TD1 - Threaded Discussion for exam 1 PDF

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TD1 Chapter 1 - Effective Business Communication 1. What are the eight essential components of communication? What do they look like in real life? The eight essential components of communication are source, message, channel, receiver, feedback, environment, context, and interference. Source is the one who imagines, creates, and sends the message. A real-life example is the person giving a speech to an audience. Message is the meaning produced by the source for the receiver or audience. A real-life example of a message is the words in a speech. Channel is the way a message travels between source and receiver. A real-life example of a spoken channel is face-to-face conversations or speeches. Receiver is the one that receives the message from the source, analyzes and interprets the message in ways both intended and unintended by the source. A real-life example of a receiver is the audience of your speech. Feedback is messages that the receiver sends back to the source. A real-life example is when you ask a question to the speaker. Environment is the atmosphere, physical and physiological, where you send and receive the message. A real-life example is the room in which you are giving your presentation. Context involves the setting, scene, and expectations of the individual involved. A real-life example is a professional communication context in which formal behavior and attire is expected. Lastly, interference is anything that blocks or changes the source’s intended meaning of the message. A real-life example is the radio in your car interrupting your thoughts.

2. What are the different types of interference/noise one can experience? Psychological noise is what happens when your thoughts occupy your attention while you are hearing, or reading, a message. Another interference or noise is from other sources. For example, if the office space is hot and stuffy, it can distract you from focusing on the meeting. 3. What is the difference between the transactional model and the constructivist model?

Transactions model is when actions happen at the same time. Hence, there is no clear distinction between sender and receiver. On the other hand, constructivist model is in which the focus is on negotiated meaning, or common ground, when trying to describe communication. In this model, people in groups, using the tools provided by their culture, create collective representations of reality. 4. Identify examples of the five types of context. First is intrapersonal communication that involves one person, often called “self-talk.” For example, when you are on the last workout set, you push yourself in your mind by saying “keep pushing yourself, you got this!” This type of context requires talking to yourself through situations. The second major context is interpersonal communication that involves two people, and can range from intimate and very personal to formal and impersonal. For example, it can be a conversation with your sister or your co-worker. Another type of context is group communication

in which a small number of people engage in a conversation. This can be during lunch at school or a group project involving three to eight people. The fourth example is public communication in which one person speaks or writes to a group of people. An example is when a company-wide presentation to all the employees by the CEO. The last example is mass communication that involves sending a single message to a group. This can be a survey to the whole college or a tweet sent by the school for a lock down.

TD2 Chapter 2 - Delivering Your Message 1. What is the semantic triangle? In its three corners, the semantic triangle portrays three necessary elements for identifying the meaning in language: word, reference, subject/object. The word is a combination of letters, the reference is the thought behind the word, and the subject/object is the thing itself. 2. What are the three different types of messages and their functions? The three different types of messages are primary, secondary, and auxiliary. Primary messages is the verbal and nonverbal intentional content such as the words you use to convey your message. Secondary message is the verbal and nonverabl unintentional content such as factors like age o Gender. Lastly, auxiliary messages are the intentional and unintentional ways a primary message is communicated such as the rate of your speech or the tone of voice. 3. What is a residual message? A residual message is the thoughts that stay with the receiver after you have communicated the message. 4. What are the rules of language (syntax, semantics, context)? There are three rules of languages. First, syntactic rules control the order in which the words are situated in a sentence. Second, semantic rules control the meaning of the words and how one may interpret them. Lastly, contextual rules control the meaning of the words according to the context and social customs. 5. How do we assign meaning to words (denotative v. connotative)? How do the majority of communication problems occur? We assign meaning to words using denotative or connotative meanings. Denotative meanings of words come from the dictionary whereas connotative meanings come from the users itself. Most of the communication problems occur when we translate a message, causing factors such as language and culture to play a role. 6. What is the difference between abstract and concrete language? Abstract language refers to an idea or quality whereas concrete language appeals to the senses. Additionally, concrete language is more specific and provides more details. 7. What are the obstacles to communication (e.g. cliches, jargon, slang, sexist and racial language, euphemisms, and doublespeak)? The obstacles to communication are the following:

