Study guide for first assignment ( personal ) 2500 words

Assignment :
This assignment asks you to critically examine a problematic
communications event or
encounter that arises from and causes difficulties for those involved in
your professional or
organisational context. You are asked to identify, describe and analyse
such a problemcircumstance
on the basis of the concepts and theories explored in the first half of the
course
(that is, weeks 1-6). From this interpersonal communications
understanding of the
circumstance, you are asked to identify and explain the kinds of personal
and organisational
communications practices that contribute to this problem and therefore
must be overcome orchanged in order to improve the situation.

Week: 1
Introduction: Understanding communication today
Understanding and being proficient in communication skills is considered
to be of vital
importance in the training environment and in today's corporate world.
This topic will engage
participants in learning to understand how dynamics in contemporary
workplaces precipitate a
range of communication requirements, processes and problems that can
be addressed through
interpersonal skills. These can range from the fundamentals of writing
personal emails and
memos to the strategic positioning of people and information in board
room negotiations and
from the casual chatter of work colleagues through to the formal delivery
of speeches to
purposefully assembled audiences. In all these cases, formal and informal,
significant and less
so, communication choices made and enacted are creating and mediating
the kinds of
relationships necessary to the success of our endeavours, be they in
business, in family or in
friendships.
Research has indicated that the richness of information transfer is
dependent on the channel of
communication (Hellriegel, 1989). Face to face discussion provides the
richest means of
information transfer and in decreasing order, telephone communication,
informal, personally
addressed letters, memos and emails, then formal written documents and
lastly formal numeric
documents such as computer printouts of items such as bank statements.
Richness is more
than a measure of accuracy and success in getting a message across a
communications divide
resolved through some form of connecting channel. Rather, richness is an
indication of the
dynamic complexity that attends all communications activities and
highlights the need to be
aware of and accommodating of this complexity when planning and
executing communication.
Richness thereby concerns message, meaning and success as well as
purposes and
possibilities; power and influence; time, place and context; individual and
social; relationship
and development and the present and the future. Understanding and
attending to this richness,
this complexity, is both difficult and demanding and yet, as the research
indicates, highly
rewarding in terms of both business and personal success.
Corporate and personal communication today is being significantly
affected by the growing use
of emails and other web technologies. An intelligent approach is required
in the successful
adaptation of such advances, in order to maintain rich and effective
communication within
organizations and between the people who work in them. This means
more than effecting
quicker, more efficient and more frequent communications. It means
understanding the
difficulties and opportunities these technologies present. New
technologies, mean new
communications which in turn mean new ways of doing things and new
things to do. Doing them
well will always be dependent on cultivating care and greater
understanding.
Readings
Beck, C. (1999) Managerial Communication. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Chapter 1, pp. 1-17.
Rifkin, J. (2001) The age of Access: how the shift from ownership to access
is transforming
modern life. London: Penguin. [Extracts], pp. 23-29, 108-111, 138-141,
162-165, 212-
217, 260-267.
Thompson, K. (1998) Emotional Capital: Capturing hearts and minds to
create lasting business
success. Oxford, UK: Capstone. [Extracts], pp. 51-57, 72-85, 124-127, 246-
249.
Reflective Questions
1. What are some of the communication problems common in
contemporary workplaces?
2. How can use of effective communication skills overcome these
problems?
4151EBL / 7152EBL Study Guide Griffith University 5
Websites
[Link]
0/917BD61D1D82723BCA257460000B436F?O
penDocument (accessed 15/12/10)
This website offers an indication of the importance of communications
within the corporate
world. It highlights some of the personal and organisational
communications practices that
support improved work performance and does so within the very real
operations of a
government support services department.
Additional References
Beck, C. (1999) Managerial Communication: Bridging Theory and Practice.
New Jersey:
Prentice Hall.
Daniels, T.D., & Spiker, B.K. (1991) Perspectives on organizational
communication. Dubuque,
IA: [Link] Publishers.
