Business Communication, 3rd Edition

Business Communication, 3rd Edition

by P. D. Chaturvedi
Released January 2013
Publisher(s): Pearson India
ISBN: 9789332517608

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Book description

Business Communication: Concepts, Skills, Cases, and Applications builds on the strengths of the previous edition and has been updated to reflect the latest research and technological developments in business communication. Divided into three parts, this revised edition focuses on the development of communication skills in business, and the structured applications of business communication. Topics such as reading and writing skills have been augmented, and contemporary channels of business communication, such as social media, have been examined in detail.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Brief Contents
  4. Contents
  5. About the Authors
  6. Dedication
  7. Preface
  8. Part I - Communication Skills
    1. Chapter 1: Case Study: Profile of an Effective Communicator
      1. An Analysis of the Case
        1. Review Your learning
    2. Chapter 2: Reading Skills
      1. What is Reading?
      2. Elements of Reading: Seeing and Instantaneous Understanding
      3. How Do We Read?
        1. How Do Our Eyes Move and Pause and Move?
        2. Know Your Reading Speed
      4. Enhancement of Reading Ability/Purpose of Reading
      5. The Nature of Reading Material/The Reading Style
      6. Styles of Reading
        1. Slow Reading Style
        2. Normal Reading Style
        3. Rapid Reading Style—Skimming
        4. Surveying—Process of Reading a Book, Long Article, or Report
        5. Scanning
      7. Know the Text Organization
        1. Training of Eyes
      8. Guidelines for Effective Reading
        1. Do’s
        2. Don’ts
      9. Reading Efficiency
        1. Watch the Eye Movement
      10. Summary
      11. Case: Chorus Reading
      12. Review Your Learning
      13. Reflect on Your Learning
      14. Apply Your Learning
      15. Self-check Your Learning
      16. Reading Exercises
    3. Chapter 3: Speaking Skills
      1. Speaking
        1. The Art of Speaking
        2. Goals of Speaking
        3. Speaking Styles
        4. The Speaking Process
        5. Guidelines for Developing Speaking Skills
      2. What is Oral Communication?
        1. Importance of Oral Communication Skills
        2. Choosing the Form of Communication
        3. Principles of Successful Oral Communication
        4. Guidelines for Effective Oral Communication
        5. Barriers to Effective Oral Communication
      3. Three Aspects of Oral Communication—Conversing, Listening, and Body Language
      4. Intercultural Oral Communication
      5. Intercultural Communication
      6. Oral Communication and Electronic Media
        1. Phones
        2. Voice Mail
        3. Conference Calls
        4. Cell Phones
        5. Video Conferencing
      7. Summary
      8. Case: Dealing with Outsourcing Backlash
      9. Review Your Learning
      10. Reflect on Your Learning
      11. Apply Your Learning
      12. Self-check Your Learning
    4. Chapter 4: Conversation Skills
      1. What is Conversation?
      2. Social Conversation
      3. Effective Conversation
      4. Effective Conversation: An Example
      5. Conversation Control
        1. Controlling the Direction of Conversation
        2. Managing Negative Responses
        3. Noticing and Recognizing Cues and Clues
        4. Interpreting Signs and Signals
        5. Avoiding Parallel Conversation
        6. Practising Sequential Conversation
        7. Using Reflection and Empathy
        8. Cultivating a Sense of Timing
        9. Summarizing
      6. Transactional Analysis (TA)
        1. Psychological Characteristics of Ego States
      7. Applications of Conversation Control
        1. Meetings
        2. Being Assertive Without Being Aggressive
        3. Controlled Response to Conversational Attacks
        4. Negotiating Through Conversation Control
      8. Summary
      9. Case: Discussing Vandalism
      10. Review Your Learning
