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UNIT III STUDY GUIDE
Business Communications, Management,
Motivation, and Leadership
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
3. Develop a fundamental management practice by reflecting upon existing skills.
Reading Assignment
Chapter 5:
Business Communication: Creating and Delivering Messages That Matter
Chapter 14:
Management, Motivation, and Leadership: Bringing Business to Life
Click here to access the Chapter 5 presentation. Click here to access a PDF version of this presentation.
Click here to access the Chapter 14 presentation. Click here to access a PDF version of this presentation.
Unit Lesson
Unit III discusses the significance of communication and how good communication plays an important role in
an organization’s success. It also discusses styles of business management and the importance of work
place motivation and leadership.
Chapter 5: Business Communication: Creating and Delivering Messages That Matter
We live in a world economy that makes communication more important than ever. A good communicator can
reach goals by influencing leaders as well as influencing employees. An excellent communicator gets results
and knows how to willingly get the job done. How many times have we been impressed by a confident
speaker? This is because the speaker was good at focusing on the audience and not on himself or herself.
The most important part of communication is to know the type of audience that is in attendance. When
communicating, it is imperative to know the needs, expectations, and goals of the audience. This will allow the
speaker to reach his/her set of objectives. A good speaker will be clear and precise in tone, use proper
grammar, and avoid slang and bias content. It is vital to use active voice, instead of passive voice.
On the other end of communications, there is listening. It would be impossible to be a great communicator if
one did not listen. In order for the communication to be presented correctly and create an environment for the
audience to listen and receive the message clearly, a good setting needs to be established. The solution to
this is to eliminate any barriers. Barriers may be a physical barrier where noise may be a problem, where a
room is too hot or too cold, and/or where seating arrangements do not fit the room comfortably. Language can
be another barrier. Know the make-up of the audience. Use examples to clarify a message, and never use
slang or jargon. Be aware of body language. Another barrier is a perceptional barrier. An important element is
in knowing the audience’s expectations and being prepared. To prevent organizational barriers, it is very
important to identify who is in the audience and to tailor a presentation that can reach everyone. In a world
economy, cultural barriers are a major concern. Identifying cultural differences is part of planning.
The well-known saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” comes into play with nonverbal communication.
Important factors in communicating include eye contact, facial expressions, and posture and gestures. In our
culture, it is respectful to sustain eye contact while communicating. We all use facial expressions when
conversing with others. The emotions we feel when speaking with others is shown in our facial expressions.
The key is to be aware of our emotions when we communicate. It is also important to be aware of our own
posture and gestures. It is necessary to be relaxed, open, and confident when communicating. It is essential
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to understand the body language of others. An example of someone who is not
interested
in what
we are
UNIT
x STUDY
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saying is: You are giving feed back to your boss about an employee you wantTitle
to discharge, and he is reading
a newspaper. It is obvious he is not interested.
There are many communication channels one can utilize when communicating. The key is to select the right
communication channel to reach the objective. Some common channels of communication include memos or
reports, instant message, voice mail, telephone calls, videoconferencing, in-person presentation, face-to-face
meetings, and e-mail. Each channel has a time and place to be used. The key is to know which channel will
make your communications rich.
The textbook provides formats of giving a great verbal presentation. One of these is using a great opening
remark that will capture the audience’s attention. The body of the presentation needs to be clear and precise.
This will make a good impression. The close of a planned summary is also important.
Chapter 14: Management, Motivation, and Leadership: Bringing Business to Life
Chapter 14 discusses management, motivation, and leadership. Good management is crucial to an
organization’s success. The better the management, the better the results. Management is accountable for
pursuing the organization’s mission and obtaining its goals. The concepts of management are planning,
organizing, leading, and controlling. You first must plan where you want the organization to go and how you
wish to reach the organization’s goals and objectives. Then you must determine the structure (organizing) that
provides a clear awareness and the support that will guide an organization to success. Leading, directing, and
motivating people to achieve the organizational goals that will meet the mission of the company come next.
Management also controls the organization’s recourses, checks to make sure the organization is on plan, and
makes adjustments when necessary. This leads to a management structure that breaks down responsibilities
into different levels. Top management is usually the CEO and his/her staff. Top management responsibilities
fall into long range planning, establishing priorities and the allocation of all resources. Middle management
uses the business plan to coordinate, guide, and support the first line management to reach their goals. The
first line management deals directly with the employees that produce the goods and services. The frontline
management needs to motivate their groups to meet the day-to-day objective for each function. Each level
plays a part in order for a company to be successful. Planning is different for each level of management, but
they all come together to reach the company’s goals and objectives. As the common saying goes, “If you fail
to plan, you plan to fail.”
All levels of management require strategies for motivation. A company is only as good as the employees who
work for it. Therefore, a good company knows how to motivate its employees to get the best work out of them.
Four theories that are used to motivate employees are (1) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, (2) Theory X
and Theory Y, (3) Expectancy Theory, and (4) Equity Theory.
1. Maslow’s Theory involves a hierarchy of human needs that suggest an individual will progress as
each level of needs is met. This starts with physiological needs—our basic needs for food, water, and
shelter—and progresses to self-actualization, where one meets one’s full potential in life.
2. Theory X and Theory Y is a motivational theory that suggests management attitudes fall into two
different categories. The “X” category presumes that employees are at work only because they have
no choice and that fear is the only motivator to get the job done. The “Y” category has the opposite
attitude; it allows employees to use their own personal assets, which lead to a positive work
environment.
3. Expectancy Theory supports employee motivation. This is where individual effort and performance
equals a fair reward. Thus, the employee feels that his/her work performance has a meaningful
reward.
4. Equity Theory addresses a perception of fairness. The key is keeping everyone on the same playing
field so employees do not feel they are being abused.
All companies have set goals and objectives that are critical for them to reach in order to achieve their
missions and insure profits. The goals need to be specific, measureable, and reachable. The goals also need
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to be setup in a definite time frame. One of the biggest turn-offs for employeesUNIT
is goals
not being
within reach.
x STUDY
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This has a negative effect on the personnel and decreases motivation to obtain
the goals.
Title
It is very clear to see how important communication is to an employee and the organization. Many companies
hold communication workshops or send their employees to schools to help support good communications.
Management roles are constantly changing because the world we live in is moving at a fast pace. We have to
change with the changing culture and environment. As a manager, we need to use all the resources available
to us. Education is the number one resource available. Education has a positive impact on our life, our work,
and the organization with which we are employed. Many organizations recognize that their employees are
their biggest asset and will invest in their education.
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