COMMUNICATION THEORIES The Power of Communication A.

Creation of Things - Through brief utterances God had created marvelous things including man in the following order (Genesis 1:1 29): day and night, the sky, the earth and the sea, plants, sun, moon and stars, birds, fishes, all kinds of animals, and man. These are unquestionably the sources of all items of trade & undeniably the subjects of all business transactions among persons in the global market. 1. Communication is unavoidable One can't not communicate. Facial expression, posture, gesture, clothing, and a host of non-verbal behaviors offer cues about our attitudes. The impossibility of not communicating means that even in our absence, we send messages. Failing to go to classes, show up in an event or leaving the room suggests meanings to others. 2. Communication is irreversible At one time or another, we have all wished we could take back words we regretted uttering. This is not possible. Our words, deeds are recorded in others' memories and we cannot erase them. 3. Communication is a process Every communication event needs to be examined as part of a continuing, ever changing process. Each message doesn't occur in isolation. Example: if you ask your boss to raise your salary, but he responded by saying he was going to cut your pay, then examine first your relationship with your boss...Is he a joker or a serious person? Was he critical or supportive of you in the past? 4. Communication is not a panacea Although communication can smooth out the bumps and straighten the road to success, it won't always get you what you want. If the quality of communication is poor, the results are likely to be disappointing. Misunderstanding and ill feelings can increase due to bad communication. Boosting you communication skill can increase your success, but it isn't a cure all. WHAT IS A MARKET? AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE? A market implies not just a place where you transact business but it is a process where an exchange of goods and services is consummated. ELEMENTS OF A MARKET A market has the basic 4Ps:

People, Process & Physical Evidence

SIGNIFICANCE OF A MARKET IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE Basically, international trade is a market transaction between two countries where one that sells goods and services is called the exporter and the one that buys these goods and services is called the importer. IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE On April 25, 1945 in San Francisco, USA, delegates of 50 allied nations led by the United States, USSR, United Kingdom, China, etc. agree to set up an international body known as the United Nations. Earlier, the World Bank & IMF were organized in October 1944 at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire The resulting Bretton Woods system, the World Bank, IMF, and later the GATT- postwar institutions to provide infrastructure of the new global economy- all give rise to international trade now supervised by WTO. Today, about $7.6 trillion goods and services flow across national borders each year. Given this milieu, communication therefore is the link that ties international trade, foreign exchange, MNCs, and the global economy together. Modern tools of communication such as the internet, cell phones, etc. have succeeded in shrinking many countries of different time zones into a small global village. THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS Elements of the Communication Process: 1. Sender the person who transmits a message. 2. Message the idea that a sender wants to convey. 3. Encoding certain words or symbols to express an idea. 4. Channel also called the medium is the method used to deliver a message. This can either be verbal, non-verbal, or written communication. 5. Receiver any person who notices and attaches some meaning to a message. This include not only your intended receiver, but others who might have who might have eavesdropped while you were talking, a bystander might overhear your critical remarks, or worse a competitor who sees a copy of your correspondence to your customer. 6. Decoding means making sense out of the words or symbols being sent. It is not always accurate. Your joke might sometime be construed as insult or deliberate offense. It is a mistake to assume that your message is decoded accurately 7. Feedback receivers don't absorb messages like sponges; they respond to them. Consider audience questions during a

Product, Price, Place & Promotion

3Ps has been added:

talk or the way a customer glances at his watch during a sales presentation. The discernible response of a receiver to a sender's message is called feedback. Some feedback is non-verbal- smiles, sighs, etc. Sometimes it is oral, written or any other form. 8. Noise consist of factors that interfere with the exchange of messages. A. Physical noise external sounds that distract communication. Some doesn't involve sounds like smelly cigar or overcrowded room that distract concentration. B. Physiological hearing disorders, illness, disabilities fall under this category. C. Psychological consisting of forces within senders that interfere with understanding. Egotism, defensiveness, hostility, preoccupation, fear all these and more constitute psychological noise. 9. Environment these are not just physical locations but as well as the personal history that an individual brings to a communication transaction. Consider the environmental difference between men and women, managers and subordinates, ethnic minorities, rich & poor people, experienced & inexperienced workers... VERBAL AND NONVERBAL (WRITTEN, SIGNS, SYMBOLS, ETC.) COMMUNICATION As a business communicator, you can choose how to deliver a message. You can put your ideas in writing as a letter, memo or report. You can deliver them electronically via computer; or you can communicate orally either over the phone or in person. Deciding which communication to use isn't a trivial matter. Sometimes a written message succeeds where an oral one fails; at other times talking to the recipient in person will produce results that the printed words cannot match. VERBAL COMMUNICATION Words are the vessels that carry most of our ideas to othersthey are only vessels- an imperfect ones- they are not the ideas themselves. Sometimes the message they carry is incomplete or even entirely different from our intended meaning. Even simple messages can be misunderstood. CLARITY AND AMBIGUITY 1.1 Use unequivocal terms to avoid misunderstandingsEquivocal words are those with more than one meaning: A shipment ordered for Portland goes to Oregon instead of Maine. Responding to a telephone message, you called the wrong Ms. Jones.