      11. Reflect on Your Learning
      12. Apply Your Learning
      13. Self-check Your Learning
    5. Chapter 5: Listening Skills
      1. What is Listening?
        1. How Do We Listen?
        2. Listening as a Management Tool
      2. The Process of Listening
      3. Factors that Adversely Affect Listening
        1. Lack of Concentration
        2. Unequal Statuses
        3. The Halo Effect
        4. Complexes
        5. A Closed Mind
        6. Poor Retention
        7. Premature Evaluation and Hurried Conclusions
        8. Abstracting
        9. Slant
        10. Cognitive Dissonance
        11. Language Barrier
      4. Characteristics of Effective and Ineffective Listeners
      5. Guidelines for Improving Listening Skills
      6. Responsive Listening
        1. Basic Reflective Response
        2. Basic Clarification Response
      7. Summary
      8. Case: Too Busy to Listen?
      9. Review Your Learning
      10. Reflect on Your Learning
      11. Apply Your Learning
      12. Self-check Your Learning
    6. Chapter 6: Writing Skills
      1. The Art of Writing
      2. The Skills Required in Written Communication
      3. The Purpose of Writing
        1. Writing to Inform
        2. Writing to Persuade
      4. Informatory Writing
      5. Persuasive Writing
      6. Clarity in Writing
      7. Examples of Clear and Unclear Writing
      8. Principles of Effective Writing
        1. Accuracy
        2. Brevity
      9. Rewriting A Letter
        1. Language, Tone, and Level of Formality
      10. Summary
      11. Case: On Writing Well
      12. Review Your Learning
      13. Reflect on Your Learning
      14. Apply Your Learning
      15. Self-check Your Learning
    7. Chapter 7: Non-verbal Skills
      1. What is Non-verbal Communication?
        1. Meta-communication
        2. Kinesic Communication
      2. Characteristics of Non-verbal Communication
      3. Classification of Non-verbal Communication
        1. Ekmans Classification of Communicative Movements
        2. Face Facts
        3. Positive Gestures
        4. Negative Gestures
        5. Lateral Gestures
      4. Responding to Power Posturing
      5. Guidelines for Developing Non-verbal Communication Skills
      6. Communication Breakdown
      7. Summary
      8. Case: Everest Textile mills?
      9. Review Your Learning
      10. Reflect on Your Learning
      11. Apply Your Learning
      12. Self-check Your Learning
  9. Part II - Business Communication
    1. Chapter 8: Nature and Process of Communication
      1. The Role of Communication
      2. An Instance of Unclear Communication
      3. Defining Communication
      4. Classification of Communication
      5. The Purpose of Communication
        1. Communication to Inform
        2. Communication to Persuade
      6. The Process of Communication
        1. The Linear Concept of Communication
        2. The Shannon–Weaver Model
        3. The Two-way Communication Process
      7. The Elements of Communication
      8. The Major Difficulties in Communication
      9. Barriers to Communication
        1. Incorrect Assumptions
        2. Psychosocial Barriers
      10. Conditions for Successful Communication
      11. The Seven C’s of Communication
      12. Universal Elements in Communication
      13. How Sentence Structure Affects Meaning
      14. Communication and Electronic Media
      15. Communication and Social Media
      16. Summary
      17. Case: Communication Failure
      18. Review Your Learning
      19. Reflect on Your Learning
      20. Apply Your Learning
      21. Self-check Your Learning
    2. Chapter 9: Organizational Communication
      1. The Importance of Communication in Management
        1. Some Important Functions of Management
        2. How Communication is Used by Managers
      2. Communication Concerns of the Manager
        1. Human Needs
        2. Theory X and Theory Y
      3. Communication Training for Managers
      4. Communication Structures in Organizations
        1. Vertical Communication
        2. Horizontal Communication
      5. Line and Staff Management
