Business Communication Report: Ethics, Crisis, and Training Needs

This report delves into various aspects of business communication, starting with the significance of ethics and the barriers hindering effective communication within organizations. It examines the importance of ethical guidelines and principles in business communication, highlighting the need for training to address communication deficiencies. The report then analyzes a case study on Southwest Airlines' use of social media during a public relations crisis, evaluating their effective responses and the strategies employed. Furthermore, it explores the strategies and writing formats used during such crises, emphasizing the role of social media in building trust and managing communications. Finally, the report assesses training needs for departmental managers, focusing on succession planning and the steps involved in identifying business needs, current and desired skills, and appropriate training methods such as seminars, workshops, and on-the-job training. The report concludes with the importance of monitoring and evaluating these methods to ensure effective training outcomes.

Business Communication
1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................2
1.1 The importance of ethics in business communication...........................................................2
1.2 The barriers of effective communication...............................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
3.1 The effective responses Southwest has used in the social media during their public relation
crisis.............................................................................................................................................4
3.2 The strategies and writing formats used during a public relation crisis................................5
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
2

INTRODUCTION
In the present scenario, every business enterprises rely extensively on use of effective
moral communication that supports the organization in performing their activities to attain the
goals and objectives. Along with this, business communication is also act as the basis for
conducting the managerial operations both inside and outside the organization. For the present
report different scenario has been considered in order to gain insight knowledge regarding ethics
in business communication. It will also focus on training need assessment as the main behind
conducting the training and development sessions for departmental managers is to enhance their
skill set and knowledge base with regards to areas such as succession planning.
TASK 1
1.1 The importance of ethics in business communication
Communication is defined as a process by which organizational persons exchange
information among other individuals or groups within the workplace. Throughout the practice,
effective communicators endeavor as clearly and accurately activity that communicate their
opinion, intentions as well as main objectives to their receiver. With the effective communication
it results in developing professional relationships that directly outcome in overcoming different
problem and issues at the workplace (Business Communication Essentials 2015). Thus,
communication is successful within the organization when the sender and the receiver
comprehend the similar information. Therefore, in the present business environment it is required
by individuals to have effective communication skills so that they may not overcome the essence
of original message in the informational and technological era. Thus, ethics in business
communication plays significant role within the organization through maintaining using moral
guidelines and principles while engaging in the communication process.
Through considering the case scenario, it has been analyzed that there is there is training
requirement among the staff of insurance company. While providing training, trainer focuses on
the significance of ethics in the communication process as it benefit the staff as well as
management to engage in performing socially responsible practices.
The key significance of ethics in communication includes that process within a firm may
must be structured in effective manner that flow of information begins from the top management
towards the floor levels of the organization (Conrad 2014). However, integrating ethics in
business communication entails that the communication process should take the ethical standards
3

into the consideration while conveying information such as promoting values and trust among
the individuals, fairness in the message etc.
1.2 The barriers of effective communication
Through reviewing the scenario of insurance company it has been identified that staff
within company lacks the areas for business communication that leads to the barrier within the
communication process. There are different barriers of effective communication it mainly
includes-
 Lack of attention: The most common barrier of effective communication within the
company includes lack of attention or ineffective listening by the employees and staffs
that often lead to miscommunication. Lack of attention may be cause through different
situation that include not interested in the topic, change in mindset etc. that directly
impact the activities and services rendered by insurance agent and staff.
 Differences in perceptions and viewpoint: Another barrier to the effective
communication in cited firm arises with difference in individual perception. It is the most
common dilemma that is been faced now a day’s within the workplace. It mainly focuses
on the difference in viewpoint or opinion among two people within organization. For
instance, customers perception and attitude towards the insurance company is different
that impact the communication process (Dawson et al. 2014). Therefore, the varied
perception of individual has increase the need for effective communication.
 Language barrier: In every organization individual from different background and areas
work together and they speak different language. In case if one common language is not
present to carry out conversation then it acts as main hurdle (Gide 2012).
 Cultural difference: The norms of social interaction differ with respect to every culture
so on the basis of difference in culture barriers are faced while carrying out
communication (Need 2017).
 Physical disability: If in any organization any employee has some sort of physical
disability such as hearing, speaking etc then it directly acts as major barrier while
communication and hampers the entire process of sharing information.
TASK 2
Dear Sir/Madam
4

