Intercultural Communication Interview

As part of my Advanced Communications course, I was required to interview someone that was different from myself and write about those differences and what barriers and influences they had to deal with.  Following is the paper that I wrote from said interview:

Earlier this year, I hired a gentleman named Ali.  His olive skin made it apparent that his ancestry was that of somewhere in the Middle East, but his clearly spoken English let you know that he was either born and raised here in the United States, or left his home country at a young age.  Finding his employee spotlight very interesting – a tail of fleeing his home country for Africa before arriving in America – riddled with a dry humor that I much appreciated, I decided he would be the perfect candidate to interview, in order to understand intercultural communication and communication issues.  What his spotlight didn’t tell was his whole story, that of having to learn a completely different culture, where women were considered equal, religious beliefs are a choice, and a simple joke could get you slapped with a lawsuit.  This is Ali’s story of learning how to communicate effectively in a completely different culture than he had been raised. 

Technology and manufacturing

Yesterday I posted a paper that I had written about the technical divide.  Today I am providing you with a paper that discusses how technology has changed manufacturing.

Technology has changed manufacturing around the world, in more ways than one.  Today we are going to explore how technology has affected the actual machines that are used in manufacturing, the affects on the skilled labor force, the affects on the way businesses recruit and how all of these changes have an enormous affect on the American economy. 

Digital Divide...two different problems

       There are two levels of Digital Divide in the world today that affect every American, whether they realize it or not.  According to Dictonary.com, digital divide is defined as “the gap between those people who have internet access and those who do not” (digital divide, n.d.).  This initial definition of digital divide seems simple, either you have access or you do not.  Recently, there is a second divide that has been recognized, and it seems as big a problem as the first divide.  The second level divide is among the individuals that do have access to the internet and is a defined by the difference in how technology is used (Reinhart, et al. p 181).  Today we will look at both of the digital divides, their effects on our education system, the socio-economic classes, the economy and what is currently being done to erase the clear lines of division.

Persuasion, manipulation and seduction...what's the difference?

       Persuasion, manipulation and seduction are used on a daily basis in advertising as well as, by individuals in both group and one-on-one situations.  Although they are all different, the methods can be used together in order to change the audience’s behavior.  This paper will show the difference between persuasion, manipulation and seduction, and which techniques work best on various audiences.

Humor in Persuasion

Most people enjoy humor.  It makes you smile and may even laugh.  So it isn’t surprising that using humor in persuasion can be more effective than persuasion alone; although, the audience, their mood and the product are all variables that need to be considered when deciding whether or not to use humor.

Ethical Theories in Persuasion

Last week I blogged about conflict and effective ways to communicate.  My next few posts are going to talk a little about persuasion, starting with ethical theories and persuasion.  Below is a paper that I wrote to discuss a couple of ethical theories.  I hope you find it useful.

When considering whether ethical behavior is significant to persuasion, we must first define ethical in regards to persuasion.  According to Seiter et al (2004, p. 5) “…persuasion is generally more ethical when people are made aware that they are being influenced and when they have unconditional freedom to say “no” to influence attempts.”  That being said, ethical behavior during persuasion is critical to gaining trust and credibility with your audience; although, some ethical theories allow for selfish motives and can be detrimental to persuasion with certain audiences.  This paper will discuss the psychological consistency persuasion theories, and the ethical theories of egoism and utilitarianism and the impact those practices have on persuasion. 

Delivering Bad New...Tactfully

Our assignment this week asked us to deliver bad news tactfully to an underperforming employee that has received numerous complaints.  As a department manager with an under-performing employee it is pretty easy to approach this individual.  The reason this is a simple task is because there are standards set, as well as, complaints that allow me to give a final warning for the inappropriate behavior. 

Apology

 

An apology is meant to make amends when we have wronged another by admitting our wrongdoing and asking for forgiveness.  I feel that too many people today do not truly understand the meaning of  I hear the words “I’m sorry” but many do not actually ask the person to forgive them, they just expect forgiveness because the words were said.  Your tone of voice and your body language tell the receiver whether you are sincere in your apology. 

farm6.staticflickr.com

        In addition to the words, your actions should show that you are truly sorry by not doing the same thing again to that person.  While reading this week about nonverbal cues, I realized how many nonverbal cues are given during an apology that show the sincerity or insincerity of an apology.  The old saying that actions speak louder than words really does ring true because if you are truly sorry that you hurt someone with your actions, you will cease doing the action that is causing the pain.  If you say you are sorry, but continue to do it over again, it shows that you really are not sorry and do not care if you hurt the other person.

Conflict...it isn't all bad

Many people think that conflict is negative, but it does not always have to be.  Forrester references Kirkman, Jones, and Sharpiro (2000) and Booher (1999) when he said “Conflicts can arise from differences in personalities, differences in goals and perspectives and differences in levels of maturity and commitment (2010, p39, para. 2). This post will discuss

Personal Constructs and Communication

Personal Constructs are the terms that we use to describe ourselves and other people.  The following is an assignment that I was given.  I was tasked with choosing other people in my life that are alike and different.  The goal was to learn more about myself and how I communicate with other people.  I had to compare the people I chose to each other and one to myself. 

Personality Testing and Effective Communication

            My boss and I have never really gotten along, even when we were just colleagues.  When she received her promotion we were even more like oil and water.  We would clash terribly and actually argue with one another, all while having the same objective in mind.  It wasn’t until I took a personality test and learned not only about myself, but how different her communication style is from mine, that I was able to change my way of thinking and approach her in the manner she needs to be communicated. 

Communications Definition

I decided to change my major from Human Resources Management to Communications because I want to pursue a career in training, public relations, education, or possibly public policy and administration.  I find what people say and how they say it to be very intriguing at times and believe that communication relates closely to psychology.  Although I am not sure exactly what I want to do with my degree, communicating well is necessary to be successful in any field.