        1. Formal Communication
        2. Informal Communication
      6. Information to be Communicated at the Workplace
      7. Summary
      8. Case: Communication Breakdown at City Hospital
      9. Review Your Learning
      10. Reflect on Your Learning
      11. Apply Your Learning
      12. Self-check Your Learning
    3. Chapter 10: Cross-cultural Communication
      1. Globalization and Intercultural Communication
      2. The New Global Mantra: Go Local
      3. Cultural Sensitivity
        1. Meetings and Social Visits
        2. Group Behaviour
        3. Paying a Visit
        4. Addressing Others
      4. Developing Cultural Intelligence
        1. High-context Cultures
        2. Low-context Cultures
        3. Time As a Cultural Factor
        4. Space As a Cultural Factor
      5. Some Examples of Cultural Diversity
        1. Japan
        2. France
        3. Germany
        4. Brazil
      6. Guidelines for Intercultural Communication
      7. E-mail and Intercultural Communication
        1. Language
        2. Culture
      8. Sample E-mails
      9. Summary
      10. Case: Intercultural Lessons from Crash
      11. Review Your Learning
      12. Reflect on Your Learning
      13. Apply Your Learning
      14. Self-check Your Learning
    4. Chapter 11: Business Letters, Memos, and E-mails
      1. Introduction
      2. Writing Routine and Good-news Letters
        1. Routine Claim Letters and “Yes” Replies
        2. Routine Request Letters and “Yes” Replies
        3. Routine Orders and Their “Yes” Replies
        4. Guidelines for a “Yes” Reply
        5. Guidelines for a “No” Reply
      3. Writing Persuasive Letters
      4. Writing A Persuasive Letter
      5. Writing Memos
        1. How to Write a Memo
        2. Uses of a Memo
      6. Essentials of Good Business Letters and Memos
        1. Simplicity
        2. Clarity
        3. Conciseness
        4. Standard and Neutral Language
        5. You-Attitude
        6. Sincerity and Tone
        7. Emphasis
        8. Planning, Writing, and Revising: The Three Steps of Successful Writing
      7. Redrafting A Memo
      8. Form and Layout of Business Letters
        1. Business-letter Styles
        2. Layout and Formatting Guidelines
      9. Writing E-mails
        1. Receiver’s E-mail Account
        2. Subject Line
        3. Sending Copies
      10. A Series of E-mails
      11. Summary
      12. Case: A Reply Sent to an Erring Customer
      13. Review Your Learning
      14. Reflect on Your Learning
      15. Apply Your Learning
      16. Self-check your Learning
    5. Chapter 12: Social Media
      1. Introduction
      2. Let the First “Social Media Games” Begin!
      3. The Age of Internet Communication Tools
      4. What does Social Media Mean?
        1. Open Diary
        2. Weblog
      5. Characteristics of Social Media
      6. Classification of Social Media
        1. Social Presence
        2. The Concept of Self-presentation
      7. Nature and Scope of Six Types of Social Media
        1. Collaborative Projects
        2. Blogs
        3. Content Communities
        4. Social Networking Sites
        5. Virtual Game Worlds
        6. Virtual Social Worlds
      8. Purpose/Choosing the Most Suitable Social Media
        1. Target Group
      9. Revisiting the Communication Theory
      10. Summary
      11. Case: Was London Olympicsthe “Social-Olympics”?
      12. Review Your Learning
      13. Reflect on Your Learning
      14. Apply Your Learning
      15. Self-check Your Learning
    6. Chapter 13: Business Reports
      1. What is a Report?
      2. The Purpose of a Report
      3. Kinds of Reports
      4. The Terms of Reference
      5. The Objectives of a Report
      6. Planning and Organizing Information
        1. Sequencing Information
        2. Outline As a Structuring Device
      7. Writing Reports
        1. Structure of a Report
        2. Basic and Subsidiary Parts of a Report
      8. Short Management Reports
        1. Memos
        2. Letters
      9. Long Formal Reports
        1. The Title Page
        2. Acknowledgements
        3. Cover Letter
