Communication Strategies

This paper talks about the Sender  Message  Receiver Model and describes the way it operates as one of the key models  approaches in the world of communication. The paper starts off with a brief introduction to the model after which it analyzes its efficiency in communication techniques and approaches. The paper also demonstrates a thorough understanding of the approach by including a critique on the subject through providing limitations of it. To further gauge understanding level reached through working on this paper, it has been applied in a cultural context as well to try apply the concept in the real world.

Communication is very important in todays world. It is the giving and receiving of meaning, the transfer of thoughts from one entity to another, without which functioning of this world will not be possible at all. The Sender  message - Receiver Model is a very prominent model amongst the many popular models of communication that exist. According to this model, the process of communication basically starts off with the sender or the source (S) transmitting some sort of a message or meaning (M), to a receiver (R) who gathers the meaning through the message that was transmitted to him or her (Seitel, 2001, pp. 3  27.). The basic gist of the approach according to Wintgens, Thion, and Carly, (2005) in pages 34 to 38, hence is built upon the fact that meaning needs to be shared between two or more parties for communication to take place.

There are stages in the sender  message  receiver model, which include firstly an encoding stage and secondly a decoding stage. In the encoding stage, message is sent or dispatched to the receiver, whereas in the decoding stage, this message that was sent earlier is interpreted in terms of meaning so that the receiver can take some sort of an action. A more contemporary version of the sender  message  receiver (SMR) model hence is the sender  encoding - message  decoding  receiver model (SEMDR) (Zappala, and Carden, 2004, pp. 13 - 19).

Limitations of the sender  message  receiver (SMR) model as an analytical tool
The sender  message  receiver (SMR) model is a very basic approach to communication. It was devised by Aristotle  the Greek philosopher who came up with the three elements  Sender, Message and Receiver in the model back in around 300 BC (Kress, 1993, pp. 1 - 10). Therefore, the biggest limitation that there exists in the sender  message  receiver (SMR) model is that of providing the reader only with very elementary understanding which in a complex world like the one we live in deems weak. Also, another very important limitation would be that the SMR model fails to explain or highlight the complexity of relationships and contextual situations in todays world  especially when we talk about interpersonal communication. (Roger, and Rogers, 1970, pp. 180 - 210)

When this model is compared to more complex models of communication like the Lasswells model or Shannon and Weavers model we see the absence of many elements from the former. David Berlo too added to the SMR model by the inclusion of Channel (C) after which he was able to stress upon the five verbal communication skills namely speaking, writing, thought  reasoning, reading and listening (Goff, 1989, pp. 289 - 295). The medium through which a message is sent plays a huge role in communication which can also be seen in the Shannon and Weavers model where they have stressed upon noise in the medium chosen too affecting the overall effectiveness of the communication process. However, the sender  message  receiver (SMR) model fails to include the above as well. It is surprising to note that medium, which plays a huge role in the overall understanding of a message is actually not there in the SMR approach to communication pointing towards the lack of comprehensiveness in this model, deeming it incomplete since understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the channel that is being used for communication is highly important for making sure that the process is effective (as often times the medium alone can completely twist the message) (CoME, 2007).

Applying the S-M-R Model in cultural context
There are a lot of involuntary distortions that take place when communicating resulting into a message either not being sent in the right way or not being received the way the sender intended to send it. In the cultural context this is a major problem in communication and hence extreme caution in selection of words, gestures, meaning and channel needs to be present at all times. An example of the S-M-R approach not being effective in the cultural context would be for instance in Thailand an advertisement for donkeys Would you like to ride on your own ass would be taken very negatively in the American culture since it means something profane in the US English. Similarly ladies may have a fit upstairs in Hong Kong would be interpreted in England as some psychological problem or traumatic experience that the ladies might receive by going upstairs. In this case, more complex models of communication should be used in conjunction with a high priority given to understanding of the culture one is in. (Seitel, pp. 3 - 18).

