Business
Communication
Chapter 2
Diversity and Ethics
Copyright 2010 South-Western Cengage Learning
Objectives
 Define diversity and identify its benefits and
challenges in the workplace
 Discuss the diversity of the U.S. population and
workforce
 Discuss how globalization affects the workplace
Standard(s)
 1.0 - develop and apply concepts related to human
relations, safety, career development, communications and
leadership skills for a global workplace
2
Overview of Diversity
 Diversity benefits
 Diversity challenges
 Diversity trends
Diversity Terms
© Digital Vision / Getty Images
A diverse workforce can help a company
understand its customers.
2.1 Diversity at Work
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Diversity Benefits
 Having a diverse workforce
 Enhances the reputation of the company
 Helps company attract talented employees and keep
customers
 Can help a company understand its customers’ needs
 Diverse workgroups may be more creative and
innovative
4
Diversity Challenges
 Lack of attention to diversity issues can be costly
 Possibly lose employees who believe that their employer
is indifferent or hostile to people “like them”
 May not understand their customers’ needs/wants
5
Diversity Trends
 Population predictions
 U.S. population projected to reach 419.9 million in 2050
 U.S. population will become more diverse



Hispanic and Asian populations will triple over the next half
century
Caucasians will soon be the MINORITY!
By 2030, about 1 in 5 people will be 65 or older
 Diverse workforce
 Workforce will increase to 162.3 million by THIS YEAR
 Women will make up close to half the labor force
2.1 Diversity at Work
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The World as a Global Workplace
 Globalization: the integration of activities among
nations in areas such as commerce and culture
 Globalization and the workforce
 Competing with candidates from around the world
 Harder to get a job
 Multinational companies
 Conducts business w/ at least
2 nations
 PepsiCo is available in nearly
200 countries
© Beathan / Corbis
Globalization affects the workforce in many ways.
2.1 Diversity at Work
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Work/Life Balance
 Work/life balance: the need workers have to balance
work with other aspects of life
 Different careers make different demands on workers
and their families
 Consider how your career choice will affect all aspects
of your life
2.1 Diversity at Work
8
Quick Review
 What are some benefits of having a diverse workforce?
 Is the U.S. workforce as a whole getting younger or
older?
 How can globalization affect people who are looking
for jobs?
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2.1 Assignment
 Grab a Business Communications textbook (author
THOMAS MEANS)
 Turn to page 39
 Complete Part B – Diversity in Your State
 Use this website:




www.cengage.com/school/bcomm/buscomm
Select a Chapter: Chapter 2
Web Links
USA Quick Facts
 Turn in when finished! 
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Objectives
 Describe examples of differences among cultures
 Explain the importance of respecting customs and
practicing etiquette
Standard(s)
1.0 - develop and apply concepts related to human
relations, safety, career development, communications
and leadership skills for a global workplace
12
Cultural Differences
 Language
 Body language
 Personal space
© Stockbyte / Getty Images
Greeting colleagues appropriately is important.
2.2 Differences
13
Language
 Most common communication barrier
 In the 2000 U.S. Census, nearly 11 million people
indicated that they did not speak English well or at all!
 Don’t forget that even people from different states in
our country have different accents that make it
difficult to understand
14
Body Language
 The facial expressions, gestures, or postures that
accompany a person’s words often have GREATER
meaning than the words themselves
 The less people understand English, the more they rely
on body language
15
Body Language
 Gestures are NOT the same everywhere!
 The “okay” symbol means worthless or zero in France

Elsewhere, it is considered obscene
 In the US, eye contact while talking is GREAT!

In many other cultures, less eye contact is more respectful
 Many countries and religions consider feet to be unclean


Do not cross your feet at the ankles, it shows the soles of your
feet, which is considered rude
If you touch someone with your feet, apologize!
Personal Space
 Most Americans appreciate personal space of 18 inches
to 4 feet
 This of course varies for different cultures
 Being in someone’s personal space may make some
people uncomfortable
 When American’s step back to create more space, in
some cultures, this is offensive
Customs and Etiquette
 Customs: beliefs, traditions, and practices of a
group of people
 Etiquette: a set of rules of behavior for a particular
place or situation
 Customs and etiquette vary from culture to culture
 Stereotype – certain belief about a group of people

Leads to judging people as members of a group rather
than individuals
 Prejudice – bias that prevents objective thought
about a person or thing

Can hinder communication
2.2 Differences
18
Quick Review
 Name 2 differences in culture that may be barriers to
communication.
 How can a stereotype and prejudice hinder
communication?
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Objectives
 Describe traits and actions that indicate a person has a
professional attitude
 Describe strategies for speaking and corresponding
successfully with people from other cultures
Standard(s)
1.0 - develop and apply concepts related to human
relations, safety, career development, communications
and leadership skills for a global workplace
Professional Attitude
 Reduces communication barriers
 A person who has a professional attitude:
 Refrains from making judgments about others
 Keeps an open mind
 Does not make assumptions or jump to conclusions
 Keeps emotions in check
 Is slow to take offense
 Gives others the benefit of the doubt
2.3 Strategies for Effective Communication
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Professional Attitude
 Not being offended easily is one of the MOST
IMPORTANT aspects of having a professional attitude
 If a coworker says something that sounds offensive, stop
and think.




