This chapter introduces the concept of working with a team. It explores different types of teams and the roles people take in them in an effort to help an individual identify what type of team player they will be. Then, the chapter points out reasons why teams fail such as unclear goals, arguments, and missing details. It also highlights the impact of emotions and good communication on team dynamics. The chapter recognizes the significance of using technology when working and communicating in teams. It also explains the concept of emotional intelligence. It notes team building as a possible way to improve teamwork. The chapter looks into possible actions while working in a team such as anxiety management, identity management, and mindfulness.
Chapter
Teamwork 1: Getting started
Chapter
Strategic human resource management and change management
This chapter explores the nature and meaning of ‘change management’ focusing on ‘planned’ approaches to change. It examines several change management models and frameworks to give an overview of the main approaches to managing change. Then it explains the principal stages of planned change programs, as well as the impact of change on individuals. It then moves on to analyse aspects of change management in which HR departments have the most involvement. Finally, it considers managing individual-level change, communication, and designing human resource management (HRM) practices in support of change.
Chapter
Communication Principles
This chapter begins by evaluating the basic principles of communication. It highlights the importance of communication for business and management students. The chapter looks at a basic communication model, explaining how communication, both verbal and non-verbal, may be used to persuade others through processes of logic, emotion, and ethical arguments. It also considers barriers to communication and how we might overcome them. Finally, the chapter emphasises the importance of listening.
Chapter
Teamwork 2: Maintenance
This chapter explores group dynamics. It looks into problem-solving strategies such as team evaluation, effort acknowledgment, and communication. The chapter delves into working in culturally diverse teams by showing that culturally-different team members will have different behaviours and communication methods. It identifies relationship, power, and uncertainty as challenges to the team dynamic. The chapter gives tips on how to amicably solve team problems through communication, negotiation, and mediation. It points out the significance of understanding unspoken messages in an effort to deal sensitively with colleagues. The chapter concludes with Carl Rogers' suggestion in establishing a good and trusting relationship through unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence.
Chapter
Customer facing skills
This chapter focuses on ways to deal with customers. First, it notes important details in relation to dealing with customers such as acknowledgment, listening, building rapport, trust maintenance, informing customers, problem ownership, and cultural issues. The chapter shows methods used by businesses to deal with clients or customers even though these methods might not work in the sales industry. It points out the importance of keeping the aim of helping customers to the right path instead of selling to them. The chapter notes the importance of building rapport with customers by having emotional intelligence and a significant level of sensitivity. It emphasizes the significance of communication, appearances, and first impressions.
Chapter
Understanding Social, Ethical, and Ecological Aspects of Market Planning
This chapter explains the social, ethical, and ecological aspects of market planning. It looks into the history of corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate social practice (CSP), and sustainability. Then, the chapter explores the advantages and disadvantages of doing the allegedly right thing which references increased sales, brand position, and decreased operational costs. It discusses ecologically sustainable marketing. The chapter also explores the ethical responsibility of businesses in line with ethics training, human rights, labour practices, competitiveness, and communication. It notes the usage of Corruption Perceptions Index to measure levels of corruption in a country. Additionally, the chapter cites the legislation, credit restrictions, and blacklisting in global markets.
Book
Sarah Birrell Ivory
Becoming a Critical Thinker starts by considering what it is that makes someone a critical thinker and why critical thinking skills are worth developing. The text argues that there are many benefits to looking at the world through a critical lens. The book first defines critical thinking in direct relation to the university experience before proceeding to discuss the ways in which a learner can become more of a critical thinker. The second part of the book looks at the three aims of critical thinking: quality of argument, strength of evidence, and clarity of communication. The final part is about mastering the tools of critical thinking. There are five major tools that a good critical thinker should use: writing, reading, listening, speaking, and—perhaps obviously—thinking.
Chapter
Budgeting
Sam Makes a Smart Plan
This chapter highlights the significance of budgeting. It describes the process of preparing a budget, citing benefits such as planning, coordination, communication, and authorization. The chapter explains that an incremental budget is calculated by taking the previous year's actual figures and adjusting for changes like price inflation, while zero-based budgets calculate every number from scratch. The chapter also outlines a criticism of top down budgets and bottom up budgets. It also looks into the purpose of simple variance analysis. Next, the chapter mentions how budgeting is conducted to monitor the performance of variance and flexible budgeting. It cites the principles of variance analysis.
Chapter
Creative Execution
This chapter focuses on creative execution. It looks into the sources of creative ideas such as crowdsourcing. Additionally, the chapter highlights the importance of clear communication with the creative team amidst a campaign. It also notes the important requirements of creative ideas such as dramatized benefit claim, attention-grabbing, consistency, the requirement to be categorically relevant and adaptability across media. Moreover, the chapter explores how creative executions must match the roles that the target audience perform in the decision process. It differentiates logos, slogans, and taglines as well. The chapter then explores the concept behind social marketing communication. It narrates the role of creative research.
Chapter
Perception and communication
Why is communication difficult to perfect?
This chapter begins by introducing perception as the way in which people interpret and make sense of the world around them. It shows how people develop mindsets and how these can develop into stereotypes. The chapter then examines theories of communication in organizations—the ways in which information and meaning are transferred between people. Communication is an important managerial activity, but one which is prone to miscommunication. Finally, the chapter discusses how technology, such as videoconferencing and email, facilitates communication. While technology can make communication more efficient, these communications media do not always convey the rich meaning and sense of human interaction that comes from face-to-face communication. This can leave communication through technology open to more instances of miscommunication, where a message can be perceived differently from its original intention.
Chapter
Clarity of communication
This chapter addresses how clarity of communication is simultaneously the most important and the least important of the three aims of critical thinking. There are two main ways to communicate your thinking: written and spoken. As there is no ‘formula’ for either of them, both require practice to improve over time. Written communication is most common in the form of essays which require an academic writing style: neither too simple nor too complex, and neither informal nor ultra-formal. Academic conventions vary between disciplines but, in general, you should use topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph to achieve a narrative that flows, use consistent terms, avoid the first person, and avoid subheadings. Introductory and concluding paragraphs are most important in essay composition to ensure arguments are clearly communicated. In formal oral presentations, you need to focus on the audience hearing and understanding your argument. This includes paying attention to voice, pace, tone, audience connection, complexity, structure, and visual aids. Nerves can impact your ability to effectively communicate spoken arguments, so you should use specific tactics to minimize this impact.