Duck, S. & McMahan, D.(2009) The basics of communication: a relational
perspective.
Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
Dwyer, J. (2006) The business communication handbook. Frenchs Forest,
NSW: Pearson
Education.
Goldhaber, G.M. (1990) Organizational communication (5th edition).
Dubuque, IA: Wm. C.
Brown Publishers.
Hellriegel, D. et. al. (1989) Organisational Behaviour New York: St Paul
West Publishing.
Lesikar, R.V. & Flatley, M.E. (2002) Basic Business Communication. Boston:
McGraw Hill.
Locker, K. (2000) Business and Administrative Communication. Sydney:
McGraw-Hill.
Munter, M. (2000) Guide to Managerial Communication: Effective Business
Writing and
Speaking. London: Prentice Hall.
Overton, R. (2008) Business Communication. Sydney: Martin Books
Penrose, J., Rasberry, r., & Myers, R. ( 2001) Advanced Business
Communication. (4th Ed.).
United States: Southwestern Publishing, Thompson Learning.
Rogers, E.M., & Allbritton, M.M. (1995) Interactive communication
technologies in business
organisations. The Journal of Business Communication, 32, 177-195.
Wood, J.T. (2009) Communication in our lives. (5th Ed.) Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth publications.
All the materials noted above represent a brief indication of the wealth of
information on the
subject of business and personal communication that underpins this
course. You cannot expect
to read it all. Rather, through your reading, focus on those aspects of the
course that most
interest you and pursue these as your primary areas of engagement in the
course.
Be aware of the commercial nature of dot com materials from the internet.
The websites noted
throughout this study guide are predominantly commercial enterprises
who promote and
disseminate information that serves their purposes – these may not be
yours. However, such
sites offer insight into how business and commercial organisations view
communications
processes and outcomes. Examine them all critically.

Week: 2
What is communication? - Communication process
models and
theories
Communication, and particularly interpersonal communication, is defined
in many ways. A brief
scan of the books and articles devoted to this subject will reveal a vast
array of theories and
perspectives that underpin the numerous definitions available. This is not
surprising given the
fundamental nature of communications as central to who we are and what
we do – we are, if
nothing else, communicators and understanding this reality is possible
from many different
conceptual vantage points. A simple framework that enables a holistic
perspective on the many
understandings of communications is the threefold framework that views
communication as
either (1) action, (2) interaction or (3) transaction.
Communication as action focuses on understandings of sending
messages. This occurs when
a letter is written and posted, or a greeting left on voicemail or an email or
text is sent. Equally, a
salesperson ringing the doorbell, a brochure placed in a letter box and a
radio or television
broadcast are all instances of messages being communicated.
Communication as interaction focuses on understandings of information
exchange. This occurs
when the door is opened to the waiting salesperson and the email
message is replied to, that is,
when the receiver becomes a sender and completes the interaction
through a responsive
message or feedback that acknowledges the initial sender.
Communication as transaction focuses on understandings of constructed
meanings that bind
communicating parties – meanings that are more than or additional to the
exchange of
information. This occurs when an exchange of emails cements a
connection as friendship or
business colleagues or when the homeowner reacts angrily to the
discovery of the unwanted
salesperson at their door. In the case of the email, friendship is
transacted, in the case of the
salesperson, hostility is transacted – such meanings are beyond the
information exchanged,
they are considered new meanings that are transacted through shared
communication.
Across each of these three understandings, a range of communications
models and theories
seek to explain and illustrate the many variables and relationships that go
to making
communication a complex and yet fundamental human activity. Some of
these many models
and theories are briefly outlined on the University of Twente website listed
here -
[Link] (accessed 15/12/10)
All these different models and theories enable the analysis and evaluation
of communication
practices and events. Each emphasizes or concentrates on specific
elements of the processes
and outcomes we recognize as communications.