Analysis of business letters using communication process

Business letter 1 (see appendix A-1)

Purpose
This letter has been written to inform potential customers about a new customer incentive program that the departmental store is planning to initiate. According to this program the customers will be given discounts with respect to their purchased amount. The major reason behind such incentive schemes is to raise the sales revenue and attract more people towards the business. The departmental store also aims to maintain a long term customer relationship through this scheme.

Sender
The sender of this letter is the WJ departmental stores marketing or promotional     head.

Receiver
Mr. Frank lagan is the receiver of this letter. He is probably a regular customer of the departmental store.

Message
The message tells the potential customer about the new discounting plan that the store has planned. It tells about the required amount of purchases required to gain the benefits of discounting. As it is a good news message it attracts the customer to purchase from the specific store.

Conclusion
The message was delivered through post therefore it might have taken time for the customer to know about the offer. Although the text of the letter attracted the customer to shop but the departmental store promotional departmental head should have been shown more excitement and warmth to entertain the customer. The advertising such as the logo, title were also not decided so it might give a negative impression to the receiver (Boovee  Thill, 2009).

Business letter 2 (see appendix A-2)

Purpose
The aim of the sender is to complain about the defected items that were purchased and to get a replacement instead. This letter can be regarded as a bad news message as it presents a negative image of the company and can be harmful for the companys image in its clients mind

Sender
The letter has been sent by the customer complain manager (Emily smith) of DG super mart who is responsible for and customers complains.

Receiver
The letter has been written to the supply manager (jean Paul) of KR toys.

Message
The message is about the defected and damaged product bought by the super mart. Such messages that come directly from the potential business clients are a vital source to judge a companys good will and image in the market. It can be judged from this particular message that companys reputation is at stake in the senders mind. Immediate steps must be taken to satisfy the client and create long term business relationships.

Business letter 3 see appendix A-3

Purpose
This letter is mainly written to inform the potential client about the increase in prices of the product that is delivered to them.

Sender
The letter has been sent by the finance manager (Harry Clinton) of Dickson Company who manufactures leather products such as shoes, bags etc.

Receiver
Mr. Allen, the sales manger of shoe-house shop is the receiver pf this letter.

Message
The letter is a type of bad news message. It is a notification letter that tells the shoe outlet manager about the increase in purchasing prices of their product. The sender should have been more tactful about the issue. The announcement of price increase should have been buffered in between compliments and the long term relations between both the businesses.

To maintain good relations with our business clients, bad news such as the one in this letter should be announced personally. Further, the sender should have provided more information, statistical facts and figures to convince the receiver to purchase good on increased prices. Instead of interacting through
Letter, the new pricing policy should have been announced in a meeting (Murphy, Herbert Hildebrandt 2007).

Business message to create work relationship
 Mr. Steven Boggs,
Business Director,
 XYZ Company,
1448 Elm Street,
Frankfort, KY 47001-2233,
  AUTOTEXTLIST Dear Mr. Boggs,

As the head of the project development department of our company, I would like to put forward a Business proposal that will surely be of your interest. We have been operating in the same geographical areas for the past several years but didnt get a chance to work together, but now our company is planning to bring some changes in the marketing strategies of our new project and considers you to be a suitable match for outsourcing the marketing our new product range. Our survey of the marketing agencies has shown that your company has the required experience to attract our target market.

This project is basically an initial step towards diversification. Our company plans to diversify from our usual range of dairy products to fresh fruit juices. The financial budget and other legalities have been dealt through and production process will start by the mid of May 2010.

I am not at the liberty to discuss further financial details about this project due to security reasons, but the report on this project will be delivered to you on request. Your positive response will be highly appreciated.
Looking forward to hear soon from you.
Sincerely,                                                                                                   Francis Eagan,
Managing director,
ABC Company

Unfavorable business message
Francis Eagan,
Managing director,
ABC Company,
2344, palm street
Frankfort, KY 47001-2233,

Dear Mr. Eagan,
On behalf of my company, I congratulate you on initiating this unique project for your company. The concept of diversifying from dairy products to fruit juices is certainly interesting. It was a pleasure to receive your business proposal.

