Business Communications Chapters 1-5 Review – Flashcards
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What are the communication contexts?
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Physical, social, chronological, and cultural
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What are some things to remember about communication?
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It is unavoidable, operates on two levels, is irreversible, is a process, and is not a panacea (remedy for all difficulties).
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What are the ethical dimensions of communication?
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Utilitarian approach, rights approach, common-good approach, virtue approach, professional ethic, and publicity test.
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Downward communication
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The flow of information and messages from a higher level inside an organization to a lower one.
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What are some different types of downward communication?
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Job instructions, job rationale, procedures and practices, feedback, and indoctrination.
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Upward communication
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The process of information flowing from the lower levels of a hierarchy to the upper levels.
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What are messages of upward communication?
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What subordinates are doing, unsolved work problems, suggestions for improvement, and how subordinates feel.
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Horizontal communication
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The transmission of information between people, divisions, departments or units within the same level of organizational hierarchy.
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What is the purpose of horizontal communication?
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Task coordination, problem solving, sharing information, conflict resolution, and building rapport.
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What are the functions of informal networks?
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Confirming formal messages, expanding on formal messages, expediting formal messages, contradicting official messages, and circumventing formal channels.
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How do you cultivate personal networks?
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View everyone as prospect, be sensitive to personal and cultural factors, treat contacts with gratitude and respect, help others, get referrals to secondary sources, and seek mentor.
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What are the different types of communication?
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Face-to-face communication, telephone and voicemail, teleconferencing and videoconferencing, and email and written communication.
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What are the characteristics of written communication?
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Permanent, easier to understand, composed in advance, and less prone to errors.
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What should you consider when choosing communication channels?
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Consider desired tone, organization's culture, and using multiple channels.
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How is the world becoming more diverse?
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Changing demographics, increased multi-national companies, and global talent prioritized.
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What is the nature of culture?
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It is learned, not innate and it is invisible to those accustomed to particular culture.
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What are some cultural differences in business?
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Customs and behavior, formality, social customs, styles of dress, time, tolerance for conflict, and gender roles.
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What are some cultural differences in social customs?
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Greetings, business cards, gift giving, and socializing.
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What are the two different types of time?
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Monochronic and polychronic
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Monochronic time
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See time as tangible and sequential - it can be saved, spent, and so on. They make and adhere to strict deadlines and focus on one task at a time.
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Polychronic time
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Polychronic people see time as fluid. Punctuality and structure are not as important and deadlines are something to aim for not to meet at all costs. Similarly, polychronic people work with multiple tasks at once, switching back and forth from one to the other.
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High-context speaking
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Meaning conveyed subtly. They save face and want to maintain social harmony.
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Low-context speaking
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Meaning conveyed by words spoken.
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What are some dimensions of cultural diversity?
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Individualism, collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, task vs. social orientation, and short-term vs. long-term orientation.
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What is an example of co-cultural dimensions of diverse society?
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Generational differences
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What are some examples of how generations can differ?
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Matures, boomers, generation X, generation Y
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Generation X
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The generation born after the Western Post-World War II baby boom. Birth dates ranging from the early 1960s to the early 1980s.
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Generation Y
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There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.
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What are diversity and ethical issues when responding to challenges?
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Avoiding, accommodating, forcing, educating-persuading, negotiation-compromising, and collaboration-problem solving.
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How is communicating across diversity made possible?
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Becoming culturally literate, viewing diversity as opportunity, avoiding ethnocentrism, don't condescend, and creating dialogue.
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What are the dimensions of organizational culture?
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Opportunities for growth, tolerance for risk and change, conflict tolerance, and emotional support.
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How are we able to learn about a company's culture?
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Studying physical setting, read what company says about itself, observe communication practices, interview company people, and learn how people spend their time.
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What is the importance of listening?
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Most frequent skill used at work, affects quality, productivity, and costs, and good listeners are more successful.
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What are some barriers to effect listening?
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Physiological, environmental, attitudinal, false assumptions, sociocultural differences, and lack of training
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What are some examples of physiological barriers?
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Hearing problems and rapid thought.
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What are some examples of environmental barriers?
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physical distractions, problems in channel, and message overload.
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What are some examples of attitudinal barriers?
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Preoccupation, egocentrism, and fear of appearing ignorant.
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What are some examples of false assumptions?
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Effective communication is sender's responsibility, listening is passive, and talking has more advantages.
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What are some examples of sociocultural differences?
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Cultural and gender differences.
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What are different types of listening styles?
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People-oriented, action-oriented, content-oriented, and time-oriented.
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What are two major differences in listening?
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Mindless and mindful.
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Mindless Listening
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Occurs when we react automatically and routinely, without mental investment, to messages.
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Mindful Listening
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Occurs when careful and thoughtful attention is paid to messages received.
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What are ways we can listen more effectively?