This course, as evidenced by the first chapter of the DeVito text book,
focuses on the
transactional view of interpersonal communication and draws on a range
of social psychology
theories in pursuit of the relational analysis of communication practices
and events. A relational
analysis focuses on two primary qualities of interpersonal communication
transactions. Firstly,
that all the factors that influence communication (such as culture, skills,
noise, etc.) are
relationally interdependent and secondly, that all communications take
place within and impacts
a relationship between the parties concerned. To pursue such an analysis
is to examine how
and why people relate to each other in the ways they do through
examining how and why they
communicate – in both the intimacy of private conversation and the more
public domain of work
and organisational practice.
4151EBL / 7152EBL Study Guide Griffith University 7
Readings
Course text - DeVito, J.A. (2009) The Interpersonal Communication Book
(12th Ed.). Boston:
Pearson Education Inc.
• Chapter One - 'Foundations of Interpersonal Communication.'
Book of Readings:
Gudykunst, W. (1995) Building bridges: interpersonal skills for a changing
world. Boston:
Houghton Miffin, pp. 3-33.
Argyle, M. & Henderson, M. (1985) The anatomy of relationships. London:
Heinemann. (Ch 10
“Social Relationships at work”), pp. 238-269, 272-275.
Dwyer, J. (1999) Communication in Business: Strategies and Skills.
Sydney: Pearson
Education. Ch 17 Organisational Communication, pp. 323-343.
Reflective Questions
• What communication process models and theories would be considered
most useful in your
professional context for interpreting, evaluating, and planning the quality
of communication?
• How could these models and theories be used to solve communication
problems in your
context?
Websites
There are literally thousands of websites devoted to the presentation and
explanation of
communication process models and theories. Simply google the term –
communications
process models – and explore the many options available. Note the
differences between the dot
com and dot edu presentations. Many businesses and academics are
striving to construct a
better communications model that more clearly illustrates the
fundamental features noted in the
DeVito text book.
Additional References
Allen, M.W., Gotcher, J.M. & Seibert, J.H. (1993) A decade of organizational
communication
research: Journal articles 1980-1991. In S.A. Deetz (Ed.), Communication
yearbook 16 (pp.
252-330). Newbury Park: Sage.
Bovee, C., & Thill, J. (2000) Business Communication Today. London:
Prentice Hall.
Eisenberg, E.M., & Goodall, [Link]. (1993) Organizational communication:
Balancing creativity
and constraint. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 326-341.
Hargie, O. (1997) The handbook of communication skills. London:
Routledge.
Hargie, O., Saunders, C., & Dickson, D. (1994) Social skills in interpersonal
communication.
(Third edition). London: Routledge.
Watzalawick,P., Beavin, J. & Jackson, D. (1967) Pragmatics of Human
Communication: A study
of interactional patterns, pathologies and paradoxes. New York: Norton.
Wood, J. & Duck, S. (Eds.) (2006) Composing relationships: Communication
in everyday life.
Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Week: 3
Non verbals, listening and assertion
This topic brings together three specific sets of communications
behaviours that are
fundamental to effective interpersonal communication. Each represents a
wealth of information
and understanding that could not be thoroughly examined within the limits
of this course.
However, beginning such an examination is essential to grasping some of
the important factors
that particularly mediate face-to-face interpersonal interactions. Before a
word is spoken, the
body, through dress, posture, gesture and facial expression is engaged in
communicative action
that brings a huge stock of meaning to the relationship that is being
enacted. As those
concerned ‘read’ and engage in sharing and transforming these non-
verbal meanings, they do
so from a strong base of previous experience that has established
patterns and ways of
perceiving the world, others and themselves. When words are uttered and
enter the complex
meaning domain already established, these ways of perceiving are active
in listening to support
interpreting, evaluating and responding within the interaction as it
progresses. A response may
require speaking and speaking with a strength of intent and understanding
that is designed to
influence the interaction in particular ways. Such a response brings
aspects of the self, the
person of the speaker, into contention as forms of personal power, desire
and emotion. Think of
a recent communications event where you have had to carefully and
accurately assess the
situation before making your request or asserting your opinion. What
communications
behaviours did you engage in and how did you make the decisions that
guided your
participation in that event? To consider such a question is to begin to
examine the
communications behaviours at the heart of this topic.
