational corporations (TNCs), businesses that operate around the globe. The presence of such in a community, in one respect, helps revitalize it by creating jobs, investing in finance, and sharing advanced technological solutions, which is especially important for developing nations (Chernotsky & Hobbs, 2018). Along with this, TNCs frequently monopolize the industry, oppressing smaller businesses. In the United States, for instance, the powerful brands that control food production purchase ingredients from farmers for the prices they establish (Lakhani et al., 2021). Such behavior leads to the economic development of the population. Therefore, TNCs should support local small businesses rather than exploit them to be more socially responsible.

Another channel of international communication is tourism, which allows for a diverse and unique experience. It is worth noting, however, that personal views of foreign nations are subjective; Riccardi (n.d.) highlights that they depend strongly on the way the individual perceives the world. In particular, openness to a new experience determines visual perception; simply stated, a curious and risky person sees more than a reserved one does (Goldhill, 2017). Considering this, it is essential to remember that everybody regards other cultures through his or her own lens, which may cause misunderstanding.

Finally, historical discourses also can help learn more about other countries, sometimes changing the view of those. Thus, it may be astonishing that females in South Africa and Turkey won suffrage earlier than in France, which currently is among the strongholds of womens rights (Ellis, 2021). However, such knowledge makes it clear that the latter cannot be a universal measurement of well-being. A bright example is Iran, where women lost the vast majority of career prospects after the Islamic revolution; this country remains at the bottom of global equality ratings (ibid.). Therefore, it apparently is among the least favorable locations for living and work, as permanent discrimination is dramatically demotivating.

To summarize, popular channels of cross-cultural communication have both advantages and disadvantages. Notably, transnational corporations favor sharing experience and resources but can become monopolists, making the population dependent on them. However, tourism provides a broad perspective on foreign countries, which is highly subjective. Studying history, meanwhile, can compensate for the latter drawback, adding to the knowledge of a certain culture and simplifying its exploration.

References

Chernotsky, H. I., & Hobbs, H. H. (2018). Crossing borders (3^rd Ed.). SAGE.

Ellis, J. (2021). When women got the right to vote in 50 countries. Stacker. Web.

Goldhill, O. (2021). Open-minded people have a different visual perception of reality. Quartz. Web.

Lakhani, N., Uteuova, A., & Chang, A. (2021). Revealed: the true extent of Americas food monopolies and who pays the price. The Guardian. Web.

Riccardi, P. (n.d.). Cross-cultural communication [Video]. YouTube. Web.

Introduction

Communicating effectively is vital in addressing an international audience. A high degree of sensitivity, skills and regulation is required. According to Victor (2009, p. 36), monitoring the content of a speech before and after its delivery, is necessary. Compared with casual speech, public speech requires a high degree of sensitivity. This is because one has to consider a number of factors. For example, a number of ethical considerations should be integrated to ensure that the content of the words used are not injurious. In order to attain this, it is important to consider the audience as honorable. This is a vital ingredient for those aspiring to become effective communicators. By considering phrases such as &are you enlightening the world or are you speaking in tongues? the author intends to outline the factors to consider when addressing an international audience. The essay will evaluate the ethical and cultural implications created by analyzing the impact of the authors culture on his style of communication.

Factors to Consider while communicating

One of the factors to consider with regard to international communication is the language of choice. Effective translation is one of the major challenges facing international communication (Wood 2009, p. 57). This is because the meaning of words varies from one language to another. The second factor to consider is the issue of the environment. The environment in which an individual addressing an international audience lives has an impact on the culture adopted. This has an effect on the style he or she uses while giving a speech. For instance, the individual may find it difficult to understand or accept other peoples views.

The social organization of the speaker or author has an effect on the effectiveness with which he or she addresses an international audience. Some of the social issues considered include the level of education, social class, religion, gender and ones job status. Other factors include face-saving and the level of authority. In addition, there are also non-verbal behaviors such as eye contact, sense of touch, dressing code and use of paralanguage (Victor 2010, p.1).

In the case provided above, the author gives an example of speaking in tongues in an effort to illustrate the usage of frame of reference (Osthuizen 2006, p.1). In practice, this is effective for explanation purposes. However, the writing may be perceived as offensive by some readers. A considerable degree of sensitivity is required while communicating in international business. From the phrase above, the employee is right to a certain degree with regard to the matter of discussion. However, the diction used should be addressed by his manager. The culture implied by this statement portrays a sense of religion. The author seems to have background knowledge of Christian faith whereby speaking in tongue is common. However, the author seems to have little regard to some of the sensitive issues portrayed by the phrase illustrated above. His communication style is therefore perceived to be modernized and aggressive. This is evident in the way in which he seems to violate principles held by other people (The CEDA Meta-Profession Project n.d., p.1). The phrase depicts the author to have less consideration for other peoples feelings and a perception of being superior to others. Stern warning and possible form reprisal should be given to such employees.