1. Cliche - phrase that is overused 2. Jargon - specialized terminology associated with a particular field or area of activity 3. Slang - type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal 4. Sexist language - used to discriminate against genders 5. Racist language - discriminates against members of a given race or ethnic group. 6. Euphemism - expression used in place of one that may be found offensive or suggest something unpleasant 7. Doublespeak - deliberate use of words to change original meaning 8. What are signposts, summaries, foreshadowing, and repetition? Signposts are words used to alert the audience that there is a change in the topic. Summaries help review what has been covered till now to help the audience stay on track. Foreshadowing is providing a hint of what is coming in the future. Lastly, repetition is repeating a message over, directly or indirectly. Chapter 3 - Understanding Your Audience 1. What are the differences between attitudes, beliefs, and values? Attitudes refer to a set of emotions toward a particular object, person, thing, or event. An example is how you feel about a certain flavor of ice cream. Belief is acceptance that certain things are true or real. An example is how you view education as a priority in life. Lastly, values are important and lasting beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable. An example is how you view the freedom to make personal decisions. 2. What is self-concept? Self-concept is made up of self-esteem and self-image. Self-image is how you perceive yourself and how you would describe yourself to others. Self-esteem is how you internally characterize yourself. Together these concepts make up self-concept, which is the idea you form about yourself from oneself and the responses of others. 3. What are the looking-glass self and the self-fulfilling prophecy? Looking-glass self describes the process wherein individuals base their sense of self on how they believe others view them. Self-fulfilling prophecy is an xpectation coming true simply because the person believes it will and the person's resulting behaviors aligning to fulfill the belief. 4. What factors influence selection? Factors that influence selection are internal and external stimuli. Internal stimuli are those that Come from within and external stimuli are those that come from outside oneself. 5. What are Gestalt principles and how can they relate to business communication? Gestalt Principles of Organization involve observations about the ways in which we group together various stimuli to arrive at perceptions of patterns and shapes. Each principle is defined below. ● Proximity describes that things that are near each other seem to be grouped together. In business communication, the way the speaker groups the sounds and where he pauses will determine how the sounds are perceived if two words sound similar.

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Continuity is drawing connections between things that occur in sequence. In business communication, noticing patterns in a speech due to recurring words or phrases is an example of this principle. Similarity is grouping things or ideas together according to common features. In business communication, using visual unity of dissimilar objects by applying a common characteristic to them, such as the same background color is an example of this principle. Uniformity/Homogeneity is documenting ways in which concepts or objects are alike. In business communication, relating ideas or concepts can help the audience understand clearly. Figure and Ground is placing emphasis on a single item that stands out from others in the background. In business communication, using contrasting colors to emphasize a point is an example of this principle. Symmetry is creating a balance of items on all sides. In business communication, a debate that articulates both sides of a perspective displays this principle. Closure is using prior knowledge to fill the gaps of an incomplete idea or thought. In business communication, a person uses this principle when he/she grasps the main idea after a call disconnects in the middle of a sentence.

TD3 Chapter 9.5 - Resume 1. What are the different types of resumes (table 9.5) There are five different types of resume. Reverse chronological resumes center around work history rather than skills or experience. Functional resumes, also known as competency-based resumes, center around skills that are relevant to the job responsibilities. Combination resume orders skills and experience first and then lists work history and education. Targeted resumes are fairly common as they gear your resume towards a specific job description by highlighting key works or matching the details accordingly. Scannable resume is made for the ease of a scanner so that it can be ready easily and digitized Chapter 16.5 - Rituals of Conversation and Interviews 2. How should you answer “tell me about yourself” in an interview? You should answer this question in a way that it gives a brief, concise walkthrough of your career story that will show off relevant pieces of experience. This question is your chance to give a good first impression. 3. What are the different types of interviews? An interview can be behavioral in which job candidates are asked to provide examples of how they've handled work-related situations. It can also be technical in which the interviewer will assess your technical knowledge, skills and abilities as they relate to the needs of the specific job you are applying to. Lastly, it can simply be a chat over coffee or lunch in which table manners and social skills are examined. 4. What are the major types of interview questions? The eleven most common interview questions are listed below. 1. Tell me about yourself.

2. Have you ever done this type of work before? 3. Why should we hire you? 4. What are your greatest strengths and weeknesses? 5. Give me an example of a time when you worked under pressure. 6. Tell me about a time you encountered (X) type of problem at work. How did you solve the problem? 7. Why did you leave your last job? 8. How has your education or past experience prepared you for this job? 9. Why do you want to work for (X) company? 10. What are your long term goals? Where do you see yourself three years from now? 11. Do you have any questions for me? Looking at these common interview questions, the major types of interview questions are experience verification, situation-based, opinion, brainteaser, credential verification, competency, or spontaneous irrelevant questions. 5. How do you answer behavioral or situational interview questions? Understand STAR and PAR You should use the “because” response to behavioral or situational interview questions, if possible. In this approach, you showcase your skill through prior experience to provide supporting evidence. Similarly, the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method is another way to answer behavioral/situational interview questions by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing. Additionally, the PAR (Problem, Action, Result) is a similar technique to behavioral questions. The idea is to provide a specific example or “story” of how you have performed well on the job in the past. This can help the employer see how you might do a good job for them. 6. In what situations should you send a thank you note or follow up? You should send a thank you note after the job interview is completed to indicate your interest for the position and appreciation for the interviewer. You should follow-up after the post-interview follow up if you have not heard back from the recruiter, you have additional questions, or the position is not a good fit for you. Linkedin Learning: Research & APA Style 1. What are primary and secondary research? What counts for each one? Primary research is the one you collect yourself as it involves going directly to the source. An example of primary research is an interview conducted by the author. Secondary research is a method that uses existing data. An example of secondary research is from books or articles. 2. What are the differences between popular and scholarly sources? Popular sources are meant to entertain, inform, or persuade. They are intended for a general audience. On the other hand, scholarly sources are those written by experts in a particular field and meant to inform. The sources advance research in a field and are intended for an academic audience. 3. How do you evaluate a source? You can evaluate each source by evaluating different criteria such as authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage.

