Lesson 1: Communication Principles and Ethics

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to achieve the following:

1. Describe the nature, elements and functions of verbal and non-verbal

communication in various and multicultural contexts.
2. Explain how cultural and global issues affect communication, and why
ethical communication is essential.
3. Appreciate the impact of communication on society and the world.

Processes and Principles of Effective Communication

Effective communication is a key interpersonal skill and by learning how you

can improve your communication has many benefits. It sounds so simple: say what
you mean. But all too often, what you try to communicate gets lost in translation
despite your best intentions. You say one thing, the other person hears something
else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. This is very true
especially in the absence of physical, face-to-face communication.
Communication is beyond simply putting words into thoughts and emotions. It
is done effectively only when information is transmitted without changing both the
content and the context of the message. Simply put, communication is the art of
creating and sharing ideas for a specific purpose. It comes in many forms:
● verbal communication, which includes the use of language, sounds, and
tone of voice
● non-verbal communication, which includes body language and facial
expressions
● written communication, such as through journals, emails, blogs, and text
messages
● visual communication, which involves signs, symbols, pictures,
graphics, and emojis
Effective communication is dependent on how rich those ideas are, and how
much of those ideas are retained in the process. In order to be an effective
communicator, a number of skills have to be utilized. Which skill one chooses greatly
varies and is dictated by the situation, the content or the actual information a person
needs or wants to convey, and the intended recipient of that information.

Audience Analysis
A key element in effective communication is audience analysis. “Audience”
here does not only refer to the people listening to you in a public speech. Rather, it
refers to anyone who is expected to receive the message you are sending. Knowing
the audience, understanding their level and how they need to receive the information
– also known as skills on audience analysis – are extremely important in “packaging”
the message and sending it across. Audience analysis is therefore one skill an
effective communicator must have. It is imperative that you find out who the audience
is – who will actually receive your ‘message’ – and what they need to know. Only in
doing so can you properly adjust all the other elements of communication, such as
your words or registers, your tone, and your expressions.
Another aspect that needs consideration in analyzing the audience is
identifying and trying to overcome possible communication barriers. These are not
confined to physical noise (cars passing by, someone pounding on the table) and
physiological issues (an upset stomach), but could also include cultural difference,
varying levels of expectations and experiences, and difference in
perspectives and communication styles.
Anyone might experience one or all of these barriers at any given
circumstance, and
that such barriers
exist has to be
recognized so that
anyone who is trying
to communicate can
adjust and apply the
proper tools and
strategies to remove
those barriers that
prevent the
message from getting across.

Principles of Effective Communication

Effective communication requires a certain level of connection between and

among people, allowing a series of exchanges of thoughts and emotions, eventually
leading to mutual understanding. In order for that to happen, the following principles
must be observed.

Clarity. This pertains to both the message and the purpose why the message
has to be sent. The message should be clear by using appropriate
language and communication channels, but equally important is that
the reason for sending and receiving the message must be understood
by both sender and receiver.

Conciseness. The message should be as brief as may be required depending

on one’s purpose, especially in most modern contexts in the business
 and academic fields where time is of the essence. It should be devoid
of trivial details that would hinder communication.

Completeness. Despite its conciseness, the message should still be

complete and accurate. Whenever necessary, background
information should be given to provide better context; facts and
observations may also be helpful.

Organization. Effective communication is usually planned in order to ensure

the systematic flow of ideas and transition from one point to another.
There are instances, however, when communication is impromptu,
but this should not be an excuse for an organized presentation of
ideas.

Empathy. The sender of the message should be sensitive to the needs and
interests of the receiver. In case of face-to-face communication, the
speaker must always be conscious of the reaction of the listener and
adjust his/her communication strategy accordingly.

Flexibility. Different people have different communication styles, and

consequently, different expectations. Effective communicators know
how to adapt to the varying needs and expectations of their audience,
and modify the message or the way the message is sent to avoid
misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION

The notion of the world being a global village has been a hot topic ever since
the idea was brought up, especially in light of the rapid advances in technology and
digitization. Globalization has been regarded as the key to the worldwide integration
of humanity, where there is an increased economic, political and cultural integration
and interdependence of diverse cultures. In Southeast Asia, for example, the ASEAN
Integration has been a buzzword among social communities, opening a wide array
of discussion for future collaborations.