Non-verbal communication is communication without words. Some
theorists view it as a system
of meaning elements comprising space and distance (proxemics),
movement and gesture
(kinesics), sound and silence (vocalics), timing (chronemics) and touch
(haptics). Encoding and
decoding these elements cannot be done in isolation because they work
as an interacting
system that functions interdependently with other meaning systems such
as words and other
symbol systems. Focusing, for example, on facial expression and gesture
alone (as important
as they are in non-verbal communication) is insufficient to the task of
analyzing meaning making
in interpersonal interactions. Ambiguity or mismatch between non-verbal
and verbal
communication is a common cause of confusion and conflict. A smile, so
common a feature in
interpersonal communication, represents a wealth of potential meaning
and needs to be
considered carefully as a cue that progresses and punctuates
communications.
Listening effectively is the skill of being personally attentive to, engaged
with, critical about and
relationally aware of the meanings being transacted in your
communications events. It is an
active process of being in and part of that transaction. As such, listening is
far more than
hearing and theorists distinguish different types of listening. These
differences can be identified
as different reasons or objectives for listening (e.g., for information,
therapeutic or pleasure
purposes), as different ways of listening (e.g., active or passive, selective
or literal) and as
different outcomes of listening (e.g., relationship building, promotion
enhancing). In elaborating
these differences, theorists have generated stage and phase models of
the listening process,
skill sets and techniques to develop listening competence and
understandings of the barriers
that hinder effective listening – all of which are useful in understanding the
importance of
listening in interpersonal communications
Assertiveness in the ability to express how you feel, to choose how you
will act, to disagree
when you think it is important to speak up for your rights and to recognise
the rights of others.
Its value is in promoting clarity of communication, along with self-help,
self-responsibility and a
sense of well-being. Without the confidence and respect assertiveness
engenders, relationships
enacted in communications events risk being weaker than they otherwise
could be and thereby
less able to deal with the information and interactions necessary to
effective performance. Being
assertive, unlike being aggressive or insensitive, strengthens relationships
through effective
communication by overcoming ambiguity and empowering communicants
to be themselves.
4151EBL / 7152EBL Study Guide Griffith University 9
Readings
Course text - DeVito, J.A. (2009)
• Chapter Three – Perception and the Self in Interpersonal
Communication.
• Chapter Four – Listening in Interpersonal Communication.
• Chapter Six – Nonverbal Messages.
• Chapter Eight – Conversational Messages.
Book of Readings
Adler, R.B., Resenfeld, L.B., & Towne, N. (1995) Interplay: The process of
interpersonal
communication. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Chapter 6,
pp. 185-219.
Bolton, R. (1986) People Skills. Brookvale, NSW: Simon & Schuster. Chs 3
& 4, pp. 29-43, 49-
61.
Reflective Questions
• What are the important features of effective non-verbal, listening and
assertion skills?
• How can these skills be developed in communicators?
Websites
Australian Flexible Learning Framework
[Link]
resources/03_effective_c
ommunication/04_nonverbal_comm/page_001.htm
References
Adler, R.B., Rosenfeld, L.B., & Towne, N. (1995) Interplay: The process of
interpersonal
communication. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 184-223.
Chapter 6:
Nonverbal communication.
Barker, R. (1992) 'An investigation of perceived managerial listening
ability' in Journal of
Business and Technical Communication, 6, 438-457.
Bryan, A.E., & Gallois, C. (1992) Rules about assertion in the workplace:
Effects of status and
message type. Australian Journal of Psychology, 44, 51-59.
Burgoon, J.K., Buller, D.B., & Woodall, W.G. (1996) Nonverbal
communication. The unspoken
dialogue. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 297-337. Chapter 11:
Defining and managing
relationships.