Our company sincerely appreciated your offer for catering the marketing department of new range of your products. However, it will not be feasible for our company to take on this project at the moment.
Your product launch timings collide with our other potential assignments and it will be impossible for us to do justice with your products. Further, your payment structure of lump sum amount is not what our company usually demands from our clients. We receive our payments according to the royalty share decided through legal transactions.

We hope to work with your company on some other project soon.           Sincerely,
Steve Boggs,
Business Director,
XYZ Company.

(Appendix A-1)
Mr. Jean Paul.
Supply manager,
KR Toys,
3444 Elm Drive Wichita, KS 66500

Dear Mr. Jones,
This letter is to inform you of a problem we had with the recent stock that we purchased from your company. The karaoke machines purchased on 20th April, 2009 had some defected items. Many of our customers returned the product with complains.

The customers have complained about the poor quality of sound, easy break down and no words on the screen.

As you may guess, the sales and our stores reputation are at stake now. I am returning the defected items to you for your expert inspection and request you to recheck your stock before delivery. The payment of the defected items will be cut from your bills.

We expect to receive the replaced items soon.
Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
Emily smith
Customer complain manager
DG super mart

(Appendix A-2)

Dear Mr. Frank lagan
As a valued customer of (name of company), we couldnt wait to bring you the good news. This letter is to announce the incorporation of our new customer incentive program (CIP).

Well, maybe we havent thought of a great logo for it yet, but if you read on I think youll agree that no matter what we call it, its super Starting on June 1st, a record of your account with our store will be maintained on a cumulative basis for period of one year. Once your purchases have reached 500, you will be automatically entitled to a 5 discounting any order placed, including orders for sale items. When your orders have reached the 1,000 mark, your discount will increase to 10. A 1,500 accumulation of orders will entitle you to a 15 discount and once you have reached 2,000 you will receive 20 off all merchandise orders. We think its a great idea and hope that you agree.
 
Wont you send us a purchase order today to get you started on your way If you think of a good name for us to tag onto this new discount program, please let us know
Regards,
XYZ Company

(Appendix A-3)
Mr. Allen,
Sales manager,
Shoe-house shop,

Dear Allen,
Due to the increase in raw material costs we must unfortunately raise the cost of our merchandise to you. To maintain the same high quality of our shoes we have to raise the cost of our products. We have avoided raising our prices for as long as possible, but we can no longer prolong the inevitable.

We have enclosed our new price list for your review which goes into effect on (date) Any orders placed between now and (date of increase) will be honored at the lower prices.We wish to thank you for your valued account and know that you will understand the necessity for this price increase.
Thank you,
Harry Clinton,
Finance manager,
Dickson  co.
(Anonymous, n.d.).

People communicate for various purposes and varied reasons. Since humans have been communicating since their early years, they assume they already know how to listen as it is a very simple thing to do  one person speaks and the other hears and responds. Nevertheless, there is a huge difference between hearing and listening as hearing is the physical perception of sound while listening is hearing, seeing, comprehending, and interpreting combined (Batell, 2006). Listening is an especially crucial skill that one needs to develop in this diverse and competitive modern world. Thus, effective listening is key to being successful in interpersonal dealings, academic success, and professional or workplace growth and advancement.

Listening to Non-Native Language
Because of global economic success and opportunities, more and more foreigners are enticed to come to the United States for business, travel, and education. As native speakers of the English language, the American communicator should be patient, be quiet, and listen (Purdy  Borisoff, 1997, 98). These foreigners opt to speak the English language in an effort to communicate to native speakers, hence, sensitivity is deemed necessary. For instance, when one continuously interrupts or completes the sentences of a non-native speaker, he or she is displaying impatience, which makes the foreigners even more nervous and uncertain of themselves. Thus, for effective communication, listening to the entire message before responding is required.