4. How do you cite a speech (APA format)? In order to cite a speech in APA format, you need to include author’s last name and year of publication of the speech in parenthesis separated by a comma, for example: (Soni, 2012). For direct quotations, include the page number as well, for example: (Soni, 2012, p. 14). 5. How do you avoid plagiarism? How do you incorporate quotes and paraphrasing into your presentations (what to do v. what not to do)? To avoid plagiarism, you can keep in mind a few things. You should always cite your sources using in-text citation or reference list. You should make sure to keep track of the source you gather for research. You should paraphrase or directly quote the original text if you want to share someone’s idea. If you are incorporating quotes or paraphrasing, you should include in-text citations. Paraphrasing is putting a passage from source material into your own words and style and quotes must be identical to original source material. It is generally better to paraphrase than to quote. If you want to express an idea or information found in a source without quoting, you must paraphrase. If using a direct quote,make sure it is within good reason and adds significant value. Also, you must enclose material taken from a source in quotation marks. Long quotations should however generally be avoided unless necessary in a particular case. 6. What are the differences between an APA and MLA in-text citation? Can you tell the difference? MLA in-text citation includes author last name and page number in parenthesis without any comma in between after the cited text. APA in-text citation includes author’s last name, date of publication, and page number after the cited text. There is also a comma between all three descriptions and p. or pp. is used to identify the page number. 7. What are the differences between an APA Reference Page and an MLA Works Cited page? The first difference is the title of the page as one is called Reference Page and the other is Work Cited page. Another difference is the name of the author. Author’s name in MLA will take the format: Last Name, First Name. In APA format, you only write out the last name followed by the first and middle initial. Another difference between the two pages is title capitalization. MLA goes for header capitalization where every major word in the title is capitalized. On the other hand, book titles and such will only capitalize the first word in the APA Reference Page. Lastly, MLA puts a period at the end of all works cited entries. In APA style, a period is not added if the entry ends in a URL  or DOI. 8. What are the major differences between an APA reference page entry and other styles? Can you identify one? As mentioned in the previous question, you only need to write out the last name followed by first and middle initial for an APA reference page entry.

TD4 Chapter 10 - Developing Business Presentations 1. What are the different types of general speech purposes? There are 5 general speech purposes. First is a speech meant to inform the audience by imparting knowledge on a specific topic. Second is a speech meant to demonstrate by performing

the act of displaying something. Third is a speech meant to convince the audience by presenting supporting arguments. Fourth is a speech meant to entertain to engage the audience. Fifth is a ceremonial speech such as a speech given during a wedding reception or a toast at the dinner table. 2. Why should you know how the audience feels about your topic? It is important to know your audience in order to figure out what content and messages people care about. Once you have an idea of what to say, knowing your audience also tells you the appropriate tone and voice for your message. The way your audience feels about the topic and their beliefs can help determine how much your audience knows about the topic so you can tailor your speech to provide relevant information. Hence, you can use this knowledge to engage your audience further and create an effective speech. 3. What are the three main factors to consider when picking a topic? The first factor is to understand yourself and your audience. Knowing yourself means to figure out your interests, passions, and activities. Knowing your audience means to figure out your audience —their general age, gender, education level, religion, language, culture, and group membership — so that you can tailor your speech to make it relevant. The second factor is to use effective strategies to save time in selecting a topic such as determining things you are currently working on or current topics of interest and then conducting research to explore the topic. Doing a self-inventory to find a topic is also helpful because most of the time, the topic is right at your fingertips. The third factor is to pay attention to appeal, appropriateness, and ability. Appeal is to evoke emotion and to create a call to action from the audience. Appropriateness deals with choosing a topic appropriate for the audience that the speech is being presented to. Lastly, ability focuses around the presenter’s skills and knowledge on the topic to perform the speech. 4. How do you construct a specific purpose? In order to construct a specific purpose, it is important to focus on how the topic will inform, persuade, demonstration, or entertain the audience. 5. What does a good thesis statement look like? A good thesis statement is concise and informs the audience of the main idea of the speech. A thesis statement should be a declarative statement, a complete sentence, use specific language, include a central idea, and it should keep the audience in mind. 6. What are some good strategies to combat fears of public speakin...