Haas, J.W. & Arnold, C.L. (1995) ‘An examination of the role of listening in
judgments of
communication competence in co-workers’. The Journal of Business
Communication, 32(2),
123-139.
Rakos, R.F. (1991) Assertive behaviour: Theory, research and training.
London: Routledge.

Week: 4
Interaction management
Interaction management is the purposeful monitoring and regulation of
behaviour to ensure the
satisfaction of participants in interpersonal communication. Such
management is effective when
those concerned are able to engage fully, exercise their agency
(intentionality, sense of self,
etc) and achieve the informational and relational objectives they bring to
the interaction.
Interpersonal communications competence stands as a fundamental
aspect of this
management. That competence is initially built on critical self awareness
as a communicator
and is enacted through the status and authority (personal power) that
attends individual’s
position within the interaction. For those seeking to enhance the
effectiveness of interpersonal
communications at private and organisational levels, developing and
strengthening such
competence becomes imperative – and this is particularly so for those
seeking to enhance not
only their own competence but also that of those around them and with
whom they interact.
There are a range of cognitive and social psychology theories that address
issues of self
perception and identity practice. Within the interpersonal communications
management focus
here, these can be examined from the perspective of (i) impression
formation and (ii) impression
management.
Impression formation deals with issues of how we perceive others and
the impressions we
form of them. Doing so sensitively and accurately can enhance
communication effectiveness.
Doing so with prejudice and ignorance can hinder communication
effectiveness. For example,
we are all prone to what is referred to as ‘perceptual accentuation’ – that
is, we accentuate what
we feel we need or want to perceive and so can fail to form accurate
impressions of others. We
might, for example, think that people who are friendly to us, like us, when
in fact they may not
know anything about us. Or similarly, we may think that people who smile
at us are friendly
when they may in fact be disingenuous.
Impression management deals with issues of how we present ourselves
to others and so seek
to manage their impression of us. Doing so deceptively can lead to ‘living
a lie’ and so require
us to act in ways that don’t come easily to us. To sustain such an
inaccurate representation of
ourselves we engage in ‘self-monitoring strategies’ so we don’t speak of
ourselves in ways that
could reveal the reality we are seeking to conceal or overcome. Think of
all the things you would
not like your boss or your partner to know about you – how do you ensure
these things are
hidden and their impression of you remains as you wish it to be.
These brief indications of ‘self oriented factors’ indicate aspects of
ourselves that we can
manage in our interactions with others. They also offer indications of how
we can manage
others’ interactions with us as we are sensitive to and aware of how they
are forming
impressions of us and themselves through the communications process.
This can be assisted or
hindered by the positions of power from which we engage in interpersonal
communications. For
example, if we are in a position to grant or deny another’s requests we
may exercise ‘reward’
power and so be in a position to more easily manage the interactions we
have with that other.
However, if that other is not interested in whether their requests are
granted or denied then the
positional or reward power we hold is diminished and so the exercise of
such power will prove of
little influence as a management tool we might use in interactions with
them. The bases of
personal power are many and are mediated by a variety of factors that
we can become aware
of and exercise – not least of which are the key competencies and
attitudes of flexibility, cultural
sensitivity, empathy, openness and supportiveness, being positive and
having self-confidence.
Through the development and deployment of such management skills we
can become more
effective communicators and more effective managers of the interactions
in which interpersonal
communications take place.
4151EBL / 7152EBL Study Guide Griffith University 11
Readings
Course text - DeVito, J.A. (2009)
• Chapter Three – Perception and the Self in Interpersonal
Communication.
• Chapter Thirteen – Interpersonal Power and Influence
Book of Readings
Pearson, J.C., & Spitzberg, B.H. (1990) Interpersonal communication:
Concepts, components,
and contexts. (2nd Edition). Dubuque, IA: W C Brown Publishers, pp. 260-
286.
Dick, B. (1986) Learning to communicate. Brisbane: Interchange and the
University of
Queensland, pp. 171-188.