        4. Letter of Transmittal
        5. Table of Contents
        6. Abstract and Executive Summary
        7. Discussion and Analysis of Findings
        8. Glossary
        9. Appendix
        10. Bibliography and References
        11. Index
      10. Using Diagrams and Visual Aids in Reports
        1. Use of Tables
        2. Index
        3. Use of Graphics in Reports
        4. How to Use Figures and Diagrams in Reports
      11. Summary
      12. Case: Survey Report for India Representative Office of HRC Business School, France
      13. Review Your Learning
      14. Reflect on Your Learning
      15. Apply Your Learning
      16. Self-check Your Learning
    7. Chapter 14: Effective Presentations
      1. Introduction
      2. What is a Presentation?
        1. Essential Characteristics of a Good Presentation
        2. The Difference Between a Presentation and a Lecture
        3. The Difference Between a Presentation and a Written Report
      3. Preparing a Presentation
        1. Identify the Purpose of the Presentation
        2. Analyse the Audience and Identify Their Needs
        3. Design and Organize the Information
        4. Decide on the Medium of Presentation and Visual Aids
        5. Time the Presentation
        6. Become Familiar with the Location of the Presentation
      4. Delivering the Presentation
        1. Rehearsal
        2. Body Language
        3. Handling Questions and Debate
        4. Tips to Fight Stage Fright
      5. Summary
      6. Case: The Presentation Effect
      7. Review Your Learning
      8. Reflect on Your Learning
      9. Apply Your Learning
      10. Self-check Your Learning
    8. Chapter 15: Business Etiquette
      1. What is Business Etiquette?Introductions
      2. Introductions
        1. Self-introductions
        2. Introducing Others
        3. Handshakes and Non-verbal Gestures
      3. Telephone/Cell Phone Etiquette
        1. Making a Call
        2. Common Telephone Courtesies
        3. Telephone Etiquette Observed by Administrative Assistants
        4. Telephone Precautions
      4. Business Dining
        1. The Host
        2. The Guest
        3. Table Manners
      5. Interaction with Foreign Visitors
      6. Business Manners in Different Countries
        1. Americans
        2. Europeans
        3. The Japanese
        4. Arabs
        5. Indians
      7. Inter-organizational Etiquette
      8. Summary
      9. Case: Cultural Sensitivity
      10. Review Your Learning
      11. Reflect on Your Learning
      12. Apply Your Learning
      13. Self-check Your Learning
  10. Part III - Structured Applications
    1. Chapter 16: Communication for Conflict Management
      1. What is Conflict?
        1. Armed Conflict
      2. Characteristics of Conflict
        1. Dynamic Nature of Conflicts
        2. State of Tension
        3. Emotional Residue of Conflict
      3. Management of Conflict
        1. Negative Conflicts and Positive Conflicts
        2. Characteristics of Negative Conflicts
        3. Characteristics of Positive Conflicts
        4. Interpersonal Conflict as a General State in Modern Life
        5. Communication as a Bridge of Interpersonal Understanding
      4. Conflict Management through Communication
        1. Management Skills
        2. Communication Skills
      5. Managing the Process of Communication in Conflict
        1. The S-TLC Strategy Conflict Management
      6. Purposive Communication in Conflict
      7. Verbal Skills for Communicating in Conflict
        1. Use of Personalised Language
        2. Conflict Over Intangible Issues
        3. Tangible Issues and Conflicts
        4. Trust Building
      8. Summary
      9. Case: MHAI
      10. Review Your Learning
      11. Reflect on Your Learning
      12. Apply Your Learning
      13. Self-check Your Learning
    2. Chapter 17: Communication for Effective Negotiations
      1. What is Negotiation?
      2. The Nature of Negotiation
      3. The Need for Negotiation
        1. Situations Requiring Negotiation
        2. Situations Not Requiring Negotiation
      4. Factors Affecting Negotiation