Was the offense intentional?
Did you understand the remark correctly?
How often has someone interpreted something you said
differently than you intended?
Is it possible that could be the case here, too?
23
Cross-Cultural Communication
 When people from
different cultures
share messages
 Guidelines
 Learning
 Language
Cross-Cultural
Guidelines
© Digital Vision / Getty Images
When language is a barrier, use visual aids
that are easily understood.
2.3 Strategies for Effective Communication
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Learning
 When working with people from other cultures, spend
time learning about those cultures
 Use internet sources, read books/magazines, and see
foreign movies
 Visit ethnic neighborhoods
 Enroll in diversity training
25
Language
 Language is the first barrier to cross-cultural
communication
 Some companies offer foreign language courses for
employees
 If nothing else, learn how to: greet someone, say
goodbye, say please and thank you. This can open the
door to good relationships with people from other
cultures
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Fairness and Sensitivity
 Have a professional
attitude
 Treat everyone with
respect
 Do not discriminate
unfairly
© Photodisc / Getty Images
Avoid sensitive topics when talking
with clients.
2.3 Strategies for Effective Communication
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Fairness and Sensitivity
 Do not say: the Vietnamese patient in Room 122
 Say: the patient in Room 122
 Do not say: Steve is a male nurse
 Say: Steve is a nurse
 Do not say: the bagger with Down’s syndrome
 Say: the bagger at Register 4
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Quick Review
 What traits and actions indicate that a person has a
professional attitude?
 What methods can you use to learn about other
cultures?
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EEOC
 EEOC: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission
 Questions
1. List the links that are shown under Discrimination by
Type.
2. Click one of the links and read the page. TYPE a
paragraph of the main points of the page that you have
chosen. Save this document in YOUR DOCUMENTS!
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/index.cfm
2.3 Strategies for Effective Communication
30
2.3 Assignment
 Business Communication Textbook (MEANS)
 Page 51
 Parts A, B, C (TYPE)
 Save under YOUR DOCUMENTS! After you save, right
click in the My Documents folder and click COPY
 In order to TURN IN both assignments:

Student Apps
 Assignment turn in
 Rochelle
 Find YOUR NAME
 Open folder and right click and click PASTE
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Objectives
 Define ethics
 Identify ethical issues related to communication
 Apply ethical standards to business communication
Standard(s)
1.0 - develop and apply concepts related to human
relations, safety, career development, communications
and leadership skills for a global workplace
Ethics in Business Communication
 Ethics: principles of right and wrong
 Personal ethics are influenced by:
 Your experiences
 Your culture
 Code of ethics: statement of how a business or group
should treat clients, employees, or members
2.4 Ethics in Business Communication
34
Communicating in an Ethical Way
 Honesty
 Confidential information
 Medical information


Protected by law
Can’t share w/o written consent
 Other types of information



Identity theft
© Photodisc / Getty Images
Trade secrets
Be truthful when communicating
 Gives a business a competitive
with customers.
advantage
These are both CRIMES
2.4 Ethics in Business Communication
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Communicating in an Ethical Way
 Protecting confidential data
 Understand your company’s policies
 Privacy and electronic rights
 Protect data stored on computers

Keep passwords SECURE – see handout
 Remember that e-mail and text messages are not
private
2.4 Ethics in Business Communication
36
Communicating in an Ethical Way
 Plagiarism
 Avoiding plagiarism – source anything you may use
 Copyright and fair use


Copyright ©– the legal right of someone, usually the author or
artist, to use or reproduce a work
 During the time of the copyright, if you wish to quote
something from a book, you must obtain WRITTEN
permission from the author
Fair use – allows limited use of copyrighted material without
the author’s permission
 Cannot profit from use
37
Quick Review
 What factors influence personal ethics?
 List four types of information that are often
confidential.
 Should you make a comment in an e-mail or instant
message that you would not put in a printed letter?
Why or why not?
 How can you avoid plagiarism?
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Project Time!!
 See handout 
39
Cross-Cultural Communication
Guidelines
 Do not make assumptions
 Be adaptable
 Avoid discussing sensitive topics
 Be careful when using humor
 Maintain personal contact
 Listen actively
 Use visual aids
BACK
2.3 Strategies for Effective Communication
40
Terms Related to Diversity
Race
The division of people into groups based on physical
characteristics, such as skin or hair color
Ethnicity
The division of people into groups that share a common
ancestry, history, or culture
Culture
A set of beliefs, attitudes, practices, and social customs
that distinguishes a group of people
Inclusion
Seeing and valuing the contributions of everyone in a
workplace and treating everyone fairly
BACK
2.1 Diversity at Work
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