Reflective Questions
• What role does self-understanding and perception play in effective
interaction management?
• What interaction management strategies could be best employed in
interpersonal
communication in your professional context?
Websites
[Link] [Accessed
15/12/10].
This website addresses a range of interpersonal and organisational
communications issues
from the perspective of improving commercial and business performance
through more effective
communications attitudes and strategies. By using the above URL that
opens on the selfdisclosure
page you will be able to explore other pages on the site.
References
Caputo, J.S., Hazel, H.C., & McMahon, C. (1994) Interpersonal
communication: Competency
through critical thinking. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Caputo, J.S., Hazel, H.C., & McMahon, C. (1994) Interpersonal
communication: Competency
through critical thinking. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Myers, G.E., & Myers, M.T. (1992) The dynamics of interpersonal
communication: A laboratory
approach. (6th edition). New York: McGraw-Hill, 267-301. Chapter 11:
‘Managing
interpersonal tensions’.
Rahim, M.A. (Ed.) (1990) Theory and research in conflict management.
New York; Praeger.
Simmons, A. (1998) Territorial Games: Understanding & Ending Turf Wars
at Work. New York:
American Management Association.
Wertheim, E., Love A., Peck, C., & Littlefield, L. (1998) Skills for Resolving
Conflict. Emerald,
Victoria: Eruditions Publishing.

Week: 5
Communicating with difficult people
Understanding and communicating with those we find 'difficult' can be a
challenging and
emotionally draining process and often consumes scarce resources of time
and effort as we
seek to overcome the problem encountered and get back to the task at
hand. Such experiences
alert us to the fact that all our activities hold elements of the work to be
done and the
relationships in which this work is enacted. Managers and those in
leadership or supervisory
roles should know the distinctions between task orientation and people
orientation and how
these need to be balanced for effective communication and performance.
Failing to recognise
this balance can lead people to become overworked, feel under
appreciated, ignored and
eventually angry and frustrated with their work and those around them.
Such a situation could
be the cause of some people seeming difficult to work with, difficult to
communicate with and
difficult to be around. You may know such people, deal with such people or
even be such a
person - because ‘being difficult’ is a relational phenomena that requires
interpersonal
interaction and communication for it to become recognizable as a problem
to be avoided or a
problem to be addressed. As the old adage identifies – it takes two to
tango.
Difficulty is a form of conflict and all interpersonal communication can be
seen as a means of
overcoming the conflict that is inevitable in all interactions. The
inevitability of conflict resides in
the fact that we are all different (different histories, attitudes,
expectations, etc.) and thereby
bring different meanings to our relationships. From the perspective of
coding and encoding
these differences will create ambiguities that need to be clarified. From
the perspective of
relational interdependence, the stronger the relationship, the greater the
number of issues that
potentially hold the capacity to identify differences that need to be
comprehended and
reconciled less they become sources of conflict. Equally, the weaker the
relationship, the
greater the chance of significant differences being unrecognized or
brushed aside as
unimportant as so potentially exacerbate ignorance as a form of uncaring
that can become a
source of conflict.
Problems arise, not from the fact that conflict is inevitable, but from failing
to understand it as
such and working to deal with it effectively – in ways that enhance its
positive effects and
reduce its negative effects. There are many understandings about the
kinds of communications
strategies that can be employed to avoid, reduce and resolve relationship
difficulties. The
relational qualities of these strategies are such that any and all of them
can both support and
hinder efforts to deal with conflict – it all depends on the nature of the
conflict and the nature of
the people involved. For example, avoiding conflict by running away may
be necessary when
hostility is high and so be very appropriate a measure in resolving conflict.
Equally however,
running away in such circumstances may simply delay confrontation to
another time and even
fuel the hostility by denying those concerned opportunity to address the
issue when it is most
current.
The analysis and evaluation of effective communication strategies is
complex in conflict
situations and requires careful consideration of all the factors mediating
such interactions.
