Module 1: Communication Principes and Ethics

“Communication works for

those who work at it.”
—John Powell
 01 02 03
Processes & Communication Ethics in
Principles of and Communication
Effective Globalization
Communication
01
Processes & Principles
of Effective
Communication
Effective communication is a key interpersonal skill and by learning
how you can improve your communication has many benefits.

Communication is beyond simply putting words into thoughts and

emotions. It is done effectively only when information is transmitted
without changing both the content and the context of the message.
Simply put, communication is the art of creating and sharing
thoughts, ideas, concepts, and views for a specific purpose.
Different contexts can impact one’s communication. Each
communication type is governed by a particular circumstance. Thus, it is
essential to pay attention to the interplay of factors surrounding the
context of communication which may be physical, cultural, social, and
psychological in nature. Communication may then be classified
according to:
1. Communication mode;
2. Context and;
3. Purpose and Style.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION ACCDG TO
MODE:

Verbal
Language
Sounds
Tone of Voice
 Non-Verbal
Body Language
Facial Expressions

Deportment
 Visual
Signs
Symbols Maps
Imagery Charts
Pictures Graphs
Graphics Illustrations
Emojis Diagrams
Drawings
Types of Communication accdg. to
Context:

1. Intrapersonal - talking to oneself;

2. Interpersonal - between, among,
together
3. Extended - involves the use of
electronic media
4. Organizational communication
5. Intercultural communication
Types of Communication accdg. to Purpose and Style:
wherein the focus is on the setting and the mode of delivery:

1. Formal Communication employs formal language delivered

orally or in written form (e.g. lectures, public talks/speeches,
research, project proposals, reports, business letters)
Purpose: To inform, entertain, and to persuade
1. Informal Communication involves personal and ordinary
conversations with friends, family members or acquaintances
Purpose: to socialize and enhance relationships
DID YOU KNOW? Almost 91% of professionals from the world’s
top 300 multinational companies said that communicating in English
is important for work success, but only 7% of them indicate that their
current level of English is sufficient for their jobs. This is based on
“The Globalization of English” research study conducted by the
McKinsey Global Institute.
Communication Skills
1. Audience Analysis
❏ Knowing the audience
❏ Understanding their level
❏ How they need to receive the
information
Communication Skills
02. Identifying & Overcoming
Communication Barriers

1. Physical noise
2. Physiological noise
3. Cultural difference
4. Varying levels of expectations and
experiences
5. Difference in perspectives and
6. Communication styles
 Principles of
Effective
Communication
 Clarity - pertains to both the message
and the purpose why the message has
to be sent.

Conciseness - the message should be as

brief as may be required depending on
one’s purpose.

Completeness - the message should be

complete and accurate.
Organization - Effective communication is
usually planned in order to ensure the
systematic flow of ideas and transition from
one point to another.

Empathy - The sender of the message should

be sensitive to the needs and interests of the
receiver.

Flexibility - Effective communicators know

how to adapt to the varying needs and
expectations of their audience, and modify the
message or the way the message is sent to
avoid misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
 This is an exercise!
Remove unnecessary word or words/phrase in the ffg. sentences:

1) Many uneducated citizens, who have never attended school, continue to vote for
better schools.
2) The fireworks of the 2020 Olympics were amazingly spectacular.
3) Enclosed herewith is the list of participants for the New York 2020 Marathon.
4) The robbers’ getaway vehicle is surrounded on all sides by policemen.
5) The ATM machine inside the mall is not working.
 This is an exercise!
Remove unnecessary word or words in the ffg. sentences:

6) We tried to assemble the toy train but we have too many component parts.

7) The bucket slowly made its downward descent into the wall.

8) The author conducted 200 interviews to write a biography of the life of the reclusive
poet.

9) It is absolutely crucial for an athlete to train regularly if she wants to be an olympian.