For our part, we Filipinos have increased our awareness and acceptance of the
notion that we belong to a diverse, global community. This is not confined to
communication with people from other countries, but is inclusive of communication
within our own societies, even with the minorities and the indigenous peoples. It is
therefore imperative that WE learn to communicate effectively with people
regardless of age, gender, race, ability, religion, sexual orientation, income, marital
status, or ethnicity.
Communication in the modern world must be anchored on the concept of
diversity, since effective communication and the ability to understand cultural
differences are skills that have become requisites not only for a meaningful social
life but also for a successful professional career.
Even professionals from the countries that are traditionally known for sticking
to their native tongue (e.g. Japan, Korea, Vietnam) have started to learn English, as the
internationally-recognized lingua franca, with the concept that learning English does
not make them less Japanese, Koreans, or Viets.
In addition, digital technology has erased territorial boundaries among
countries and among people with varying cultures. The notion of being a ‘stranger’
has been revolutionized as the people whom we used to treat as strangers are now
our co-workers, classmates or friends – albeit some only in social media.
Hence, there is a need to develop graduates and professionals who are
multiculturalists – those who are engaged with and respectful of people with different
cultures. These are not necessarily people from other countries all the time, since a
country may have varying sub-cultures among its general society. In the Philippines,
for example, there is no argument that people from Southern Tagalog have a different
culture from the Bicolanos, and those from Zamboanga have different norms and
beliefs from the Ilocanos.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Are you ready to communicate in a global and multicultural environment?
Assess your readiness to communicate effectively with people having different
cultures. Simply write True or False after each statement.

1. I enjoy communicating with persons who are like me in terms of interests and with
the same socio-economic status, as much as I enjoy communicating those who are
not ‘like’ me. __________
2. I am equally sensitive to the concerns of all groups of society, and I genuinely
care to the plight and issues surrounding them. __________
3. I can tell when persons with different cultures do not understand me or are
confused by my actions. __________
4. I am not afraid of interacting with members of minority groups nor with members
of a dominant culture. __________
5. Persons from other cultures who do not actively participate in a conversation,
debate or any form of discussion act that way probably because of their culture’s
rules. __________
6. Persons from other cultures have the right to be angry at members of my own
culture. __________
7. How I handle conflict or disagreements with persons from other cultures depends
on the situation and on the culture they are from. __________
8. My culture is not superior to other cultures. __________
9. I am knowledgeable of how to behave when communicating or interacting with
people having different cultures. __________
10. I respect the communication rules of cultures other than my own. __________

Discuss your answers with your professor or your classmates.

The greater the number of statements that are honestly true to you, the more
prepared you are to welcome the opportunity of communicating and interacting with
people from different cultures. This is a very important aspect in one’s personal life
or professional careers, since avoiding intercultural communication is virtually
inevitable in any organization.
This is especially true in business organizations, when products can go global
and the manner by which any product is communicated to the global market can
make or break the brand. Here are a few examples of business miscommunication in
a global setting:

§ In the past, Gerber dealt with issues in some cultures where

women have low literacy rates such as Africa and the Middle East.
The women in these cultures generally use pictures to tell them
what food they are buying. When Gerber started selling their
product in these countries, the women saw the picture of the baby
and believed that there was a baby or part of one baby in the jar.

§ Irish Mist is a brown whiskey produced in Dublin, Ireland. In

Germany, however, “Mist” literally translates to “crap”.

§ Joni (read as “Yoni”) is a brand of skin product. However, Yoni

means ‘uterus’ or ‘vagina’ in Sanskrit, and is an Indian representation
of female genitalia, especially pertaining to the Hindu goddess
Shakti.

Undoubtedly, globalization has affected the way people and

companies communicate with each other. In some cases, cultural
differences have accentuated cultural insensitivity, which is most felt
in the business world. Since everyone is a consumer of particular business products,
it is important to know the issues, etiquette, protocol, communication styles and
negotiation approaches of people from different cultures using the business
experience as example. Here are some instances when lack of cultural or linguistic
sensitivity in global communication severely affected companies or products.

