Communicating Information or Engaging Your People—How Does Communication Best Support Change?

According to a 1997 survey entitled “The Quality of Working Life” by Professors Les Worrall and Cary Cooper of the Institute of Management, of the 5,000 U.K. managers polled, a majority revealed that they had been affected by organisational change in the last year and failed to see business benefits. When asked about possible improvements, the largest response reflected the need for greater involvement, more listening by senior managers and more honest, two-way communication.

Sparrow, Jane. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Management>Marketing

Communicating Internally: Achieving Your Balance

Employees are inundated with mass information and messages. It is their responsibility to digest all this information in appropriate ways so that they can be effective in their roles, partner with others and help their company be profitable and competitive. Technology—e-newsletters, web mail, instant messaging—has greatly accelerated this environment of mass-transit communications, and while this saves time, it creates a bigger challenge: connecting and managing internal information clearly to align employees and maximize productivity.

Voss, Rebecca. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace

Communicating the Connection: Business Objectives and Corporate Social Responsibility

Communicating about corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly challenging in today's business environment. CSR communicators need to be prepared to not only tell their company's CSR story proactively, but also to clearly connect that story—and the actions, programs and associated costs—with business objectives.

Murphy, Nancy. Communication World Bulletin (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations

Communicating With External Audiences During War Time

On 19 March a war with global implications began between a U.S.-led coalition and Iraq. Although some organizations will be affected by this war more than others, the articles below will help any communicator address certain immediate internal and external organizational war-related communication issues.

Shapiro, Nick. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Business Communication>History

Communicating with the Press Release: Teaching Undergraduates the Basics  

Communicating with stakeholders is a concern for every organization. The press release allows firms to convey a message to the public without exorbitant advertising fees and has greater impact than a paid ad because it appears less one-sided. As undergraduates leave academia for the workplace, they become more valuable to employers if they have had practice composing clearly written press releases that achieve the goals of an organization. Teaching the press release allows business communication instructors to reinforce key writing skills such as audience awareness, purpose, clarity, and conciseness. It can be integrated into the syllabus as part of a unit on persuasive writing or taught as a separate genre. Instructors who teach the press release will need to address its core elements: the concept of newsworthiness; conveying the company's main message in the headline and first paragraph; composing in the "inverted pyramid" style typical to journalism; creating compelling quotes for attribution; and designing the document. Classroom activities and assignment ideas are provided.

Mizrahi, Janet. Association for Business Communication (2008). Articles>Education>Business Communication>Press Releases

Communication in Customer Service    

Expounds on the ins and outs of customer service, specifically with regard to effective communication practices.

Wiley, Ann L. Intercom (2008). Articles>Business Communication

Review: Communication Skills for the Processing of Words, 5th Edition    

This text aims to prepare students for entry-level jobs and foster their career progress after they enter the workplace. The focus of this book is not as broad as the typical introductory text on business communication. However, this book could be the right choice for an advanced business writing course in a high school or an introductory business writing course in a college, university, or technical school. This book might also work well as a supplement in a postsecondary business communication course for use by students who either have not completed a 1st-year composition course or who have completed that course without mastering grammar, mechanics, and style. This textbook includes 18 units: 8 discuss specific types of punctuation (e.g., commas and colons); 7 cover usage and mechanics (e.g., capitalization and numbers); and 3 cover grammar (e.g., subject and verb agreement).

Stallworth Williams, Linda. Business Communication Quarterly (2007). Articles>Reviews>Textbooks>Business Communication

Communication Strategies for Implementing Organizational Change  

This work advances a stronger conceptual and empirical understanding of two broad, conceptual communicative treatments for implementing change: programmatic and participatory. These theoretical approaches are elucidated respectively through established communication models, activities, and strategies advanced by previous scholarship within the communication and business disciplines. In addition, conclusions are drawn about the supposed limitations and benefits of using these change implementation approaches in applied settings. This article concludes with potential strategies for advancing for research in this arena.