We have received your email which highlighted the poor and dissatisfactory services
which you have received from our representative. Furthermore, we are really very sorry for the
services and ensure that the mistake is not repeated in the future. After going through you mail,
we have analysed that our representative has committed several mistakes and this has resulted in
creating high degree of satisfaction. We understand that late arrival of the representative is a very
the unprofessional way to deal with such with valued customers like you. It has been also
analysed that our representative has not removed his muddy shoes before entering your house.
Our management seriously apologise for this behaviour and we will ask the representative to
provide reasonable justification of the same.
We have also witnessed that the representative was not aware of your need and demand.
Our management has recognized the product range presented by representative was not at all
related to your need and requirement. We promise you that we will be taking serous action
against the same. The representative who visited your home was a new employee and thus, he
was less aware about the way to deal with such valuable customers.
After going through you email, our management has also decided to conduct training and
development sessions for all new employees. We understand that it is the support and loyalty of
valuable customers like you which has resulted in such growth of our company. We also promise
you that such type of behaviour and mistakes will not be repeated again in any case. Customer
satisfaction is and will be our main motto. Apart from this, we have also decided that our
company will be providing free of cost service to you for the period of next 5 months.
Thanks and Regards
Management team
XYZ Company
TASK 3
3.1 The effective responses Southwest has used in the social media during their public relation
crisis
With the help of reviewing the given scenario, The Southwest Flight has engaged in
using different activities over social media sites and platforms for maintaining their brand image
in the market. At the time of arising crisis from allegation directed at the organization, the public
relations personnel have to make arrangements to address the issue through avenues such as
press conferences or letters to newsrooms. The public response to the crisis mainly depends on
5

how ethical and effective communication process. According to the case scenario, to successfully
handle the crisis Southwest Flight engages in effective responses such as honest communication
on Facebook and Twitter, quick responses etc. with the help of posting updates and information
on different social networking sites company can easily manage their crisis in communication.
Through using Facebook and Twitter company can easily and effectively communicate the
required information to their customers (Mak, Brown & Wadey 2014). Along with this, using
effective response through social networking sites results in delivering honest information and
data to their customers. Furthermore, Southwest Flight also engage in writing letter as well as
updates on the social media sites that assist in brand control and maintain good faith with its
customers.
3.2 The strategies and writing formats used during a public relation crisis
From the above different strategies and writing formats used during public relation crisis
by Southwest Flight it has been evaluated that above used strategies play significant role in
providing response. The effectiveness of using social media strategies during public relation
crisis includes that it provides organization with a influential tool that build trust among the
customers who make use of social media through developing positive dialogues on the social
networking sites. On the other hand, it is also evaluated that with the help of using social
networking company can easily communicate short as well as long messages to their audiences
so that they can easily engage in the communication process (Dawson et al. 2014).
Therefore, it is stated that social media has shaped a communication context where the
most effective and valued communications have changed. People now value authenticity, ease of
access, constant conversation and engagement of the mass of audiences.
TASK 4
Working as Human Resource manager in the local company it has been assessed that
succession planning is required by the departmental manager as with this they would ensure
recruited and developed employees fill the job role effectively. For this it has been identified that
departmental managers requires effective training session. In order to assess the training needs
for departmental manager’s different steps need to be undertaken such as-
Identifying business needs
The first step in assessing the training needs include determining the business needs and
requirement that need to be accomplished by departmental manager. HR manager will engage in
6