Dealing effectively with ‘difficult’ people is not something that can be
simply formularized
through advocating one communication strategy over another – doing so
is often a failure to
recognize the relational orientations of a conflict situation by focusing on
the task orientation of
getting messages through noisy channels or clarifying semantic
ambiguities. Equally, applying a
theoretical model, such as the conflict resolution model (see DeVito
2009:282-286), in ways that
over simplify the initial stage of defining the problem can lead to
superficial understandings of
conflict sources and thereby inappropriate solutions that cannot
effectively resolve conflict.
Often, defining the problem that emerges from the differences and
incompatibilities that
generate difficulties is about recognising relationship and your own role
within it – often, we can
be the problem and certainly, without us, the problem may not exist.
4151EBL / 7152EBL Study Guide Griffith University 13
Readings
Course Text- DeVito, J.A. (2009)
• Chapter Twelve – Interpersonal Conflict and Conflict
Management.
• Chapter Seven – Emotional Messages.
Book of Readings
Bramson, R. (1993) Coping with difficult bosses. London: Nicholas Brealey.
[Extracts], pp. 138-
155.
Mapstone, E. (1998) War of Words: Women and Men arguing. London:
Chatto & Windus.
[Extracts], 221-247.
Moore, D. & McDonald, J. (2000) Transforming Conflict. Sydney:
Transformative Justice
Australia. [Extracts], pp. 13-35, 58-59, 176-185.
Reflective Questions
• What are the important characteristics of conflict?
• What communication strategies can be deployed to address issues of
interpersonal
conflict?
• How viable are such strategies within your professional context?
Websites
[Link] [Accessed 15/12/10].
[Link] (accessed 15/12/10)
References
Bramson, R. (1995) Coping with difficult bosses: Dealing effectively with
bullies, schemers,
stallers and know-alls. St Leonards: Allen & Unwin.
Brinkman, R., & Kirschner, R. (1994) Dealing With People You Can't Stand:
How to Bring Out
the Best in People at People at their Worst. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.
Cloke, K. & Goldsmith J. (2000) Resolving conflicts at work. San Francisco:
Jossey Bass
Duck, S. & Wood, J. (1995) Confronting Relationship Challenges. Thousand
Oaks, California:
Sage Publications.
Kirkpatrick, D., Duck, S. & Foley, M. (2006) Relating Difficulty. New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum.
Moore, D., & McDonald, J. (2000) Transforming Conflict: in workplaces and
other communities.
Sydney: Transformative Justice Australia.
Newton D.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1990) The use and consequences of verbal
influence strategies
during interpersonal disagreements. Human Communication Research, 16,
477-518.

Week: 6
Understanding cross-cultural dynamics in
communication
Participants in adult and vocational education are drawn from culturally
diverse backgrounds
where different styles of communication and different value systems
operate. These cultural
differences may be marked by clearly perceptible national and ethnic
characteristics. Different
languages, dress and festivities are often very strong identifiers of these
differences – some so
strong and distinct enough to identify specific family groups or places of
origin (e.g., the tartan
cloths of Scotland and the click language of the Kalahari bush people).
Others of these
differences are not so distinct and operate less as cultural signifiers and
more as stereotypes
that enable people and their practices to be culturally categorized,
whether correctly or
incorrectly (e.g., native French speakers could be from Africa, Canada,
Tahiti and France).
Equally, cultural differences are noticeable within groups of the same
ethnic or national identity.
Again, different languages, dress and festivities, for example, can also
identify familiar subcultures
that operate within our own dominant cultural groups. In Australia, the
slang of urban
street gangs is very different than the academic jargon of university
students despite their bases
in English. The uniform suit and tie of business people is very different
than the all black
preferences of ‘Goths’ despite the fact they may well be work clothes.
Groups within groups,
sub-cultures with cultures, multiple ethnicities with nations – we are most
usually and constantly
communicating across cultural differences at all levels of our activities.
Multi-culturalism has
become a standard feature of contemporary professional practice.