§ McDonald’s spent thousands on a new TV ad to target the Chinese

consumers. This featured a Chinese man kneeling before a McDonald’s vendor
and begging him to accept his expired discount coupon. The ad caused uproar
over the fact that begging is considered a shameful act in Chinese culture.

§ Similarly, McDonald’s also unintentionally offended thousands of Muslims

when it printed an excerpt from the Koran on its throwaway (take-out) hamburger
bags. Muslims saw this as sacrilegious.

§ Some staff at the African port of Stevadores saw the supposedly internationally-
recognized symbol for “fragile” (i.e. broken wine glass). Since in their culture, they
treat the pictures printed on packages to be a representation of what’s inside, they
thought it was a box of broken glasses and threw all the boxes into the sea.

§ The film “Hollywood Buddha” caused outrage and protest on the streets of Sri
Lanka, Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma) when the designer of the film’s poster
decided to show the lead actor sitting on the Buddha’s head, which is an act of clear
degradation against something holy.

§Coors (beer) once had its slogan “Turn it loose.” translated to Spanish, but it became
to mean “Suffer from diarrhea.”

All of these examples are predominantly business-related, where companies

failed to regard cultural differences in packaging and communicating their product
to the global market. However, the cost of cultural insensitivity in global
communication can be felt in everyday communication, as cultural
misunderstandings often lead to misinterpretation and unnecessary tension
between people. Here are some examples demonstrating this in a global setting:

• Showing the sole of a shoe (by crossing one’s legs and pointing one’s shoes to
the speaker, for example) means nothing to observers in most Western and Asian
countries. In Muslim cultures (such as Saudi Arabia), however, the gesture is
perceived as insulting. Similarly, crossing one’s legs while seated is customary for
Westerners, but this is a social faux pas in Korea.

• Blinking rapidly while another person is talking is normal for most people,
especially during tense situations. For Taiwanese, this is considered impolite.
• The Japanese view the business card as an extension of their body, while
Americans view it simply as a business formality. Hence, when Japanese hand over
their business cards with two hands and with great care, they get insulted when the
person receiving just put it away with haste.
These are just some of the instances when miscommunication and
misunderstanding can happen as a result of cultural ignorance and insensitivity in the
global environment. In order to develop more meaningful relationships and establish
productive interaction with people having different cultures, everyone should
recognize and respond to such differences and nuances. In addition, people have to
be mindful that not everyone from the same culture exhibits the same characteristics
and habits in communication, so sensitivity is key to any successful communicative
situation.
In communicating in a highly global environment, the challenge that faces
everyone is to learn to understand, accept, and address cultural – and
communication – differences.

ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION
Effective communication is ethical communication. Communication is ethical
only when it is genuine, open, cooperative and sensitive to one’s cultural and social
beliefs and practices. If there is an intent to conceal the truth, or bring damage to any
organization, group or individual person, communication is considered unethical.
Even in situations when there is no intent to harm, but damage to a certain group is
inevitable because of the message or the channel used to relay the message, it is still
considered unethical.
How Past Experience and Prejudice Affect Communication

Most people bring their past experiences into a communication situation.

Sometimes, they pitch in existing information because they learned in the past that
adding information makes the communication more successful. There are times
when they do not contribute anything because of a possible past experience when
their inputs were not considered or valued. In any case, people enter into a
communicative situation with certain expectations, and they behave or react
accordingly.

Past experiences inevitably affect people’s communication styles in the future.

When their audience responded positively to their message, chances of them
repeating the same style are relatively high. However, when they were turned down
or given negative feedback, this will definitely influence how they deliver the
message next time.

Past Experience Effect to Communication

Your parents reacted negatively when You hesitate to discuss the topic with
you opened up about your interest for a them despite your rich potential in that
certain craft. craft.