Moreover, emphatic listening, which pertains to understanding fully the speakers message without judging his intellect on how clearly he speaks, is also necessary. Listening not only to the verbal messages but also to non-verbal cues is also significant. Awareness of body or hand movements to complement or substitute for words vocalics such as pauses, accents, intonation, pitch, inflection, and silence and haptics or touch orientation are thus important. Moreover, listening to non-native speakers also entail understanding that their cognitive processes may vary. Likewise, preconceived notions, biases, or stereotypes should be erased from ones head in cross-cultural listening. Listening with an open mind and with recognition that what is different is not wrong (Purdy  Borisoff, 1997, 99) is also important for cross cultural understanding to take place. When these considerations are put into practical application, not only will one sharpen his or her listening skills but will also improve his or her intercultural adaptation and adjustment.  

Untrained versus Trained Listener
Listening is a communication skill used most frequently. Numerous studies have claimed the importance of this skill as evidenced by 45 percent of humans waking hours spent in listening, compared to 30 percent speaking, 16 percent reading, and nine percent writing. Nevertheless, studies have also showed that most people are poor listeners. One of the reasons pointed out is the lack of listening training available. Even though it is the most used communication skill, most people have had more academic training in the skills of writing, speaking, and reading. In addition, there are also few workshops and conferences that could develop stronger listening skills (University of Missouri Extension, 1993).

Moreover, majority of people are inefficient listeners. This is based on studies that reveal that immediately after listening to a 10-minute oral presentation, the average listener has only heard, understood, and retained 50 percent of what was tackled 48 hours after, 25 percent of this is already lost (University of Missouri Extension, 1993 Zimmerman, 2004 Holmes, 2010). Thus, the average untrained listener is left with only 25 percent of what was said, with this very little information either incomplete or incorrect (Holmes, 2010) and with which majority of his or her time was wasted daydreaming or thinking of his or her response (Zimmerman, 2004).

In the area of negotiating alone, a trained listener will likely get the deal because of his or her effective listening and information deciphering skills throughout the process, thereby allowing him or her to possess the business advantage. This person understands that talking is not everything and that in fact, gathering information and insight on what will motivate the other party to act and do business through active and effective listening is crucial. An untrained listener on the other hand will fall into the trap of talking majority of the time, which would most likely end up in failed negotiations. Hence, for negotiations to be bear fruitful results, adequate training in listening is necessary.

Powerful Listening Skills
Though there is little opportunity available for one to improve his or her listening skills, countless literature and self-help written materials have been designed to strengthen ones listening skills. Few of the basic skills that an effective listener needs to possess are desire to become a better listener, learning when to talk, making eye contact with the speaker, leaving emotions and prejudices behind, getting rid of distractions, getting to the main point, avoidance of arguing mentally, avoidance of jumping into conclusions and quick judgments, and listening also to those that are not said (College of Saint Benedict, 2010).

In addition, the power of note taking also helps improve listening and memory retention especially for students. Professor Walter Pauk of Cornell University enumerated the five important Rs of note taking. These are 1). recording or getting the main ideas 2) reducing or summarizing key points and terms 3) reciting or reviewing of notes immediately after the discussion 4) reflecting or thinking about the ideas presented instead of just reading or memorizing them, and 5) reviewing or referring back to the notes in the proper time and with the right purpose (as cited in College of Saint Benedict, 2010).

In addition, four important skills were also mentioned by Women in Business in 1994. First, assisting the speaker by using openers that will allow him or her to start, such as Tell me what is on your mind utilizing encouragers to show interest such as the phrase, That is interesting asking open-ended questions rather than yes-or-no questions and utilizing involved silence by keeping eye contact, avoiding interrupting the speaker, and waiting for him or her to finish. Second skill involves listening with ones whole body. This can be done by six techniques, which include leaning towards the speaker, maintaining involved and appropriate posture, smiling properly, avoiding physical barriers that hinder communication, maintaining eye contact 60 percent of the time, and incorporating non-distracting movements such as nods. Third is acting as a mirror for the speaker by rephrasing his or her statements to ensure that both are on the same page. Fourth and final skill is dealing properly with sight, sound, or sensation distractions.

