Abstract
This paper discusses the principles of effective business communication. It is written from the perspective of a purchasing analyst of the Con Edison Company, but the ideas presented can be applied to most other business situations as well. The paper examines the following topics:

1. Principles of persuasive business communication: analysis
2. Techniques of business report writing
3. "Good news" and "bad news" letters, and other business correspondence
4. Giving effective oral presentations/ speech
5. Characteristics of non-verbal communication

From the Paper
"Effective communication skills are vital for success in a business environment with most business people being engaged in some form of communication activity most of the time reading, listening, writing or talking. Business communication is, however, different from academic or literary writing and speaking it requires precision, clarity and efficiency since business people just do not have the time to savor an idea or an expression."

Tags:communication, skills, business, messages, bottom-lining, report, writing, correspondence

Abstract
The paper explores communication and negotiation and uses the baseball strike in 1994 as a source for information and as a model of one particular negotiation situation. The paper describes this case as one with hardened positions on both sides so that the negotiation never achieved a solution and the strike was ended by a judicial order instead of an agreement, as was desired.

From the Paper
"Labor negotiations generally involve demands by the workers and counter offers by the owners. Such negotiations generally come when a contract expires and the time the negotiation takes depends on the solidity of the positions each side takes, meaning how much more the employees want to gain and how little the owners want to cede to the employees. Pressure can be brought on owners by a strike situation, but this also brings pressure on the employees, who are not being paid while on strike and who may not be able to hold out as long as the owners for financial reasons. Some types of business are more vulnerable than others to such tactics, depending on industry position, time of year, need to fill contracts or orders and other pressures."

Tags:communication, negotiation, example

Abstract
The paper first discusses school superintendents' communication with board members and the need to treat the board members as if they are important team members. The paper then considers the school superintendent's relationship with the community and the need to communicate everyday issues, problems, and emergency situations. The paper discusses the value of the superintendent not only participating but playing a role in the economic plans for the local area so that his educational issues and institutions are an integral part of the planning. Finally, the paper addresses school superintendents' dealings with adminstrators, staff and teachers.

Outline:
With the School Board Members
With the Community
With Administrators, Staff and Teachers

From the Paper
"According to studies done over the past two decades, over 60% of school superintendents spend about three to four hours a week, total, communicating with board members. And most of that is with the chairman which leaves very little time with other members of the board. The studies have also shown that those superintendents who are successful communicate at least twice that much (Glass, Bjork, & Brunner, 2000, p. 81).
"Every study produced emphasizes communication as the critical component in a good relationship with the school board. It's always the board member's top level complaint about the superintendent. Either they feel that they don't know what's going on or they are informed too late on some issues to really study them because the superintendent didn't provide documents or verbal briefings soon enough.
"The cure is to treat the board members as if they are important team members of your own staff. Share with them your thoughts about the future; let them know how you think about issues; request their thoughts on any major problems or issues. And make certain they get no surprises by seeing something on television that you should have told them about. Surprises, as all the literature will tell you, is a no-no (McAdams, 2009)."

Tags:board, members, staff, teachers, communication

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses cross-cultural communication and challenges that arise when people come together in a negotiation. The writer maintains that it is important to recognize the different agendas that individuals have in a negotiation and the prejudices that they bring with them to the table. The writer uses notes from video cases to analyze three different situations.

From the Paper
"This exercise demonstrated the challenges that arise when people come together in a negotiation. It is important to recognize the different agendas that individuals have in a negotiation and the prejudices that they bring with them to the table. The best negotiators are also those who are adept at dealing with egos-both at putting their own ego aside and recognizing how to appeal to the ego of others involved in the negotiations. In this way negotiation involves both sales skills and psychology. Threats although sometimes effective ..."

Tags:cross-cultural communication, negotiation

Abstract
The paper presents a teaching and learning program which evolved as a consequence of observations made from the writer's own current and past experience, the experience of others in daily situations and ongoing problems that seem to have no resolution. The paper discusses critical incident analysis and explains that it requires that we focus attention on some event for the sake of reflective purposes.

From the Paper
"The teaching and learning program which follows evolved as a consequence of observations made from my own current and past experience. The program also resulted from the experience of others in daily situations and ongoing problems that seem to have no resolution. Crouch (1991) maintains that a critical incident is an observation that is sufficient for inferences and predictions to be made. Critical incident analysis requires that we focus attention on some event for the sake of reflective purposes."