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Listening to understand and to evaluate.
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How do we listen to understand?
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Withhold judgment, talk and interrupt less, ask questions, paraphrasing, and nonverbal cues.
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How do we listen to understand when asking questions?
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Being more sincere and counterfeit
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How do we paraphrase when listening to understand?
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Content, intent, and feeling.
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How do we listen to evaluate?
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Analyze speaker's evidence and examine emotional appeals.
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Why should we use clarity and ambiguity in verbal messages?
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To use unequivocal terms to avoid misunderstandings, use slang with caution, use jargon judiciously, use strategic ambiguity, and choose optimum degree of powerful language.
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Equivocal terms
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Differing interpretations and cultural values.
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Why should we use jargon judiciously?
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To save time, add credibility, and avoid business buzzwords.
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Why should we use strategic ambiguity?
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To promote harmony, soften difficult messages, and make a point indirectly.
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What are some examples of verbal messages?
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Inflammatory language, clarity and ambiguity, and masculine and feminine language use
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Why should we not use inflammatory language?
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Avoid biased language and beware of trigger words.
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What is used in feminine speech?
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Rapport talk, expressive tool, supportive, and tentative.
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What is used in masculine speech?
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Report talk, instrumental tool, advice, assertive, and dominant.
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What should we aware of when we meet gender-related language challenges?
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Be aware of different styles, switch styles, or combine styles.
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What can be said about nonverbal characteristics?
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Always has a communicative value, powerful, ambiguous, primarily expresses attitudes, and affects career success.
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What are the types of nonverbal communication?
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Voice, appearance, face and eyes, posture and movement, personal space and distance, physical environment, privacy, noise, odors, children, illness, and time.
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How can voice be a type of nonverbal communication?
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Through paralanguage.
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How can appearance be a type of nonverbal communication?
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Attractiveness and clothing (choosing work wardrobe).
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How can your face and eyes be a type of nonverbal communication?
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Facial expression and eye contact.
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How can personal space and distance be a type of nonverbal communication?
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Reflects attitudes, creates feelings, and indicates power.
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How can time be a type of nonverbal communication?
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Use of time and variations in culture.
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How can you improve nonverbal effectiveness?
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Monitor your behavior, demonstrate interest in others, be positive, and observe conventions.
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Quid pro quo
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Sexual harassment from someone who has power of you. Will be a superior most of the time.
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Hostile work environment
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Exists when an employee experiences workplace harassment and fears going to work because of the offensive, intimidating, or oppressive atmosphere generated by the harasser.
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What are the two different types of sexual harassment?
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Quid pro quo and hostile work environment.
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How should you respond to sexual harassment?
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Consider dismissing, tell harasser to stop, keep notes, write letter, ask for 3rd party intervention, use company channels, and file legal complaint.
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How do you build positive relationships?
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Interpersonal skills (important at work), emotional intelligence, social intelligence, communication climate, and giving praise.
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How is communication climate used in building positive relationships?
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Positive climates, negative climates, messages, using descriptive "I" language, focusing on solving problems (not controlling others), being honest (don't manipulate), showing concern for others, demonstrating attitude of equality, and keeping an open mind.
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How are messages used in communication climates?
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Confirming and disconfirming.
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What is the difference between "you" language and "I" language?
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"You" language is evaluative
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What should you do when giving praise?
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Praise promptly, make praise specific, praise progress, praise intermittently, relay praise, and praise sincerely.
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How should you offer constructive feedback?
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Consider content, sender, relational climate, and delivery.
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When offering constructive feedback, what should we be sure to do when considering content?
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Make sure it's one topic, accurate, clearly defined, and shows benefit.
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When offering constructive feedback, what should we be sure to do when considering relational climate?
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Positive relationship, partial responsibility, and offer to help.
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When offering constructive feedback, what should we be sure to do when considering delivery?
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Deliver in face-saving manner and avoid looking and sounding judgmental.
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How should we respond to criticism?
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Seek more information, agree with criticism, and work for cooperative solution.
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How can we seek more information when responding to criticism?
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Examples or clarification, guess about details, paraphrase, or ask what critic wants.
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When responding to criticism, how do we agree with it?
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With facts, perception, or common ground.
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What are different types of topics of conflict?
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Topic at hand, process, relational issues, and ego/identity issues
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What are different approaches to conflict?
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Avoiding, accommodating, collaborating, competing, and compromising.
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How can you handle conflicts constructively?
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Negotiation, preparing to negotiate, or conducting negotiation.
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What are different ways to negotiate?
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Win-lose, lose-lose, compromise, or win-win.
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How can you prepare to negotiate?
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Clarify your interests and needs, consider best time, consider cultural differences, and prepare your statement.
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How can you conduct negotiation?
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Identify both parties' goals, brainstorm solution, evaluate solutions, and implement and follow up solution
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