Furthermore, author Madelyn Burley-Allen added a few more guidelines for effective emphatic listening. These includes fostering a positive atmosphere by being attentive, not asking too many questions that would make the speaker feel that he or she is being grilled, avoiding stock phrases such as It is not that bad, or You will feel better soon, allowing oneself to be involved in an argument without getting angry, indicating that one is listening through providing of noncommittal remarks, and a some do nots, namely, interrupting, changing the topic or moving to another subject, rehearsing in ones head, interrogating, teaching, and giving advice (as cited in Salem, 2003).

Moreover, Guffey (2008) listed other powerful listening skills that are applicable in ones work performance. These include controlling internal and external distractions, becoming actively involved in the conversation, separating facts from opinions, capitalizing on lag time by reviewing the speakers points, and being aware of gender differences.

Workplace Listening
For over 50 years now, researchers and business professionals alike have claimed the significance of effective listening as an important skill in the workplace (as cited in Flyn, Valikoski,  Grau). In the business world alone, poor listening skills equate to increased cost and low performance. These result to wasted meeting and tasks time inaccuracy in orders and shipments lost of sales poorly informed or misinformed, confused, or angry employees and clients failure in meeting deadlines and solving problems coming up with wrong decisions, facing lawsuits, and employees low morale. On the other hand, effective listening skills results in productivity, excellent performance, collaboration, innovation, sharing, and smooth relations (Batell, 2006).

Moreover, in the workplace, an employee may be involved in various types of listening. These include listening to superiors, to colleagues, to team members, and to customers. Listening to superiors is one of the primary tasks that an employee should learn as he or she should know how to listen and understand instructions, explanations, and tasks about how to do his or her job. In doing so, an employee should avoid or combat noisy environment and other less important responsibilities or distractions such as taking phone calls and accomplishing another task while taking instructions. It is also advisable to maintain eye contact and take down notes to show seriousness in doing the job. Furthermore, it is also necessary to ask questions and clarify what has been said to avoid errors. It is likewise discouraged to criticize or argue with a superior as the goal is to listen well and display competence (Guffey, 2008).

Another skill that one needs to learn in the workplace is listening to colleagues and team mates as majority of ones time is spent with these people. Guffey (2008) distinguishes two important kinds of listening to transpire in communicating with co-workers  critical listening and discriminative listening. The former pertains to ones ability to gauge whether what he or she is hearing is fact or fiction or whether it is based on logic or emotion. Hence, objectivity is crucial in this sense. Meanwhile, the latter pertains to ones comprehension of important facts or arguments and recognition of a messages purpose.

Finally, the other important listening skill that should be developed by an employee involves listening to clients or customers. Today, even if businesses and companies claim that they are customer-centric, many still fail to make their customers feel that their opinions matter. Thus, companies who care start to employ ways and means to show their concern through training of employee who will actively listen to and gently probe questions to customers for better service. As a result, employees who utilize these techniques receive positive customer feedback than their untrained counterparts (Guffey, 2008). Overall, listening skills should therefore be developed for one employee to communicate effectively to his or her superiors, colleagues and team members, and customers, which will lead to improved performance and better working environment in the long run.

Importance of Effective Listening
The importance of effective listening is ultimately unquestionable. In a personal level, listening is a valuable skill that encompasses the value of speaking especially in the business field. This skill is used to interpret what was said, evaluate the message, and respond accordingly. Hence, listening has been perceived to be the most significant interpersonal skill that enables individuals to be successful in their fields. Furthermore, studies have also revealed that efficient managerial listening has led to stronger notions of support, trust, motivation, increased production, and lower absenteeism rates. Moreover, on the part of supervisors, effective listening is deemed important because it serves to gather accurate information and foster a supportive atmosphere for the subordinate. In addition to this mechanistic importance, effective listening also creates a positive emphatic environment as supervisors can read beyond what employees convey and managers likewise gain access to their employees thoughts and feelings. This positive communication further results to employees increased organizational commitment and productivity (as cited in Flyn, Valikoski,  Grau).