10) The healthcare workers requested temporary reprieve from their hectic schedule.
02
Communication and
Globalization
 Motive Question
The world has shrunk into a global
village, but have we become more
of ‘neighbors’ or more of strangers
to each other?
 For our part, we Filipinos have increased our awareness and
acceptance of the notion that we belong to a diverse, global
community. This is not confined to communication with people
from other countries, but is inclusive of communication within
our own societies, even with the minorities and the indigenous
peoples. It is therefore imperative that WE learn to
communicate effectively with people regardless of age, gender,
race, ability, religion, sexual orientation, income, marital status,
or ethnicity.
 Communication in the modern world
must be anchored on the concept of
diversity, since effective communication and
the ability to understand cultural differences
are skills that have become requisites not
only for a meaningful social life but also for
a successful professional career.

Even professionals from the countries

that are traditionally known for sticking to
their native tongue (e.g. Japan, Korea,
Vietnam) have started to learn English, as
the internationally-recognized lingua franca,
with the concept that learning English does
not make them less Japanese, Koreans, or
Viets.
In addition, digital technology has
erased territorial boundaries among
countries and among people with
varying cultures. The notion of being a
‘stranger’ has been revolutionized as
the people whom we used to treat as
strangers are now our co-workers,
classmates or friends – albeit some only
in social media.
 Hence, there is a need to develop graduates and professionals
who are multiculturalists – those who are engaged with and
respectful of people with different cultures. These are not necessarily
people from other countries all the time, since a country may have
varying sub-cultures among its general society. In the Philippines, for
example, there is no argument that people from Southern Tagalog
have a different culture from the Bicolanos, and those from
Zamboanga have different norms and beliefs from the Ilocanos.
Formative Assessment
Are you ready to communicate in a global and multicultural environment? Assess your
readiness to communicate effectively with people having different cultures. Simply write
True or False after each statement.

1. I enjoy communicating with persons who are like me in terms of interests and with the same
socio-economic status, as much as I enjoy communicating those who are not ‘like’ me.
2. I am equally sensitive to the concerns of all groups of society, and I genuinely care to the plight
and issues surrounding them.
3. I can tell when persons with different cultures do not understand me or are confused by my
actions.
4. I am not afraid of interacting with members of minority groups nor with members of a
dominant culture.
5. Persons from other cultures who do not actively participate in a conversation, debate or any
form of discussion act that way probably because of their culture’s rules.
Formative Assessment
Are you ready to communicate in a global and multicultural environment? Assess your
readiness to communicate effectively with people having different cultures. Simply write
True or False after each statement.

6. Persons from other cultures have the right to be angry at members of my own culture.

7. How I handle conflict or disagreements with persons from other cultures depends on the situation
and on the culture they are from.

8. My culture is not superior with other cultures.

9. I am knowledgeable of how to behave when communicating or interacting with people having

different cultures.

10. I respect the communication rules of cultures other than my own.

 Undoubtedly, globalization has affected the way people and
companies communicate with each other. In some cases, cultural
differences have accentuated cultural insensitivity, which is most felt
in the business world. Since everyone is a consumer of particular
business products, it is important to know the issues, etiquette,
protocol, communication styles and negotiation approaches of people
from different cultures using the business experience as example. In
the next slides are some instances when lack of cultural or linguistic
sensitivity in global communication severely affected companies or
products.
In the past, Gerber dealt with issues
in some cultures where women have
low literacy rates such as Africa and
the Middle East. The women in these
cultures generally use pictures to tell
them what food they are buying.
When Gerber started selling their
product in these countries, the
women saw the picture of the baby
and believed that there was a baby or
part of one baby in the jar.
Irish Mist is a brown whiskey
produced in Dublin, Ireland. In
Germany, however, “Mist” literally
translates to “crap”.
Joni (read as “Yoni”) is a brand
of skin product. However, Yoni
means ‘uterus’ or ‘vagina’ in
Sanskrit, and is an Indian
representation of female
genitalia, especially pertaining to
the Hindu goddess Shakti.
McDonald’s spent thousands on a new TV ad to target the Chinese
consumers. This featured a Chinese man kneeling before a
McDonald’s vendor and begging him to accept his expired discount
coupon. The ad caused uproar over the fact that begging is
considered a shameful act in Chinese culture.