Your colleague has forgotten some very You give him/her reminders every now
important information many times in the and then to avoid messing up again.
past.
A subordinate in a group that you lead You don’t ask for your subordinate’s
disagreed twice in your suggestions. opinion anymore, even if he might agree
with you this time.
Your professor ignored your inputs last You don’t provide inputs in class anymore.
session.
Your teammates reacted positively to You use the same strategy in a similar
your strategy. situation.

Prejudice, on the other hand, when people take their past experiences and
make certain assumptions that the same experience will happen with the same
people, given the same context. Prejudices may be attributed to culture or personal
preferences. Not all prejudices have a negative characteristic, as a person might
consider all members of a group to be smart even without meeting them individually.
It must be noted, however, that effective communicators should avoid prejudice
because it influences the communication process even before it begins.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
To have an idea how this happens, complete the phrases below, and discuss
it in class. If you don’t have sufficient personal experience to complete a phrase, think
of a possible stereotype you might have heard from someone:
• Old teachers in school are…
• Male professors who speak good English are…
• The athletes and performers in school usually…
• Most supervisors in multinational companies are…
• The lowest form of job in the workplace is…
• Working with homosexuals usually…
• Muslims, Buddhists, or people with other beliefs are…
• Disabled people in the workplace should…

Prejudices happen when people isolate an experience with one “type” of

person or one group of people, then behave as if all encounters with people of the
same “type”, or at least with the same characteristics, will lead to the same
experience. This eliminates a people’s personal identity and individuality. There can
be prejudice as regards to age, gender orientation, religious belief, race, social-
economic status, and physical conditions. Effective communicators view people as
separate from any preconceived notions others may have about them. They see the
value of the individual as a person of worth, and thus will respect that individuality.

Showing commitment and genuine interest

A key component of ethical communication is showing commitment in the
communicative situation. Being committed means giving sufficient time and
resources to any discussion or conversation, and being open about any issue that
may arise. Commitment also involves volunteering important information, even if it
puts a person’s own short-term interests at risk, as long as it is for the benefit of the
majority especially in the long run. Encouraging a communicative environment of
trust can go a long way in promoting ethical communication in any academic or
business setting.

“Naval Language” or The BellyButton Psyche

It is clear that the two major elements affecting ethical communication are the
use of words or language, and one’s behavior or body language. The second element
– body language – may be enhanced through the ‘Belly Button Psyche’, or the belly
button rule, which is believed to communicate true interest while engaging in face-
to-face communication.

The origin of this “rule” dates back to the 1930s and since then, numerous
scientists and body language experts have honed the theory. Most notably, Dr. Albert
Mehrabian, professor of Psychology at UCLA said that the belly button rule is the
most important indicator of reading a person’s intention. Simply put, the belly button
rule means the direction of a person’s navel reflects his/her true interest. Here is a
basic explanation of the rule:
 When people are interested in you and what you have to say, they will point
their belly button squarely at you as you talk. That shows they are engaged and they
are focused on what you have to say. Although we do this without thinking, the fact
is that we can consider this rule when we are having conversations with people who
are special to us.
If you are uncomfortable with a conversation and you may have to discuss
something that is not easy to discuss, start with sitting the listener in a way where your
belly button is pointing directly toward theirs. This shows you are focused on talking
to them, and even though they may not be aware, the listener will at least begin by
being focused on you, as their body language and attention is directed toward you.
When we work to put our focus on listening and valuing what the other person has to
say, then secondly getting our message across, we can take big steps in a short
amount of time at building better communication.

Respecting socio-cultural beliefs and practices of others

The concept of globalization is not new, but people somehow fail to realize that
this is not confined to technology or bridging the world and making it a virtual
community. Globalization also entails changing the way people communicate to
others, especially those with different norms, cultures and belief systems. This
involves all types of communication, whether face-to-face, chatting via email, or
using various forms of mass media, such as the two ads shown on pages 16 and 17.
It is hoped that in the previous activity with the advertisements, you were able
to identify how both ads put women in a bad light, in a state where they are objectified
– that they are beautiful only when they have fair skin or an ‘hourglass’ body. Ethical
communication requires people to respect socio-cultural beliefs and practices of
others, while at the same time avoiding all kinds of stereotypes.