In addition, studies have also shown that employers give value to listening skills and consider this skill as a crucial factor in the hiring process. It has also been noted by research studies that workers give more value to listening skills as they move up the ladder of professional success towards upper management level. In fact, top executives were found to spend twice as much of their time listening than their employees. These findings only conclude that organizations can maximize the full potential and advance the career of their employees by way of trainings designed to improve their listening skills (as cited in Flyn, Valikoski,  Grau).

In addition, listening is likewise important in the organizational level as it has been related to job satisfaction, lower turnover, increased employee productivity, and lower absenteeism. An active organizational culture that encourages listening also enables employees to feel included in the organization and also makes the organization respond to the needs and motivate employees for greater productivity and increased involvement. Similarly, a listening organization supports creative and innovative ideas, which leads to increased productivity, more efficient and effective ways to meet customers needs, and the organizations competitive advantage (as cited in Flyn, Valikoski,  Grau).

Different Listening Habits
People have utilized listening skills that work for them. While some may maintain good listening habits, others preserve the bad. These bad listening habits, particularly of Americans, were clearly stated by Dr. Ralph Nichols. Included in his list is calling the subject matter uninteresting or dull. Upon learning about the topic, one immediately concludes that it will be dull hence, he or she uses up his or her cognitive processes on some other thoughts. Another bad habit is criticizing or judging the speaker based on delivery or appearance.

Listeners tend to lose interest if the speaker has flaws in speaking or is dressed differently (as cited in University of Missouri Extension, 2010). Disagreeing with the speaker and dwelling on it is also a bad habit. Because of personal arguments that ran in ones head to counter, rebut, or question the speaker, one fails to listen to other remarks made by the speaker. As a result, listening efficiency becomes zero due to over-simulation. In addition, choosing to listen only to facts is another bad habit as one concentrates or recalls only isolated facts and missing the main point of the speaker. Another ill habit is trying to outline everything that the speaker said, which is impossible as the speaker may have many and unorganized points. Moreover, pretending to be listening is another bad habit as ones eyes may be focused on the speaker but his or her mind is someplace else. In addition, tolerating or creating distractions, listening only to easy topics and facts and avoiding the difficult ones, and being affected or submitting to emotional words are other bad habits. The last habit though that Nichol thought to be most important is wasting the differential between thought speed and speaking speed (as cited in University of Missouri Extension, 2010).

On the other hand, to improve on these bad listening skills, Nichol enumerated three ways to employ. One is anticipating the speakers next point. With this, if one anticipates accurately, he or she has learned something otherwise, he or she wonders why and this further enhances his or her attention to listen to the speaker. Second is identifying the supporting elements that the speaker uses to build arguments. To do this, the listener explains the point, somehow gets emotional and criticizes it, and illustrates it factually, instead of dwelling on the differential between thought speed and speaking speed. Last is making mental summaries or notes. To do this, a listener uses the speakers short pauses to summarize in his or her head what the speaker said (as cited in University of Missouri, 2010).
 
Advantages of Listening
Ultimately, effective listening has its advantages both to the listener and to the speaker. Brown (2009) noted that humans are gifted with only one mouth and two ears for a reason. According to her, included in these reasons are a better understanding of what is expected of an individual, building rapport and relationships with family, friends, and co-workers, resolving problems, and comprehending underlying meanings and messages. Moreover, active listening builds lasting trust and confidence and improves business and personal relationships. This benefit is evident in the field of law, which is hugely a relationship business. A lawyer with good listening ears has noticeably more clients and referrals and thus has established a client-lawyer relationship built on trust and confidence. Additionally, good listening skills allow the lawyer to get better and more pertinent information from the client. Hence, the necessary problem-solving that would lead to satisfactory outcomes for the two parties may be realized (Hamilton, 2006). Furthermore, in business, active listening makes one consider an alternative or soften his or her position or opinion, allows one to detect the flaws in his or her own reasoning once it is repeated to him or her without judgment nor criticism, determines areas of agreement thereby putting into proper perspective the areas of disagreement, and giving light to issues from all levels (ASME, 2010). Additionally, emphatic listening builds not only trust but respect as well, reduces tension, allows one to release his or her emotions, facilitates the developing of information and ideas, and produces a positive environment of collaborative problem solving (Salem, 2003).

