Mary Munter

Cross-Cultural Communication for Managers

M anagers must become proficient crosscultural communicators if they wish to succeed in today’s global environment. The purpose of this article is to synthesize multiple insights-from fields as diverse as anthropology, psychology, communication, linguistics, and organizational behavior-and apply them specifically to managerial communication. Let’s start with two definitions. Culttu-e consists of the values, attitudes, and behavior in a given group of most of the people most of the time. Though nearly all of the examples in this article are drawn from different countries, managers can apply precisely the same kind of analysis to the culture of any given region, industry, organization, or work group. Managerial communication is comrnunication in a management context to achieve a desired result (writing a memo, interviewing an applicant, running a meeting, preparing a presentation). To be effective in any given culture, however, managers should consider the following seven issues before they begin to communicate: 1. Setting communication objectives 2. Choosing a communication style 3. Assessing and enhancing credibility 4. Selecting and motivating audiences 5. Setting a message strategy 6. Overcoming language difficulties 7. Using appropriate nonverbal behaviors

Business E-Mail: Guidelines for Users

medium in business today, many businesspeople and business students take it casually and fail to realize its full potential. It’s easy to assume that since e-mail can be produced quickly and easily, readers can comprehend e-mail messages quickly and easily too. Yet overly speedy e-mail writing can result in much slower e-mail reading and even miscommunication. Moreover, e-mail merits considerable attention because it comprises much of management work today-e.g., &dquo;I no longer meet with my team, I e-mail them.&dquo; Overall, e-mail is work, important work, which requires time and know-how to use effectively. The purpose of these guidelines is to help you become more effective and efficient in the use of e-mail. Since e-mail practices

Using the Computer in Business Communication Courses.

This article reports on the results of a large survey sponsored by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), on the use of computers in business communication courses. From a total of 628 AACSB schools, faculty members from 312 schools responded—a response rate of nearly 50 percent. The results of that survey answer two major questions: (1) How and why are we using computers in the business or management communication curriculum? and (2) What hardware and software are we using?

Meeting Technology: From Low-Tech to High-Tech

This article describes a series of low-tech and high-tech options for use in meeting management and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of each. These options include (1) face-to-face meetings, with choices of flipcharts, non-electronic boards, electronic boards, handouts, still projectors, and multimedia projectors; and (2) groupware meetings, with choices of audio- and videoteleconferencing, e-mail meetings, and electronic meetings.

Responses to Carter A. Daniel's Article "Remembering Our Charter: Business Communication at the Crossroads," Summer 1983

I read Professor Daniel’s article with great interest. It makes some excellent points: the parallels with Education, English, and Sociology are apt; the pleas against too much method, analysis, and pomposity are persuasive. Not only that-his tone is particularly incisive and witty. Unfortunately, however, I believe his arguments go awry in two places. One mistake is his use of the word secondary. Although we should certainly not overstate our own importance, it does not follow that we should be second-class. To draw an analogy with the women’s movement, we should not claim that all women are superior, but neither should we relegate ourselves to being inferior. Daniel draws a false differentiation between &dquo;business communication&dquo; and &dquo;its great master, business.&dquo; What, after all, is &dquo;business&dquo;? Business includes accounting, marketing, finance, organizational behavior, and so forth. Business communication is one of the components for success in businessjust as the others are. None of them can stand alone; all are equally important. Second, I think he is off base with his concept of &dquo;style.&dquo; &dquo;Business communication&dquo; is

How to Conduct a Successful Media Interview

Few issues have caused as much concern among managers over the last decade as business-press relations. The quality of a companys relationship with the media can have a decisive impact on its profitability. This article offers a number of practical suggestions for managers to assist them in improving the effectiveness of their own communications with the media.

Review Essay: Another Look at the "Little Book"

THE NEW YORK TIMES REVIEWER SAID: &dquo;Buy it, study it, enjoy it.&dquo; I have bought it (in four editions now), studied it (countless times), and enjoyed it (very much indeed). Furthermore, not only did I assign it in my first business writing class nearly a decade ago, I am still assigning it today. This is all by way of saying I am a big fan of The Elements of Style. Nonetheless, I think it is time to reflect on &dquo;the little book.&dquo; What makes it great? What are its weaknesses? And, perhaps more importantly, how have those weaknesses influenced our profession? No question in my mind what makes The Elements o. f Style great. The tone. &dquo;Use the active voice.&dquo; &dquo;Omit needless words:’ &dquo;Avoid a succession of loose