        1. Location
        2. Timing
        3. Subjective Factors
        4. Persuasive Skills and the Use of You-attitude
      5. Stages in the Negotiation Process
        1. The Preparation Phase
        2. The Negotiation Phase
        3. The Implementation Phase
      6. Negotiation Strategies
        1. Initial Strategies
        2. During the Discussion
        3. Reaching an Agreement
        4. Summarizing
        5. Deadlocks
      7. Summary
      8. Case: Farsighted Negotiation
      9. Review Your Learning
      10. Reflect on Your Learning
      11. Apply Your Learning
      12. Self-check Your Learning
    3. Chapter 18: CVs, Personal Interviews, and Group Discussions
      1. Applying for Jobs
      2. Writing a CV
      3. The Relationship Between a Résumé and an Application Letter
      4. The Résumé of a Recent Graduate
        1. Heading
        2. Objective
        3. Education
        4. Work Experience
        5. Awards and Honours
        6. Activities
        7. References
        8. Summary
      5. Guidelines for Preparing a Good CV
        1. Suitable Organization
        2. Appropriate Length
      6. Drafting an Application Letter
        1. The First Paragraph
        2. The Second Paragraph
        3. The Third Paragraph
        4. General Tips
      7. Interviews
        1. Types of Interviews
        2. What Does a Job Interview Assess?
        3. Focus of Job Interviews
        4. Strategies for Success at Interviews
        5. Answers to Some Common Interview Questions
      8. Participating in a Group Discussion
        1. Leadership
        2. GD Protocol
        3. Discussion Techniques
        4. Listening
      9. Summary
      10. Case: An Employment Interview
      11. Review Your Learning
      12. Reflect on Your Learning
      13. Apply Your Learning
      14. Self-check Your Learning
    4. Chapter 19: Summer Project Report
      1. Introduction
      2. The Difference Between Summer Project Reports and Business/Technical Reports
      3. General Guidelines for Writing Summer Project Reports
        1. Objective
        2. Selection of a Problem
        3. The Role of Summer Project Mentors
      4. Writing the Project Proposal
      5. Components of the Summer Project Report
        1. Cover and Title Page
        2. Approval of Organization and Faculty Guides
        3. Abstract
        4. Acknowledgements
        5. Table of Contents
        6. List of Tables, Figures, Appendices, and Abbreviations
        7. Chapter I: Introduction
        8. Chapter II: Research Design
        9. Chapter III: Results and Conclusions
        10. Chapter IV: Recommendations
        11. References
        12. Appendices
      6. Project Presentation
      7. Summary
      8. Case: Executive Summary of a Consumer Behaviour Study
      9. Review Your Learning
      10. Reflect on Your Learning
      11. Apply Your Learning
      12. Self-check Your Learning
    5. Chapter 20: Written Analysis of Cases
      1. What is a Case?
      2. Characterstics of a Case and Its Analysis
      3. The Process of Case Analysis
        1. Step 1: Study the Case
        2. Step 2: Identify the Problem
        3. Step 3: Define the Problem
        4. Step 4: Identify the Causes of the Problem
        5. Step 5: Develop Alternative Solutions
        6. Step 6: Evaluate the Alternatives
        7. Step 7: Develop a Plan of Action
      4. Requirements for a Case Analysis
        1. Analysis of Communication Breakdown at City Hospital
      5. The Structure of a Written Case Analysis
      6. Summary
      7. Case: Accepting a Contract
      8. Review Your Learning
      9. Reflect on Your Learning
      10. Apply Your Learning
      11. Self-check Your Learning
  11. Appendix 1: Grammar, Usage, and Style
  12. Appendix 2: The Process of Research
  13. Appendix 3: A Sample Report
  14. Notes
  15. Acknowledgements
  16. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: Business Communication, 3rd Edition
  • Author(s): P. D. Chaturvedi
  • Release date: January 2013
  • Publisher(s): Pearson India
  • ISBN: 9789332517608