PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

Lesson 1: COMMUNICATION PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES, 2. Principle of Attention:

AND ETHICS
“If you can communicate, you can get by. In order to make communication effective, the receiver’s
attention should be drawn towards message. People are
But if you can communicate skillfully, you can work miracles.”- different in behavior, attention, emotions etc. so they may
Jim Rohn
respond differently to the message. Subordinates should
 What is Communication? act similarly as per the contents of the message. The acts of
a superior also draw the attention of subordinates and they
• Is a human act of sending (verbal or nonverbal; online
may follow what they observe. For example, if a superior is
of offline) and receiving of messages where
interpretations are normally constructed in the very punctual in coming to the office then subordinates will
process. also develop such habits. It is said that ‘actions speak louder
than words.
• Is a process whereby people create and transmit
meaning through the exchange of verbal and 3. Principle of Feedback:
nonverbal messages in particular context (Oetzel,
2009:11). The principle of feedback is very important to make the
communication effective. There should be a feedback
• A natural activity of people information from the recipient to know whether he has
 What then is purposive communication? understood the message in the same sense in which the
sender has meant it.
• is an intentional communication that happens within
the bounds of specific contexts. 4. Principle of Informality:
• is a communication applied in a specific setting, Formal communication is generally used for transmitting
environment, scene, social relations and culture messages and other information. Sometimes formal
Contexts affect the process of sending and receiving of communication may not achieve the desired results,
messages; semantics or meanings, choice of channels, words informal communication may prove effective in such
and methods of delivery. situations. Management should use informal
communication for assessing the reaction of employees
 Context includes:
towards various policies. Senior management may
1. Settings or environment – family, school, workplace, informally convey certain decisions to the employees for
religious communities getting their feedback. So, this principle states that informal
2. Social relationships – friends, husband and wife, parent
communication is as important as formal communication.
child, colleagues/boss-subordinate in the office 5. Principle of Consistency:
3. Scenes which include place, time and occasion –
This principle states that communication should always be
business meeting, job interview, social gathering –
consistent with the policies, plans, programmes and
parties, weddings, etc.)
objectives of the organization and not in conflict with them.
4. Culture – history, tradition, beliefs, norms, values If the messages and communications are in conflict with the
 Communication Principles
policies and programmes then there will be confusion in the
minds of subordinates and they may not implement them
1. Principle of Clarity: properly. Such a situation will be detrimental to the
The idea or message to be communicated should be clearly interests of the organization.
spelt out. It should be worded in such a way that the receiver
6. Principle of Timeliness:
understands the same thing which the sender wants to convey.
There should be no ambiguity in the message. It should be kept This principle states that communication should be done at
in mind that the words do not speak themselves but the proper time so that it helps in implementing plans. Any
speaker gives them the meaning. A clear message will evoke the delay in communication may not serve any purpose rather
same response from the other party. It is also essential that the
decisions become of historical importance only.
receiver is conversant with the language, inherent assumptions,
and the mechanics of communication. 7. Principle of Adequacy:

The information communicated should be adequate and

complete in all respects. Inadequate information may delay
action and create confusion. Inadequate information also
affects efficiency of the receiver. So adequate information is
essential for taking proper decisions and making action
plans.
  Communication Process Conciseness is saying what needs to be said in as few
words as possible. Avoid flowery words.
The communication process involves elements such as
source, message, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver, Remember: “Our goal is to communicate and not to
feedback, context, and barrier. impress.”- yari ka

 Elements of Communication: Concreteness. This refers to being specific.

Sender – the message will only be as good and
- providing example when necessary makes a message
valid as its source.
more comprehensible.
• The source of idea
Completeness. To avoid ambiguity, messages should not
• Must be able to use the language that the leave out important details that a receiver expects to
receiver understands. know.

• Correct grammar Answer: What, Who, When, Where, Why and How

• Phonetics  Channels

• Choice of words or jargons for an appropriate The choice of channel may depend on the availability,
audience practicality, and its impact on the receiver.

