Advanced Business Communication: Assignment on Models and Skills

This assignment solution addresses key concepts in business communication, including Toulmin's model of argumentation, critical thinking skills, and the differences between influence and persuasion. The solution details the six phases of Toulmin's model (claim, evidence, warrant, backing, rebuttal, and qualifier), and identifies five critical thinking skills (reasoning, evaluating, problem-solving, decision-making, and analyzing). The document clarifies the distinctions between influence and persuasion, highlighting that persuasion aims to alter beliefs while influence involves affecting others through various interpersonal techniques. Furthermore, the solution outlines the four essential parts of an essay: introduction, body, conclusion, and references. This assignment is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the core elements of effective business communication.

Running head: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Name of Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Response to question 1: Six phases of Toulmin’s model of Argumentation
Toulmins model of argumentation is also known as the Toulmin method is a reasoning
method. It basically involves data or the grounds for the argument, claim and warrant for the
argument. According to him these are the three main elements of a good argument. There are six
phases of his model. The main aim of using this model is argument development, increasing the
strengths by analysis and anticipating and forecasting and eliminating the weakness and the
model helps in understanding whether an argument is strong enough or not. The six main stages
include: claim, evidence, warrant, backing, rebuttal and qualifier (Van Eemeren, Jackson and
Jacobs 2015). Claim discusses about the statement that a person wishes to prove or that a person
supports. Evidence provides a rational and support for that statement that one wishes to prove.
Warrant shows the relation and connection between the evidence and claim. Backing provides a
warrant support and lets people know the reason for the warrant being a rational one and these
are the areas that are supported by evidences that can be factual and others. Rebuttal is the
objection that might arise for the claim and Qualifiers are the limits to the claim and often
include claims additions that cause nuance and helping in facing the rebuttals.

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Figure 1: Toulmin’s model of argumentation
Source: (Van Eemeren, Jackson and Jacobs 2015 )
Response to question 2: Five critical thinking skills
The five critical thinking skills include reasoning, evaluating, problem solving, decision
making and analyzing (Huang et al. 2017). Reasoning is related to thinking, cognition and other
concepts. Reasoning is basically the ability to make sense and to understand the meaning of
things by applying logic and through various beliefs of the people. It is often refers to the ability
to draw rationality of the things. Evaluation refers to getting better insights into the matters and
is based in certain set of standards. Problem solving refers to analyzing the problem properly in
order to find out a solution and to become successful. It helps in critically analyzing the
information. Decision making is the ability to select a particular course of action from different
alternatives and it is based on various beliefs. Analyzing refers better consideration of the any
topic and getting more details about the same.

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Figure 2: Critical thinking skills
Source: (Huang et al. 2017)
Response to question 3: Difference between influence and persuasion
The main difference between the influence and persuasion is that persuasion refers toy of
a person to influence others in terms of their beliefs, attitudes, motivations, intentions and others.
It refers to the ability of a person to change the attitude of others towards certain things (Petty
2018). Persuasion can be done for various purpose such as sometimes it is used to gain personal
advantage and to gain an advantage over others. Influence refers to affecting the other person
through various techniques and involves creating better interpersonal relationship. There can be
different forms if influence such as the social influence and minority influence. Social influence
refers to affecting the interpersonal relationship whereas the minority influence refers
influencing the behavior of minority groups.

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Response to question 4: Four parts of essay
The four main parts of an essay are introduction, body, conclusion and references. The
introduction includes a thesis statement. The thesis statement discusses about the authors opinion
and purpose of the essay. It is placed in the last statement of the paragraph. The body of the
essay comprises of three paragraphs such that two paragraphs discusses about the topic and one
paragraph discusses against the topic (de Medeiros 2018). Conclusion consists of one paragraph
and includes the summary of the entire essay. The references provide the credibility of the
source.

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References
de Medeiros, P., 2018. Review Essay: World Literature.
Huang, M.Y., Tu, H.Y., Wang, W.Y., Chen, J.F., Yu, Y.T. and Chou, C.C., 2017. Effects of
cooperative learning and concept mapping intervention on critical thinking and basketball skills
in elementary school. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 23, pp.207-216.
Petty, R.E., 2018. Attitudes and persuasion: Classic and contemporary approaches. Routledge.
Van Eemeren, F.H., Jackson, S. and Jacobs, S., 2015. Argumentation. In Reasonableness and
Effectiveness in Argumentative Discourse (pp. 3-25). Springer, Cham.