Tags:elderly, psychiatic, communication

Abstract
The paper explains that the study of organizational behavior investigates the relationship between an organization and its employees by observing the impact that "individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations" (Judge & Robbins 9). The paper discusses how within the discipline, both intuition and systematic study are combined for an accurate understanding of the organizational environment. The paper further explains that systematic study looks at relationships and attempts to determine cause and effect based on research, data, and controlled conditions, while intuition is that "gut feeling" we have about situations and surroundings that is intangible, but very real (Judge and Robbins 12).

From the Paper
"The study of organizational behavior investigates the relationship between an organization and its employees by observing the impact that "individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations" (Judge & Robbins 9). Within the discipline, both intuition and systematic..."

Tags:organization, motivation, communication

Abstract
This paper considers a situation at a high school in which the administration retaliated against a teacher and a student for voicing an opinion in a campus broadcast which ran contrary to the administration's views. Considering this situation from the standpoint of each of four theories of communication, this paper finds that the administration of the school and the school district have failed to establish effective communication systems.

From the Paper
"In the field of organizational communication, there are four generally accepted theories of communication: classical, humanistic, system, and cultural. Each of these sheds some light on the problem which Alton High School has encountered. Unfortunately, all four theories show that to a greater or lesser degree, the communication at Alton High School is seriously defective, so that effective communication cannot be had without substantial changes."

Tags:communication, theory, failure

Abstract
This paper discusses Kierkegaard's concept of indirect communication in conjunction with situational ethics and Plato's "Phaedrus". Both Kierkegaard and Plato are shown to endorse the use of deception to reveal the truth.

From the Paper
"Kierkegaard's conception of communication is grounded in his ideas about what constitutes truth and reality. Harry S. Broudy states; "Kierkegaard argues that human existence is a mode of being in which subjectivity is the truth and that such truth cannot be communicated directly." He seems to be saying, Broudy asserts, that philosophy insofar as it is dedicated to describing the real objectively, cannot describe the most important mode of reality of human existence. The only way this mode of reality can..."

Tags:Kierkegard, indirect communication, communication, Phaedrus, Plato, Socrates, situational ethics, Fletcher

Abstract
The paper looks at how Erin, the main character in the film "Freedom Writers", shows that interpersonal communication effectiveness can be learned and that it is not something one is 'born' with. The paper shows how throughout the film, she applies some of the concepts that can be applied as guidelines for interpersonal communication competence. The paper discusses how she learns how to appropriately adapt communication, meaning she "adapted a style of communication that suits the situation by considering the context, personal goals as well as the individuals with whom, she was communicating" (Wood and Schweiser 38).

From the Paper
"Erin, the main character in the film "Freedom Writers", shows that interpersonal communication effectiveness can be learned and that it is not something one is `born' with. Throughout the film, she applies some of the concepts that can be applied as guidelines for interpersonal communication competence. Four are of particular relevance to this character and to apply them to communicating with students in order to help them learn and develop as individual more effectively. First through the movie she learns how to appropriately adapt communication, meaning she "adapted a style of communication that suits the situation by considering...""

Tags:communication, listening, skills

Abstract
This paper argues for a greater inclusion of playwriting in the high school educational syllabus. The writer points out that some of the reasons playwriting is not included are it is simply impractical and serves no functional purpose. However, many teachers feel that playwriting is an important and educationally viable subject, which can have many benefits for the student. The paper relates that the formal academic advantages of playwriting as a school subject are literary competency and inquiry, communications skills and creative problem solving. The author stresses that playwriting as a teaching method is interesting and as well as a craft for the students, which in itself encourages further learning.

Table of Contents:
The Argument for Playwriting in Schools
Conclusion

From the Paper
"In the first instance, some commentators are of the opinion that play writing skills and other theater arts have a positive effect generally on the student's educational development. It can, for example, "... promote the educational outcomes associated with good citizenship" This view is related to a central aspect of playwriting, which is the fact that it encourages the students to think outside the narrow boundaries of his everyday frame of reference and encourages them to imagine other circumstances, situations and events that help to expand their view of life and explore problem areas that they would not normally experience."

Tags:craft situations communication, problem solving, absorbing