• Sentence construction Channels:

• Discourse competence • Telephone

 Delivery- “It’s not always what you say but how • Radio
you say it.”
• Television
 Good voice projection
 Use of appropriate eye contact • Printed texts (books, newspapers,
 Proper articulation of words and emphasis on magazines, journals, posters, etc.)
important words
• Communication technologies (smart
 Message – What needs to be communicated
phones, tablets, computers)
 The FIVE C’s in communication:
 Courtesy  Receiver
 Clarity
• Must have good listening and comprehension skills
 Conciseness
 Concreteness • Eliminate all possible distractions or noises
 Completeness
• Types of noise (physical, environmental,
Courtesy also known as politeness. psychological, emotional)

Ways to demonstrate courtesy: • Sharpness of cognition through continuous studies

and acquisition of information and knowledge
• using polite words and tone to show respect to
the receiver of the message.  Communication Ethics

• applying tact and diplomacy The National Communication Association or NCA’s “Credo
for Ethical Communication” was approved by the NCA
• developing the “WE” attitude using positive
Legislative Council in November 1999, and it reminds us
words instead of negative
that communication ethics is relevant across contexts and
• being considerate of the feelings of the receiver applies to every channel of communication. The council
stipulates that “ethical communication is fundamental to
• selecting gender-free terms responsible thinking, decision making, and the
• responding promptly to important messages development of relationships and communities within and
across contexts, cultures, channels, and media.
Clarity may involve correct word usage, grammar,
pronunciation, sentence construction and delivery. • Uphold Integrity. Be truthful with your opinion
and be accurate with your judgment.
Messages which are unclear oftentimes do not achieve
their desired effect. • Respect diversity of people and privacy. Show
compassion and consideration with the beliefs,
status, affiliations, and privacy of others.
• Observe freedom of expression effectively. Be  Intercultural Communication Skills
careful of what and how you say your words
When you interact, negotiate or convey information in a
depending on the type of people you are
multicultural setting, you apply your intercultural
communicating with.
communication skills. Simply put, intercultural
• Promote access to communication. Give others an
communication is the sending and receiving of
opportunity to express what they feel and think
information, ideas or messages across languages and
about the message being communicated.
cultures.
• Be open-minded. Accept that others have different
views or opinions, which may conflict with yours. According to Vulpe et al.(2001), one of the major
• Develop your sense of accountability. Acknowledge competencies of an intercultural effective person is
responsibility for all your actions, good or bad. intercultural communication, whose core skills include
the following:
 Guidelines for Effective Communication
 Ability to express understandable and culturally
 Be clear with your purpose
sensitive thoughts, feelings, opinions, and
 Support your message with facts
expectations
 Be concise
 Provide specific information in your  Ability to engage and immerse in the local culture
feedback and language
 Adjust to the needs, interests, values, and
 Ability to establish shared meanings with the local
beliefs of your audience.
people to avoid stereotyping and
 Observe communication ethics
miscommunication
 Be your natural self and appear very
confident  Ability to develop a language capacity such as
Lesson 3: COMMUNICATION IN using local greetings and opportunities to use the
MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS local language in other contexts
With the emergence of a global society, the  Ability to empathize with how the locals see the
academic and professional environments have world.
become multicultural. That means you coexist with
people from diverse or different cultural  General Guidelines for Communicating in a
backgrounds, beliefs, religion, gender, nationalities, Multicultural Context
religion, and ethnicity.  Avoid asking inappropriate or personal questions
Your verbal communication is always accompanied  Avoid stereotyping or generalizing certain groups.
by non-verbal cues such as gestures, facial Keep an open mind and be flexible.
expressions, and other body movements that add to
what you are saying in different ways.  Avoid using jargons, clichés, highfalutin terms,
technical terms, acronyms, and gender-biased
 The Developmental Model of Cultural language.
Sensitivity
 According to Bennett and Bennett (2004),  Be sensitive, polite, tactful, and respectful at all
the developmental model of intercultural times particularly in relation to cultural practices,
sensitivity (DMIS) has six stages which are as attitudes, and beliefs. Learn and understand the
follows: value of diversity.

 Develop intercultural communication skills.

 Eliminate gender-biased words or sexist language

particularly in writing.

 In case you do not get the message conveyed by

the person you are communicating with, request
him/her to repeat the message or simplify it.