Similarly, McDonald’s also unintentionally offended thousands of Muslims when it

printed an excerpt from the Koran on its throwaway (take-out) hamburger bags.
Muslims saw this as sacrilegious.

Some staff at the African port of Stevadores saw the supposedly

internationally-recognized symbol for “fragile” (i.e. broken wine
glass). Since in their culture, they treat the pictures printed on
packages to be representation of what’s inside, they thought it was a
box of broken glasses and threw all the boxes into the sea.
The film “Hollywood Buddha” caused
outrage and protest on the streets of Sri
Lanka, Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma)
when the designer of the film’s poster
decided to show the lead actor sitting on
the Buddha’s head, which is an act of
clear degradation against something
holy.
Coors (beer) once had its
slogan “Turn it loose.”
translated to Spanish, but it
became to mean “Suffer from
diarrhea.”
All of these examples are predominantly business-related, where companies failed to regard cultural
differences in packaging and communicating their product to the global market. However, the cost of
cultural insensitivity in global communication can be felt in everyday communication, as cultural
misunderstandings often lead to misinterpretation and unnecessary tension between people. Here are
some examples demonstrating this in a global setting:

❏ Showing the sole of a shoe (by crossing one’s legs and pointing one’s shoes to the speaker, for
example) means nothing to observers in most Western and Asian countries. In Muslim cultures (such
as Saudi Arabia), however, the gesture is perceived as insulting. Similarly, crossing one’s legs while
seated is customary for Westerners, but this is a social faux pas in Korea.
❏ Blinking rapidly while another person is talking is normal for most people, especially during tense
situations. For Taiwanese, this is considered impolite.
❏ The Japanese view the business card as an extension of their body, while Americans view it simply
as a business formality. Hence, when Japanese hand over their business cards with two hands and
with great care, they get insulted when the person receiving just put it away with haste.
 These are just some of the instances when miscommunication and
misunderstanding can happen as a result of cultural ignorance and insensitivity in
the global environment. In order to develop more meaningful relationships and
establish productive interaction with people having different cultures, everyone
should recognize and respond to such differences and nuances. In addition,
people have to be mindful that not everyone from the same culture exhibits the
same characteristics and habits in communication, so sensitivity is key to any
successful communicative situation.

In communicating in a highly global environment, the challenge that faces

everyone is to learn to understand, accept, and address cultural – and
communication – differences.
03 Ethics in Communication
 Effective communication is ethical communication. Communication
is ethical only when it is genuine, open, cooperative and sensitive to
one’s cultural and social beliefs and practices. If there is an intent to
conceal the truth, or bring damage to any organization, group or
individual person, communication is considered unethical. Even in
situations when there is no intent to harm, but damage to a certain
group is inevitable because of the message or the channel used to relay
the message, it is still considered unethical.
SIMPLE ACTIVITY. Reflective Analysis

Analyze the following print advertisements and determine if these

are ethical or not. Consider the following guide questions in your
analysis.
1. What is the message of the ad?
2. How is the message underscored? What semiotics are used (text?
images? others?)
3. Is there any individual or group that may be offended by the ad?
4. Is there another way of presenting or delivering the message?
5. Do you think the ad is ethical?
Reflective Analysis.
Briefly explain your
assessment of the ad,
with focus on the five
questions.
Pls. be ready to discuss
your analysis in class.
Reflective Analysis.
Briefly explain your
assessment of the ad,
with focus on the five
questions.
Pls. be ready to discuss
your analysis in class.
Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up
anger.

Proverbs 15:4
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks a
spirit.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who
love it will eat its fruit.