Russ, Travis L. Association for Business Communication (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Management>Rhetoric

Communication, Culture and Surveys  

Interest in corporate culture has been on the increase ever since studies over a decade ago found a link between certain cultural aspects and successful business outcomes. Buthow can you measure the bottom-link impacts of culture in your own organization?

Sinickas, Angela D. Sinickas Communications (2000). Articles>Business Communication>Cultural Theory>Surveys

Communications and CARE Models  

Customer communication is a key element in a technical communicator's life. Our customers are usually our subject matter experts (SMEs). Yet, customers are more than just SMEs. They are our co-workers, managers, and others both internally and externally that we interface with. In this paper, We start by finding out who your customers are and why you may treat them differently. Following this brief discussion, we then look introspectively into the common communication forms and review different CARE (Customers Are Really Exciting) models that you can use to make your customer communication, whether face-to-face or in written form, more enjoyable.

Damrau, Jackie. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Business Communication>User Centered Design

Communications and CARE Models  

Customer communication is a key element in a technical communicator's life. Our customers are usually our subject matter experts (SMEs). Yet, customers are more than just SMEs. They are our co-workers, managers, and others both internally and externally that we interface with. In this paper, We start by finding out who your customers are and why you may treat them differently. Following this brief discussion, we then look introspectively into the common communication forms and review different CARE (Customers Are Really Exciting) models that you can use to make your customer communication, whether face-to-face or in written form, more enjoyable.

Damrau, Jackie. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Business Communication>User Centered Design

Communicative Practices in the Workplace: A Historical Examination of Genre Development    

Although studies of actual communication practices in the workplace are now commonplace, few historical studies in this area have been completed. Such historical studies are necessary to help researchers understand the often com-plicated origins of genre conventions in professional discourse. Historical research that draws on contemporary genre theory helps address this void. A genre perspective is particularly valuable for helping researchers trace a given type of document s emergence and evolution. This perspective also provides a way of accounting for the connections between communicative practices and the other activities that occupy the attention of workplace organizations. To illustrate what this perspective brings to historical research in professional communication, I examine the development of communicative practices at a national production company that relied on texts to mediate its organizational activities across geographically dispersed locations.

Zachry, Mark. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2000). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace>History

Communicators and Lawyers: Winning in Both Courts

Professional communicators and attorneys have long stood side by side as both fought to win in court—one in the court of law, the other in the court of public opinion. These two sometimes wary compatriots, however, are now beginning to partner more frequently to garner the best results for the executive suite.

Deveney, John and Meghan Ozcan. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Legal

Communicators Must Have Business, Financial Knowledge

For decades, communicators have been able to advance in their careers while avoiding anything to do with numbers and most things having to do with the essence of how business decisions are made. To succeed in the future, this will no longer be the case. A recent series of conversations with 31 chief executive officers for a study conducted by the Arthur W. Page Society revealed that the No. 1 quality CEOs want in a communication chief is a detailed knowledge of the company’s business.

Gentry, James K. Communication World Bulletin (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Financial

Company Research: Effects of Recent European Union Company Legislation  

A considerable amount of company legislation has been added to the European Union (EU) statute book in the last few years. There have also been many initiatives to modernize existing law. Much of the legislation affects every type of company, but some is specific to listed companies, securities markets and financial institutions. It is all very significant for business information professionals, who need to follow these changes, monitor developments and understand the impact on their day-to-day work. This article reviews the major EU company legislation that has been implemented recently and looks at some calls for further controls on company activities and practices. Following a brief review of all the legislation, with links and references for further study, the main part of the article describes the effects and implications for the ongoing and future work of business information professionals.

James, Sylvia. Business Information Review (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Legislation>Europe

Competitive Analysis: Are you Gathering Information or Intelligence?

Finding online information about your competitors is easy--The difficult part is finding meaning. When researching the competition, you can avoid pitfalls by seeking 'intelligence' instead of 'information.'