 Learn and observe physical distance or space in

dealing with other people. In some cultures,
shaking hands and hugging may not be
appropriate.
 Listen attentively when others are speaking. Lesson 2: Communication and Globalization
 Observe patience in listening to other people’s  As discussed in the previous chapter,
ideas, which may not be the same as yours. communication is essential for personal and
 Pay attention to your non-verbal professional effectiveness. Further, it helps
communication. Learn non-verbal cues of other establish good relationships, creates a better
cultures. working environment, strengthens collaboration,
 Respect a person’s rights to confidentiality and and unifies conflicting ideas.
privacy.  The term "globalization," on the other hand, is
 Show consideration very complex to define because different scholars
 Speak gently and politely; never shout to be and institutions view it differently. Nonetheless,
understood. the basic concept of globalization is the expansion
 Stay calm, cool, and composed when you make and integration of the cultural, political,
a mistake or feel embarrassed by others. economic, and technological domains of
Culturally, others don’t mean to embarrass you. countries.
 Make positive interpretations of the actions and  This reflects that the world is borderless, and the
words of other people. countries are interconnected and interdependent.
 When you feel strange or uncomfortable about For example, the United States of America
something being communicated by other (General Electric, Chevron, Starbucks, and
people, request them to clarify their meanings McDonalds), Japan (Toyota and Honda) and the
and intentions before you express your Philippines (Jollibee and Bench) have local
emotions and ideas. companies that have expanded overseas and have
 Ways to Avoid Gender-Biased Language become transnational or multinational.
 Substitute gender-biased pronouns with  With the advent of globalization associated with
articles/determiner. advanced technologies and systems across
 Sexist: Every employee is entitled to his 13th regions, the flow of information and
month pay. communication has become smoother, faster,
 Non-sexist: Every employee is entitled to a 13th and easier.
month pay.  Plus, business transactions and partnerships
 Use plural nouns instead of singular nouns. among local and international institutions have
 Sexist: Each employee is entitled to his 13th become more efficient. One best example is the
month pay. use of electronic mail (e-mail) such as Gmail and
 Non-sexist: All employees are entitled to their Yahoo Mail, or social networking sites such as
13th month pay. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
 Use either/or pronouns (his/her, his/hers).  Consequently, the context of globalization
 Sexist: Every employee is entitled to his 13th requires effective communication skills from
month pay. students and workers to cope with the demands
 Non-sexist: Every employee is entitled to and challenges brought about by this
his/her 13th month pay. phenomenon. This includes communicating
 Use second person pronoun (you, your) over effectively with people of different background,
third person pronoun (he/she). Be careful not age, culture, gender, beliefs, orientations,
to change the meaning of the statement. preferences, and status.
 Sexist: The sales manager should prepare his  As a result, Chen (2005) claims that the flux and
marketing proposal for our new product. complexity of the change will continue to increase
 Non-sexist: You should prepare your marketing in the years ahead and challenge the fundamental
proposal for our new product. assumptions and beliefs on which modern people
 Use appropriate titles have learned to live. Hence, people should
 Sexist: Dear Sir (unknown addressee) acquire knowledge and skills that account for
 Non-sexist: Dear Sir/Madame (unknown “global communication competence” because it is
addressee) only through global communication competence
 Non-sexist: Attention: HR Manager, To the HR can people from different cultures communicate
Manager effectively and productively in the globalizing
society.
  Communication competence 7. Identify and manage misunderstandings.
8. Manage conflict.
Communication competence is elaborated in linguistics 9. Be open-minded about another’s point of view.
as the ability to function in a truly communicative 10. Listen attentively.
setting-that is, in a dynamic exchange in which linguistic
competence must adapt itself to the total informational  These are just some of the competencies the NCA
input, both linguistic and paralinguistic skills of one or identified as important for the graduates. While
more interlocutors. Swain (1980) and Canale (1983) these are skill-focused, they provide aa concrete
termed this as communicative competence (CC) which way to assess your speaking competencies and to
they defined as the synthesis of an underlying system of prepare yourself for professional speaking and
knowledge and skill needed for communication. In their listening, which are often skill driven.
concept of communication, competence refers to the  Global Communication Competence
(conscious or unconscious) knowledge of an individual
about language and about other aspects of language Competence is the ability of individuals that relates
use. effectively to self and others in daily life. It is an
integration of various components based on the
individual’s cognitive, affective, and behavioral abilities.
Chen (2005) conceptualized competence from three
aspects:

1. It is the cognitive ability to understand situational

environmental requirements;

2. It is the motivation to demonstrate the ability to

understand situational and environmental
requirements; and

3. It is the effectiveness and appropriateness for

accomplishing specific goals in interaction.

