Difference between revisions of "Writing for Business Success/Introduction to Business Communication/Communication contexts"

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{{cquote|Without context, a piece of information is just a dot. It floats in your brain with a lot of other dots and doesn't mean a thing. Knowledge is information in context... connecting the dots.|author= Michael Ventura}}
 
{{cquote|Without context, a piece of information is just a dot. It floats in your brain with a lot of other dots and doesn't mean a thing. Knowledge is information in context... connecting the dots.|author= Michael Ventura}}
 
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The meaning of any communication, for both the creator and the receiver of the message, is shaped by its '''context'''. As the quotation above suggests, when an individual processes a piece of information, they do so by connecting it to things they already know or believe. One way of explaining context is to break it down into four pre-existing factors which are likely to affect a person's understanding of a particular message:
  
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{{Note|CG - I like your ideas here, but I think alcohol is a bit of a risky example. Have started drafting something around time...}} {{Note|SW - The learning outcome for this course begins 'Analyse how communications are shaped by their cultural, experiential, belief and value contexts...'. However, we don't define 'experiential context' anywhere in the learning materials and the word 'experiential' does not occur anywhere in the Saylor text. Could we add a definition and/or examples of the various contexts listed in the LO here?
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* Culture
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NB There is not much on the internet on the concept of 'experiential context', but we could maybe say something like 'The meaning of communication, both for the source of the communication and the receiver, is shaped by the particular experiences that the individual has had in life. These may be experiences from any aspect of life, such as education, family, social relationships or health; any of these experiences can shape the meaning of communication for someone, even in a business setting."
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* Experiences
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Maybe we could give an example of references to alcohol. (Or is this too controversial?) This isn't drafting, but here are some ideas...  Culture - drinking alcohol may be perceived as fun,sociable or 'manly'; toasting with alcohol at an event may be a sign of respect; but it can be perceived as irresponsible, undignified etc.    Experiential - personal experience of addiction in oneself or family members may result in strongly negative attitudes to alcohol; but positive experiences of moderate drinking in a family can set this as a norm of behaviour.  Belief - In some religions, drinking alcohol is prohibited, whereas in others it is used as part of religious ceremonies.  Values -  Some people see alcohol as having a positive effect on society, helping people to relax and socialise; others think it has a damaging effect on society and would feel uncomfortable being involved in its sale or consumption.}}
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* Beliefs
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* Values
  
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The meaning of communication, both for the source of the communication and for the receiver, is shaped by the particular experiences that the individual has had in life. These may be experiences from any aspect of life, including education, family, social relationships, and/or health. Any of these elements can shape the meaning of communication for someone, even in a business setting. If we think about the concept of 'time', for example, it is perceived differently in different cultures ''and'' in different contexts. For instance, in some cultures, it may be acceptable in social situations to arrive after the suggested time to meet with friends, but would be considered unprofessional if arriving late for a business appointment.  
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'''Culture''' can be described as the patterns of learned and shared behaviour and beliefs of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.https://courses.lumenlearning.com/culturalanthropology/chapter/what-is-culture/ Culture has a strong, and often unconscious, influence on our assumptions. Ways in which culture can affect business communications include attitudes to social hierarchy, expectations of formality, understandings of timeliness, and approaches to expressing disagreement.
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'''Experiences''' that individuals had in their life can have a strong influence on their assumptions. These may be experiences from any aspect of life, including education, family, social relationships, and/or health. Any of these elements can shape the meaning of communication for someone, even in a business setting. For example, if a person has been made to feel inadequate at school by teachers, this feeling may carry over into a lack of confidence in the workplace and they may perceive personal criticism in a communication where others do not.
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'''Beliefs''' include the religious or political beliefs that an individual holds. For example, an individual's religion may dictate that they should not work on a particular day of the week, or that they should only eat certain types of food.
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'''Values''' are ethical beliefs about the importance of some thing or action.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_(ethics) Wikipedia]</ref> They are often strongly influenced by an individual's culture and/or beliefs. They will affect a person's attitudes to such things as family commitments, animal welfare, or honesty.
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For communication to be effective, and to avoid misunderstandings, it is important for both the source of the communication and the receiver to take all these contexts into account.
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Another way of looking at the context of communication is to consider how the number of communicators and the direction of communication affects the communication. This is discussed in the reading below.
  
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It is important to remember, then, that different contexts can affect communication, and can sometimes lead to our communication efforts being misunderstood. The context or circumstances surrounding the communication might include the audience, location, cultural beliefs, timing, the choice of words used, and many other factors.
 
 
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Revision as of 04:45, 13 October 2020

Connect the dots puzzle (partially solved).png
“ Without context, a piece of information is just a dot. It floats in your brain with a lot of other dots and doesn't mean a thing. Knowledge is information in context... connecting the dots. ”

—Michael Ventura


The meaning of any communication, for both the creator and the receiver of the message, is shaped by its context. As the quotation above suggests, when an individual processes a piece of information, they do so by connecting it to things they already know or believe. One way of explaining context is to break it down into four pre-existing factors which are likely to affect a person's understanding of a particular message:

  • Culture
  • Experiences
  • Beliefs
  • Values

Culture can be described as the patterns of learned and shared behaviour and beliefs of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.https://courses.lumenlearning.com/culturalanthropology/chapter/what-is-culture/ Culture has a strong, and often unconscious, influence on our assumptions. Ways in which culture can affect business communications include attitudes to social hierarchy, expectations of formality, understandings of timeliness, and approaches to expressing disagreement.

Experiences that individuals had in their life can have a strong influence on their assumptions. These may be experiences from any aspect of life, including education, family, social relationships, and/or health. Any of these elements can shape the meaning of communication for someone, even in a business setting. For example, if a person has been made to feel inadequate at school by teachers, this feeling may carry over into a lack of confidence in the workplace and they may perceive personal criticism in a communication where others do not.

Beliefs include the religious or political beliefs that an individual holds. For example, an individual's religion may dictate that they should not work on a particular day of the week, or that they should only eat certain types of food.

Values are ethical beliefs about the importance of some thing or action.[1] They are often strongly influenced by an individual's culture and/or beliefs. They will affect a person's attitudes to such things as family commitments, animal welfare, or honesty.

For communication to be effective, and to avoid misunderstandings, it is important for both the source of the communication and the receiver to take all these contexts into account.


Another way of looking at the context of communication is to consider how the number of communicators and the direction of communication affects the communication. This is discussed in the reading below.



We're going to look at five types of communication context: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Group, Public, and Mass communication. Before you look at the reading below, have a think about what these different communication contexts might be, and how they affect communication choices.

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Readings

Read Section 1.3 Communication in context, in Saylor Academy (Ed.) 2012. Business Communication for Success. (See page(s) 22 - 26 in PDF version.) - Don't worry about the chapter exercises for this lesson.

The reading introduces intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, institutional, and mass communication contexts, their advantages and disadvantages, and appropriate and inappropriate uses. It's important for us to remember that each context influences the communication process differently, and that contexts can overlap.


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Reflection

Thinking about different communication contexts, in which context do you think an audience would pay the least attention to a written communication? Which context is most characterised by intimacy, and which is most likely to involve a group?

Please share your thoughts in WENotes.


Note: Your comment will be displayed in the course feed.




  1. ↑ Wikipedia
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