Janisch, Troy. Icon Interactive (2004). Articles>Research>Business Communication

Compleat Compliance: Due Diligence on Companies and Individuals    

Explains how recent legislation and the effects of corporate scandals have necessitated greater due diligence on companies and individuals. Gives details of relevant existing and forthcoming legislation and discusses how a due diligence process can ensure compliance with the law. Points out that prospective clients, employees and investors may all require investigation, and then reviews some of the information sources available for use in both corporate and individual investigations. Considers the impact of international developments, particularly in the light of increased merger and acquisition activity, and discusses some of the barriers to acquiring effective due diligence. Finally considers the applicability of selected commercial databases.

Ainsworth, Martin. Business Information Review (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Databases>Regulation

Comprehending the Google Dance to Stay Updated

The updating of massive indexes by Google is not a smooth affair by any means. Notably, as a result of updating process, old indexes do not simply yield to new indexes, but there is quite an haphazard movement in transition. It takes a couple of days for Google to complete its update. Especially during this period, both old and new indexes get their place on www.google.com, albeit alternatively or even in unpredictable ways before new indexes stabilize there for all to see. The fluctuations witnessed on Google between transition from old indexes to new indexes seem as if Google were dancing. Hence, in SEO parlance comes the word Google Dance. Varying indexes have a say in the final rankings just when PageRank calculation sets in action. So, the fluctuating indexes of your site should not be a cause of concern when Google is dancing. Wait for Google to come to a halt and you will see all the things stabilize.

Azam, Rahbre and Tabassum Naz. Amateur Writerz (2008). Articles>Web Design>Business Communication>Search Engine Optimization

A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing Releases that Get Results

Most experienced editors have a love-hate relationship with press releases. They rely on releases (and the people who write them) for story ideas, facts and valuable sources. A good news release can be a lifesaver when it arrives just in the nick of time with an interesting story idea, an arresting headline, compelling lead, powerful quotes, maybe even a print-ready photo.

Freedman, David M. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Press Releases

Computer Networks and the Technical Writer  

Electronic mail and the computer networks it travels over provide new tools for the fechnical writer to use in researching, composing, and submitting documents. Over these networks, the writer can query authors, seek guidance from other professionals, browse through electronic libraries, and exploit other information resources to aid the writing process.

O'Hara, Frederick M., Jr. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Business Communication>Email

Considering Bias in Government Audit Reports: Factors That Influence the Judgments of Internal Government Auditors  

Government auditors collect data and assess, via written reports, the operations of a government; however, little is known about what can affect and govern their representations of those operations. This analysis examines research studies about author bias and government audit manuals in order to understand how government auditors' neutrality is threatened. While bias may be an overt function of preferential or prejudicial thoughts, most sources of bias that influence auditors derive from less explicit sources including prior expectations, media coverage, nondiagnostic information, and other significantly less direct channels. To determine how government guidelines address this issue for their auditors, the principle audit manuals for Canada and the United States were reviewed for their references to bias, impartiality, and objectivity. Neither manual provides a significant amount of guidance to assist auditors in addressing the problems of bias in data collection, interpretation, and representation. If bias is to be reduced in audit reports, more must be done.

Palmer, Laura A. JBC (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Government>Reports

Content Hypertext Spam

Hiding a commercial ad in editorial text is the latest form of internet garbage. Content Hypertext Spam refers to a link within an article that users assume will lead to relevant content, further information on the topic. Wrong. It deceptively leads to an irrelevant site that tries to sell something. Discover the 14 reasons why this new gimmick is damaging to users and webmasters alike.

Streight, Steven. Blogger.com (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Web Design>Spam

Contracting and Consulting for Policies and Procedures Engagements  

As the number of persons employed by some U.S. organizations declined since the late 1980s, so have employment opportunities for Policies & Procedures (P&P) practitioners. During this period, the number of contractors and consultants has increased to meet the needs of newly changed organizations. A useful way for P&P practitioners to learn how they can provide contracting and consulting services is to understand three roles in leveraging such services: an extra pair of hands, expert, and collaborator.

Urgo, Raymond E. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Business Communication>Policies and Procedures>Technical Writing

Corporate Blogging and the Technical Writer  

Corporate blogging is rapidly becoming another way for companies to communicate with their customers and increase internal communication. Learn about the advantages and future of blogging and how to get started.

Johnson, Tom H. Intercom (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Writing>Blogging