Carol M. Lehman

YouTube Video Project: A "Cool" Way to Learn Communication Ethics

THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION embraces new technologies as a natural way of accessing and exchanging information, staying connected, and having fun. YouTube, a video-sharing site that allows users to upload, view, and share video clips, is among the latest “cool” technologies for enjoying quick laughs, employing a wide variety of corporate activities, and also communicating relevant, engaging instructional content for today’s students. This article describes a YouTube video class project that is a natural fit with today’s students because it involves cutting-edge social media while addressing a critical component of professional development— communication ethics. This project encourages critical thinking, creativity, and applied learning in a team environment using a “cool” new media tool.

Persuasive Appeal for Clean Language.

THE PUBLIC USE OF LANGUAGE historically seen as pro1 HE ’ fane and obscene is increasing in American society. Television and movies have become inundated with profanity, and profane language is rampant in radio talk shows, sports, and other social arenas. Business communication students can benefit from a heightened awareness of the social impact of profanity and a broadened understanding of the growing public backlash against profanity, as supported by many educators, social activists, and employers. Students also need to know that inappropriate lan. guage can cause a multiplicity of problems, ranging from the projecting of a negative image for one’s self and the organization to the creation of a hostile work environment. One way to expose students to the problems associated with profanity is to tie the exploration and discussion of the issue to the persuasive writing assignment that is common in many undergraduate business com, munication courses. This article discusses such an assignment.

ANALYZING ETHICAL ISSUES: Essential Ingredient in the Business Communication Course of the 1990s

Beechnut pleads guilty to selling infant apple juice without a trace of apple in the ingredients (Traub, 1988); E. F. Hutton admits to 2,000 counts ofmail and wire fraud (Gellerman, 1986); the publishers of a best selling photography book, A Day in the Life of America, use computers to alter the composition of the cover photograph (Ansberry, 1989). These are just a few of the numerous unethical business activities that are reported by the press almost daily. Indeed, one source estimates that between 1976 and 1986, roughly two-thirds of America’s 500 largest corporations were involved in some form of unethical behavior (Gellerman, 1986). Yet companies don’t commit unethical acts; people do. Research in a variety of industries shows that 60 to 70 percent of practicing managers perceive pressure to compromise their personal ethics to achieve corporate goals. This pressure appears to be felt most strongly by lowerlevel managers who are least experienced at doing their jobs. Many of these managers are new graduates, fresh out of business school. The widespread presence of these pressures in the

Navigating Change Employee Communication in Times of Instability

Employees often perceive periods of change—no matter how warranted or beneficial—as crises, exhibiting both cognitive and emotional reactions including feelings of insecurity and uncertainty, even fear, chaos, stress, betrayal, grief, and anger. Management must have a clear strategy for communicating with employees through change, as employee expectations for open and honest communication are increased in times of shift and uncertainty. Open, honest, and regular communication is essential to keeping employees motivated and productive. Benefits of effective communication in times of change include higher employee satisfaction and engagement, lower turnover, and stronger long-term commitment. Solid internal relationships also strengthen ethics-related outcomes such as fraud reduction and reputation management.

Interactive spreadsheet models reinforce accounting principles

Abstract This note presents an interactive spreadsheet model requiring students to create formulas that complete an incomplete, preexisting spreadsheet model and thereby demonstrate their understanding of the accounting principle being applied. The models verification feature uses keyboard macro commands that compare the students formulas to correct formulas stored on the spreadsheet. If any formula is incorrect, the error is highlighted and an online help screen is displayed to assist the student in preparing a correct solution. Interactive models provide students with immediate knowledge of results and improve the efficiency of class administration.

Effective Nonverbal Communication Techniques

Developing effective marketing strategies for profes- sional service firms presents many unique challen es and is an im- portant area of practice development that many &ns often wer- look. Professional service firms ossess very distinctive P characteristics which differentiate them rom other service firms and require specialized marketing strategies. The purpose of this article is to assist practitioners in their efforts to develop promotional strat- egies which will enhance their firms professional image and in- crease the firms ability to engage new clients. These strategies arc aimed specifically at certified public accountants, lawyers, archi- tects, and other professionals.

CREATIVE THINKING: An Integral Part of Effective Business Communication

prepare students for productive careers. These students will be entering an arena that is more competitive and dynamic than any that has been previously confronted. For businesses, and for the employees within those businesses, survival of the fittest will certainly be a fact of life. In such a dynamic environment, changes that can revolutionize an organization’s strategy may come from unexpected directions. Even now, competition across national boundaries is increasing daily; technology developments can reduce the costs of production overnight; changes in the prices of energy and materials cannot be forecasted accurately; increasing (or decreasing) regulation of industry environments can dramatically alter the rules of the industry game. Just following the pack will not provide the advantage needed to win in such a