 Chen defines communication competence as

innate individual trait that is not related to
personal intellect or education. Weinstein (1969)
supports that communication competence is an
internal ability that is naturally enhanced and
luminated through the promotion of empathy in
Communicative Competence has been the primary the process of socialization.
undergraduate learning goal along with other key skills  In the global communication context, competence
like writing, critical thinking, and problem solving. The further requires individuals to be equipped with
National Communication Association (NCA) has the ability to acknowledge, respect, tolerate, and
identified what students should be able to do in terms of integrate cultural differences in order to be
speaking and listening competencies by the time they qualified for enlightened global citizenship (Chen
graduate from college. & Starosta, 1997, 2003).
 Expected Skills for College Students  Thus, Chen (2005) developed a “model of global
communication competence” that enables
1. State ideas clearly. individuals to search for the vision, shared
understanding and sense of multiple identities
2. Communicate Ethically.
that lead to the unlocking of human potential in
3. Recognize when it is appropriate to the development of intelligence, knowledge, and
communicate. creativity for a peaceful and productive society.
 The model contains four dimensions with various
4. Identify their communication goals.
components as shown in figure 2.
5. Select the most appropriate and effective
medium for communicating.

6. Demonstrate credibility.
 Even when people are speaking the same language,
cultural differences can affect vocabulary, colloquial
expressions, voice tone, and taboo topics (Ingram,
2009). In Filipino culture for example, it can be
considered rude to ask unprofessional questions. Even if
they seem harmless, these questions could show that
the employees are incompetent, rude, or even liabilities
to the company, and it might end up costing their job.

 Cultural Awareness in Body Language.

Awareness of cultural differences in body
language can just be as important as the
Figure 2: A Model of Global Communication nuances of speech. Students should understand
Competence (Chen, 2005) acceptable speaking distances, conflict styles,
eye contact, and posture in different cultures,
accepting that the physical expressions of their
 The Impact of Globalization own culture are not universally accepted. These
differences should be addressed to avoid
Globalization requires the development of a difficulties or miscommunication.
person’s language ability. The ability to use language  Time Differences.
accurately and appropriately is a requirement of a The advent of global collaboration introduces
globalizing society. In addition, people of today need another new dynamic to communication skills—
to understand the dynamics of long-distance the need to communicate and share
collaboration, the impact of culture on manners of information with people across several time
speaking and body language, and how to use zones. When people collaborate while others on
technology to communicate with people on the the other side of the globe, their counterparts
other side of the globe. are usually at home asleep while they
 Globalization Impact on Communication Skills themselves are at work. Today’s communication
Development skills development programs should address the
1. Virtual Interactions nuances of overcoming this challenge by
2. Cultural Awareness in Speech teaching people to understand the information
3. Cultural Awareness in body language needs of their colleagues, according to the
4. Time difference communication styles of different countries or
 Virtual interactions. cultures. Being able to share effectively
information between shifts can make or break
Globalization has introduced virtual communication the productivity of a geographically dispersed
and collaboration as a major parts of workplace team, making this an important issue for many
dynamics. Modern entrepreneurs need to companies (Ingram, 2009).
understand the strengths and limitations of different
communications media, and how to use each
medium to maximum effect. For example,
communicating via email to distant team members
requires a certain etiquette. Holding virtual
meetings requires a similar change in approach, and
people who are accustomed to communicating in
groups in virtual settings can find themselves lost,
confused or unable to share their input.

 Cultural Awareness in Speech.

The need for cultural awareness is a major impact of

globalization on the required skill set of effective
communicators. Modern entrepreneurs and
employees need the ability to catch subtle nuances
of people’s manner of speech when communicating
across cultures.