Conclusion

While addressing the public either via writing or in a public speech, it is important to address the targeted parties in a respectable manner. In addition, possible forms of misconception should be eliminated. Although an individuals communication is influenced by various factors, it is important to ensure that the content and tone of the message they communicate does not hurt other individuals.

Reference List

Osthuizen, T., 2006. In Marketing Across Cultures: Are You Enlightening the World or Are You Speaking in Tongues. Vol. 20. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of technology.

The CEDA Meta-Profession Project., n.d. Communication Styles. Web.

Victor, D., 2010. Cross Cultural/ International Communication. Reference for business. Web.

Wood, J. 2009, Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters. 6^th Ed. South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning.

To my opinion, the basic model of interpersonal communication can be employed to facilitate the understanding of the influence of smartphone usage since the definition of basic interpersonal communication can apply to a smartphone conversation: it involves two or more individuals and reflects their roles and characters. In this case, the basic model can help to understand how smartphone usage changes the communication between people. However, the model can only be used to understand how people speak to each other via smartphones, while smartphones serve multiple different purposes such as internet search.

The use of smartphones has impacted the way of professional communication between business people. The exchange of messages has become faster, and people are expected to respond quickly since their smartphones allow them to do it even if they are in a place where they are not allowed to text. Smartphones help businessmen to remain in contact with their travel partners. In addition, many entrepreneurs use social media for business communication. However, some of them resist the impact of smartphones. They continue using e-mail via their desktop computers and stay out of social media (Nelson & Quick, 2012, p. 233).

Smartphone usage has also transformed how college students communicate. Nowadays, college students mostly prefer texting their friends to having a verbal conversation with them. The most widespread type of communication between college students is a long texting conversation. Such a conversation can take place while the communicators are supposed to do something else, for example, listen to their professor in class. Smartphones help college students to stay in touch with their friends without actually seeing them (Nelson & Quick, 2012, p. 233).

It is often said that the development of technology makes people technologically connected but disconnected personally at the same time. To my opinion, such sayings are no more than fear of the new. Since people learned to build houses, they tend to avoid each other and keep as much personal space as they can. In earlier times, people would exchange letters if the distance is long or send each other notes with a messenger if it is short.

They would meet in person in two cases: they wanted to see a particular person or they had to do it out of their job responsibilities. The development of technology allows to reduce the latter, but people continue doing the former: arrange romantic dates, attend parties and other social events, and go out for a pizza with friends. Technology does not make us disconnected personally; it merely demonstrates that we do not want to be connected to many people.

References

Nelson, D., & Quick, J.C. (2012). Organizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you (8th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.

Introduction

It is clear that social media play a significant role in a contemporary persons life. The study that we conducted was aimed at understanding the correlation between face-to-face communication and communication via devices and social media between people while they were buying things in big shops. This paper goes over the methodological aspects of our study and provides a summary of what we have learned about social psychological research while conducting it. It also sums up the conclusions of the study itself. The further implications of our research are also expounded; some responses to the influence of social media are suggested, and areas for subsequent research are proposed.

Methodological Aspects of our Study and What We Have Learned about Social Psychological Research

While conducting our study, we were able to understand the methods of social psychology more deeply and apply them in practice (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, p. 39-59). We chose the observational data collection method and performed direct (recording naturally occurring behaviors and categorizing them), nonparticipant (not intervening in the course of actions) observation of customers in a particular setting (big shops). Such observation enabled us to perceive the clients natural behavior in the shop environment. The independent (manipulated) variable was the gender of customers, whereas the dependent variables (the correlation between which was observed) comprised the amount of communicating face-to-face and the amount of communicating via devices, for we needed to establish the correlation between these two types of communication.

The research design we applied was descriptive; we observed the changes in variables and summarized the findings. The research was mixed (i.e., qualitative and quantitative at the same time), for we wanted to compare the amount of communicating via devices to the amount of communicating face-to-face, at the same time attempting to note the content of both types of communication. We also realized the importance of keeping to the principles of research ethics, and only observed the behaviors that were practiced publicly; on the whole, the researcher was only different from other people in the shop in the amount of attention paid to customers.

Regarding our analysis of the content of social media, most of these characteristics remained the same, though the dependent variables were the quantity and the quality (positive/negative opinion) of posted comments. Concerning the setting, we observed customers reactions in social networks, primarily on the accounts of big shops and malls. As for ethics, we only worked with those comments that were open to the public and did not pry into any personal information which might be contained in the networks.

The usage of the named methods and principles has allowed us to understand them more deeply, and it is clear that the next time we conduct a study, the methodological part will be quite familiar to us.