To communicate effectively across cultural differences requires high
levels of cultural
awareness (of self and others) and the competence to enact this
awareness in ways that
enhance shared meaning construction for common goals.
Cultural awareness for effective cross-cultural communication is more
than just a knowledge of
self and others’ differences. It is a willingess to suspend interpretation and
evaluation of others
practices from your own cultural perspective and accommodate the
perspectives of others as
the bases of understanding both your own and others’ practices. To do so,
is to reduce
ethnocentrism that can (i) hinder the comprehensive understanding of the
communications
event your are participating in and so (ii) reduce the range of
communication skills and
strategies available. For example, as an Australian, if you are unaware of
the cultural
stereotypes you have been enculturated to accept, for example, that
nodding the head is an
affirming sign of agreement, then you may misinterpret the nodding of the
head in some Asian
countries as a sign of affirming understanding of your spoken word when it
is intended as a sign
of respect that affirms your status as the speaker. From such an
interpersonal interaction you
may emerge confused about why those to whom you were speaking
indicated their
understanding when their subsequent actions revealed they had not
understood you at all. In
such instances, it may prove useful to understand differences between
high-context and lowcontext
cultures and to have some understanding of power distance and the non-
verbal
communication of that concept – and all of this before you do what many
do, that is, repeat what
you have said and so illicit the same response.
The competence to enact this level of awareness may come with learning
the language and
other meaning systems that operate in that culture. Equally however, this
competence may be
enacted more immediately through uncertainty reduction strategies aimed
at reducing the
abstract complexity of the content of your messages, more active listening
and seeking
feedback more quickly and more regularly. Cross-cultural communication
competence is
essentially developed in exactly the same way as all interpersonal
communication competence
is developed. The barriers to effective communication may be more
difficult to overcome but
they are the same barriers of shared meaning uncertainty that hinder all
communications.
4151EBL / 7152EBL Study Guide Griffith University 15
Readings
Course Text - DeVito, J.A. (2009)
• Chapter Two - 'Culture and Interpersonal Communication.
Book of Readings
Bovee, C., & Thill, J. (2000) Business Communication Today. (6th Edition).
New Jersey:
Prentice Hall. Ch 3, pp. 60-87.
Phatak, A. (1997) International management: concepts and cases. South-
Western College
Publishing. Ch 6, pp. 140-170.
Reflective Questions
• How does culture influence communication?
• In what ways can cultural differences be conceptualized and examined?
• What strategies can be employed to effectively communicate across
cultures and so
reconcile these difference in your professional context?
Websites
The Conflict Research Consortium – Colorado University
[Link]
(accessed 15/12/10)
And;
[Link]
(accessed 15/12/10)
References
Chaney, L. & Martin, J.S. (2007) Intercultural business communication.
New Jersey: Pearson
prentice Hall.
Elashmawi, F., & Harris, P. R. (1998). Multicultural managment 2000 :
essential cultural insights
for global business success. Houston, Tex.: Gulf Pub.
Gudyknust, W.B. & Kim. Y.Y. (1997). Communicating with strangers. An
approach to
intercultural communication (3rd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Gudykunst,W.B, Ting-Toomey, S., Sudweeks, S.W.,& Stewart, L.P. (1995)
Building bridges.
Interpersonal skills for a changing world. Boston; Houghton Mifflin
Company. Chapter 1:
The nature of interpersonal communication.
Lane, H. W., DiStefano, J.J. & Mazneveski, M.L. (2000). International
Management Behaviour
4th Ed. Oxford: Blackwell.
Mead, R. (1998). International Management : Cross-Cultural Dimensions
( 2nd ed.). Oxford:
Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Business.
Mockler, R. J., & Dologite, D. G. (1997). Multinational Cross-Cultural
Management : an
Integrative Context-Specific Process. Westport, Conn: Quorum.
Orbe, M. & Harris, T. (2008) Interracial communication: Theory into
practice. Los Angeles: Sage