audience-centered approach
understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a way that is meaningful to them
code of ethics
a written set of ethical guidelines that companies expect their employees to follow
communication
the process of transferring information and meaning using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic media
communication barriers
forces or events that can disrupt communication, including noise or distraction, competing messages, filters, and channel breakdowns`
communication channels
systems used to deliver messages
communication medium
the form in which a message is presented; the four categories of media are oral, written, visual, and electronic
contract
a legally binding promise between two parties, in which one party makes a specific offer and the other party accepts
copyright
a form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas
critical thinking
the ability to evaluate evidence completely and objectively in order to form logical conclusions and make sound recommendations
decoding
extracting the idea from a message
defamation
the intentional communication of false statements that damage character or reputation
encoding
putting an idea into a message (words, images, or a combination of both)
ethical communication
communication that includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way
ethical dilemma
situation that involves making a choice when the alternatives aren't completely wrong or completely right
ethical lapse
a clearly ethical choice
ethics
the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society
ethics audits
ongoing efforts to monitor ethical progress and to point out any weaknesses that need to be addressed
etiquette
the expected norms of behavior in any particular situation
feedback
information from receivers regarding the quality and effectiveness of a message
formal communication network
communication channels that flow along the lines of command
informal communication network
all communication that takes place outside the formal network, often referred to as the grapevine or the rumor mill
information overload
condition in which people receive more information than they can effectively process
intellectual property
assets including patents, copyrighted materials, trade secrets, and even internet domain names
message
the "container" for an idea to be transmitted from a sender to a receiver
perception
a person's awareness or view of reality; also, the process of detecting incoming messages
professionalism
the quality of performing at a high level and conducting oneself with purpose and pride
selective perception
the inclination to distort or ignore incoming information rather than change one's beliefs`
social communication model
an interactive, conversational approach, to communication in which formerly passive audience members are empowered to participate fully
stakeholders
groups affected by a company's actions: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbors, the community, and the world at large
transparency
giving all participants in a conversation access to the information they need to accurately process the messages they are receiving
you" attitude
communication with an audience-centered approach; creating messages that are about "you," the receiver, rather than "me," the sender