analysing the business requirement so that they can easily develop the required and necessary
skills of the departmental manager (Nichols, Horner & Fyfe 2015). With the key aim of
succession planning it has been assessed that departmental manager lacks the planning skills that
directly impact the activities related with succession planning.
Identifying current skills and knowledge of individual and desired skills
After determining the business needs, HR manager will focus on determining the current
and existing skills of the departmental manager as well as desired skills for performing their
activities within the company. Along with this, through assessing the current and desired skills of
departmental manager HR manager can easily assess the areas in which training need to given.
Determining training methods
The main behind conducting the training and development sessions for departmental
managers is to enhance their skill set and knowledge base with regards to areas such as
succession planning. Here, various types of training strategies will be taken into consideration to
achieve the desired and best possible outcomes. Conducting seminars and workshops is the key
strategy which will be used to provide training to all managers. It can be stated that the sessions
and program on training will be developed on the basis of learning style and training needs of
these managers (Conrad 2014). On the other side of this, encouraging managers to carry out self
learning is another part of the company’s overall training strategy.
Apart from this, the management has also decided that only on the job training strategies
will be taken into consideration. The key and most important benefit of on the job training
strategies is that it is a very economic way of learning new things and acquiring new concepts. In
addition to this, on the job training strategies are also considered as the simplest method of
enhancing the knowledge base and skill set of employees. On the other side of this, it can be
critically argued that the use of on the job training strategy can result in lowering down the
overall productivity of workers.
Technology based teaching is another strategy which will be used by the business
to enhance the knowledge base and skill set of departmental managers.
Monitoring the training methods
After determining the different training methods HR manager will focuses on monitoring
and reviewing the methods so that error and issues arises within the implementation of training
method can be easily minimized. Hr manager will closely monitor all the different training
7

methods that is been imparted within the organization for the development of departmental
manager.
Evaluating the training methods
The last step in the training needs analysis include evaluating the training methods that is
been used by HR manager. For the evaluation of training methods HR manager would ask the
departmental manager regarding the methods. Along with this they must also engage in the peer
review and discussion to evaluate the effectiveness of training methods (Dawson et al. 2014).
With the help of peer review HR manager will gain insight knowledge regarding the methods
that is been undertake by them so that in case of any error HR manager easily change the training
method that is been imparted to departmental manager.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that ethical communication among the
employees and staffs plays vital role within the organization as it lead to access accurate and
correct information that is conveyed by the management. The report has also summaries that for
enabling effective communication within the organization they face certain challenges and
barrier related with communication that directly impact the organizational activities and services.
Furthermore, the report has concluded that business communication plays important aspect
within the organization as it successfully and ethically transfers the information among other
staff and employees.
8

REFERENCES
Business Communication Essentials, GE 2015, Bovee Courtland L; Thill John V, Pearson
Education Limited, London.
Conrad, D 2014, 'Workplace communication problems: Inquiries by employees and applicable
solutions', Journal of business studies quarterly, vol 5, no. 4, p. 105.
Dawson, M, Madera, JM, Neal, JA & Chen, J 2014, 'The influence of hotel communication
practices on managers’ communication satisfaction with limited English–Speaking employees',
Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, vol 38, no. 4, pp. 546-561.
Gide, A 2012, 10 Barriers to Effective Communication, viewed 15 October 2017,
<http://effectivecommunicationadvice.com/barriers>.
Mak, A, Brown, PM & Wadey, D 2014, 'Contact and attitudes toward international students in
Australia: Intergroup anxiety and intercultural communication emotions as mediators.', Journal
of cross-cultural psychology, , vol 45, no. 3, pp. 491-504.
Need, SY 2017, Barriers to Effective Communication, viewed 15 October 2017,
<https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html>.
Nichols, P, Horner, B & Fyfe, K 2015, 'Understanding and improving communication processes
in an increasingly multicultural aged care workforce', Journal of aging studies, vol 32, pp. 23-31.
9