Summary of the Research Conclusions

As a result of our research, we were able to reach some important conclusions. For instance, it is evident that the representatives of both sexes can be accompanied by friends in shops, but females are accompanied more often. Moreover, males tend to extract information on products via the Internet using their devices and make the decision themselves, while females usually would rather consult with the shop assistant or ask their friends opinions (personally or via their devices) to get advice and assistance with making the decision. (This is supported by Kraft and Weber (2012), who highlight that men often elicit information about products online, while women tend to get the information from sellers.) Therefore, it is clear that both men and women use devices while buying goods in shops.

We have also found out that people use devices while buying goods regardless of whether they are accompanied by friends or not. Therefore, it is evident that communication via devices is extremely popular nowadays. It has replaced face-to-face communication, but to a certain extent only. They are also often combined; people who have a company of friends still use their devices to get more data or advice.

While analyzing social media, we were also able to reach the conclusion that customers often leave feedback in social network accounts of shops or malls. Clients might even tag their friends in some cases if they wanted to recommend a good product to someone who might be interested in it, but this did not happen often. Negative comments were present as well, but they disappeared after some time, which means that the shops were monitoring their accounts. The latter fact prevented us from clearly identifying which comments prevailed  positive or negative. However, we were able to determine that both positive and negative feedback in social media have an influence. It is hard to say exactly which one is stronger, but it might be assumed that negative comments in most cases cause a stronger reaction than positive ones, for the former ones cause an emphatic feeling of indignation about low-quality service and the wish to warn others, whereas the latter ones might be perceived as an advertisement and, therefore, are not very often shared.

It is also possible to note that the social context had an important influence on customers. For instance, it was okay for them to try on clothes and make selfies to post them online or send them to friends, whereas in some other cultures, it might have been considered unacceptable. The nature of relationships with friends led customers to ask for the friends opinions. The fact that some of the clients came to shops with friends and spent there some time indicates that they might have been spending their leisure while doing so. This also shows that they are a part of particular social groups and classes, for the poor or the extremely wealthy would be unlikely to spend their free time this way. Therefore, it should be concluded that the social context significantly shaped the behaviors of customers.

The Implications of Our Study

Synthesizing the theoretical data about the nature of social psychological research, we conducted our own study that allows us to better understand the phenomenon of online communication and utilize this understanding in marketing strategies. Our study has some important implications; while they mainly support already identified trends, they also add some details to the already existing knowledge. For instance, Correa, Hinsley, and De ZúHiga (2010) note that personal traits and not gender plays a significant role in the frequency of the usage of social media; we were able to notice that both males and females used their devices in shops as well.

Rapp, Beitelspacher, Grewal, and Hughes (2013) stress that social media might have a significant influence on peoples behavior (customers behavior included). One of the implications of our study suggests some reasoned responses to this influence. Indeed, because women pay much attention to their friends opinions, it might be effective to use word-of-mouth to advertise products intended for women. On the other hand, since men tend to look for information about products online, it is better to make detailed information about goods aimed at men available on the Internet, for it is clear that they would prefer to buy the products they know enough about in order to ensure that the product is of high quality.

Also, we were able to find out that both positive and negative online feedback from customers has some influence. We already reasoned that negative comments are likely to cause a stronger reaction than positive ones. The same was noted by Pfeffer, Zorbach, and Carley (2014), who researched the phenomenon of online firestorms. This implies that companies should be careful and avoid negative feedback posted online.

Therefore, it is possible to suggest conducting more detailed research on the influence of online feedback on clients. It also might be offered to carry out a quantitative research to find out a more exact ratio of face-to-face communication to communication via devices and analyze the influence of social media on our lives in more detail.

Conclusion

To sum up, it should be noted that, while conducting our study, we were able to learn to use social psychological methodological tools in practice. The research allowed us to reach a number of conclusions about how customers utilize devices and face-to-face communication while buying goods in big shops. We found that 1) representatives of both sexes can be accompanied by friends in big shops; 2) both males and females can use devices even when accompanied by friends; 3) men usually extract information about products online, while women tend to ask for advice; 4) both positive and negative feedback in social media influences clients choices; 5) social context has an important influence on customers. Our study implies that 1) word-of-mouth should be effective while advertising products for females, whereas information about goods for males, should be available online; 2) companies should endeavor to avoid negative comments online. We can further suggest conducting detailed research on the influence of online feedback on clients, as well as a study of the exact ratio of face-to-face communication to communication via devices.

References

Correa, T., Hinsley, A.W., & De ZúHiga, H.G. (2010). Who interacts on the Web? The intersection of users personality and social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(2), 247-253.

Kraft, H., & Weber, J.M. (2012). A look at gender differences and marketing implications. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(21), 247-253.

Pfeffer, J., Zorbach, T., & Carley, K. M. (2014). Understanding online firestorms: Negative word-of-mouth dynamics in social media networks. Journal of Marketing Communications, 20(1-2), 117-128. doi:10.1080/13527266.2013.797778

Rapp, A., Beitelspacher, L. S., Grewal, D., & Hughes, D. E. (2013). Understanding social media effects across seller, retailer, and consumer interactions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(5), 547-566.

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.