The results of equivocal misunderstandings are not amusing. It could cost you your job, a transaction or a deadline. Double check your understanding of any key terms. It you mean okay it must be okay or well done not just adequate 1.2 Use lower - level abstraction when clarity is essential

Any object or idea can be described at various levels, some very general and others quite specific. For example: problem equipment problem breakdown of copying machine automatic paper feeder does not work Straighten up the area? &-polish job? A quick clean-up or a spit-

Keep up the good work. Which part of the work are good? Give me your honest opinion. Be diplomatic or blunt?

1.3 Use jargon judiciously - Every profession has its own specialized vocabulary. Computer users talk about DVD drives or image-compression boards. Accountants use liquidity- when assets can be converted to cash; or advertisers refer to CPM- the advertising cost that make a thousand impressions. - Problems arise when insiders use their vocabulary without explaining it to the uninitiated. The incomprehensible language might impress the listeners, it doesn't help them understand the idea. 1.4 Use ambiguous language when it is strategically desirable Vague language can be a sign of deliberate deception... A reported warns a senator, Sir your constituents were confused by today's speech. Good, the senator replied. It took me two days to write it that way. - While vagueness can signal an ethical lapse and while straight talk and clear language are usually admirable goals, there are occasions when deliberate vagueness is the best approach. Vague speech can achieve two goals: 1.4.A To promote harmony Example: the need to work well together or finding solutions we all can live with- are vague statements- however, they do provide a point which everyone can agree. 1.4.B To soften the blow of difficult messages - Brute Honesty: This work isn't good enough. Strategic Ambiguity:

I think the boss will want us to back up these predictions with some figures. Brute Honesty: I don't want to work with you. Strategic Ambiguity:

3.2 We can't have the shipment ready by December 1st. That schedule is just too tight for our staff. We can have ready for you by the sixteenth. Several features characterize powerless language: 3.2.1 Hedges I'm a little worried about... Maybe we should. I guess the best plan is... 3.2.2 Hesitations - The, uh, important point is... Er, couldn't we, um... 3.2.3 Clearly Polite Forms: I'm very sorry to interrupt, but... Yes, sir... 3.2.4 Tag Questions: That price is awfully high, isn't it? Let's try to settle this problem now, all right? 3.2.5 Disclaimers: This is probably a crazy idea, but... You may not like what I have to say... Less powerful speech suggests uncertainty NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION What is nonverbal communication? If non- means not and verbal means words then it seems logical that nonverbal communication means communication that does not use words. Actually, this definition is not totally correct. Every spoken message has a vocal element coming not from what we say, but from how we say it. Nonverbal communication, then, is those messages expressed by other than linguistic means. This include clothing, posture, gesture, distance,, physical environment, photos, paintings, drawings, etc. According to the research of J.K. Burgoon, D.B. Buller & W.G. Woodball, Nonverbal Communication:The Unspoken Dialogue (New York: Harper & Row, 1989), pp. 155-56 In their over 25 years of research, approximately 35% of social meanings comes from verbal statements, while the remaining 65% comes from nonverbal behavior. CHARACTERISTICS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION 1. Non-verbal communication has communicative value

Right now I don't see any projects on the horizon. But if that changes, I'll let you know. EMOTION Language has the power to stir intense emotions. It can motivate, inspire and amuse audiences. Unfortunately, it can also generate negative feelings: antagonism, defensiveness and prejudice. You can prevent these two negative outcomes by following two guidelines: Avoid Biased Language

Emotional problems arise when speakers intentionally or unintentionally use biased language. 2.1.A Denotative (denotation) is the literal definition devoid of any interpretation. Example: water, ignition 2.1.B Connotative (connotation) refers to the emotional associations that can accompany a term. Example: sex, love, cancer... Problems arise when speakers use terms that seem objective but actually conceal an emotional bias.

Beware of Trigger Words

Some terms have such strong emotional associations that they act almost like a trigger, setting off an intense emotional reaction in certain listeners. Trigger words can refer to specific people (your boss), groups or categories of individuals (union stewards, customer with complaints), issues (RH bill, global warming, mining) or other topics (sexual harassment, gay rights) Avoid trigger words by recognizing them. The best reaction is to let the offended person get the strong feelings out of his/her system. Use agreeable terms.

POWER 2. Nonverbal behavior is ambiguous Few words are more interesting to most businesspeople than power. The ability to influence others is one of the most important attributes a communicator can possess. Certain language patterns add to or subtract from a speaker's ability to shape others' thoughts and behaviors. Which of the following statement exhibits powerful language and which is powerless: 3.1 I'm sorry to interrupt. I hate to say this, but I, uh...I'm not sure we can have the shipment ready by Dec. 1st. Okay? 3. Non-verbal communication primarily expresses attitudes 4. Much nonverbal behavior is culture-bound TYPES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION 1. Voice 2. Appearance 3. The Face and Eyes 4. The Body 5. Personal Space and Distance

6. Physical Environment 7. Certain Actions