Conclusion
Listening is therefore a skill that is crucial in todays competitive environment. As societies become actively diverse, it is thus important to know how to listen to native speakers and non-native speakers alike, taking into account various verbal and nonverbal cues as well as cultural differences. When these are guaranteed, a positive atmosphere that encourages cultural awareness and intercultural communication is created.

Nonetheless, before these happen, training in listening should be given attention to as the opportunities for learning the skill is not abundant. Therefore, personal effort to improve ones listening abilities is significant. Improving ones skills through powerful and good listening habits is a good start. This could further lead to good listening skills in the workplace through listening to superiors, co-workers, and customers. In the end, the listener will learn the importance of effective listening and then finds himself or herself rewarded with the benefits of effective listening.

Communication is a central part of any organization and it is commonly agreed that any successful organization will put effort in attaining effectiveness in its communication and promoting free flow of information which an integral part of communication. Whether formal or informal a lot of expertise is required in preparing and dispatching communication. Meetings as avenues for communication have become common in many organizations and they can be time consuming and often fail to produce results if the planning is not done properly.

Meetings whether annual, bimonthly or daily are used by organizations all over the world for communication to different stakeholders. It takes a lot of time and resources to plan and hold a successful meeting but what really matters at last is how well the objectives are communicate to the audience. Such calls for such communication to be designed properly so as to ensure that, the stakeholders communication needs are fulfilled (Cheney et al, 2004). It is for this reason that the design and packaging of communication is very important. While preparing the communiqus the following characteristics of the target audience needs to be considered because failure to do so would result into communication breakdown, communication barrier or worse still miscommunication.

Skills of the different stakeholders in the meeting need to be considered so as to ensure balanced communication. In a meeting where sales people, customers as well as managers are gathered, then there is bound to be some expertise in crafting the communication. Use of technical language and vocabulary may be ideal for managers and sales people but it may be way beyond the ability of every customer present. This is due to the reason that, some customers may form a very royal client base but at the same time lack interest in technical details of the product making it necessary for the communication targeting them to be much simplified. This informs the decision to use non technical language and simple vocabulary, and where necessary, layman language in such a meeting so as to ensure effective communication. Therefore, communication needs to be presented in a very balanced manner in which all the stakeholders freely participate without facing difficulties in decoding the message (Mumby  Steve 2005).

The language used in all publications, speeches or PowerPoint presentations must take into account cultural and language barriers. It is not uncommon to find in such meetings, customers from different cultures and races, sales people drawn from various countries as well as managers from different parts of the world. This calls for caution in preparing and dissemination of information. Some of the points the presenter needs to consider include the need for a translator as well as the need to ensure that the language is culturally sensitive as what is acceptable in one culture may not be acceptable in another.

Level of education and knowledge of the audience is also very important. In many cases, all stakeholders have different knowledge concerning a product as well as the operations of the organization and these variations need to be considered in preparing communications. For instance, a meeting for production staff would highly use technical terminologies without any audience in the meeting feeling left out. This may not be the case in a situation whereby those in attendance include customers and staff from other departments.
There is a need to balance communication, speeches and presentation in the meeting so that the needs and interests of every one in attendance are fulfilled. Where this is not implemented, the purpose and objectives of the meeting may fail to be achieved. A good starting point would be to carry out a needs assessment of the various stakeholders before hand and then incorporate all the major points into the communication during the meetings.

Choice of message delivery method is also very important, for instance, issues of levels of literacy and language proficiency will determine whether a meeting can use either print or PDA for presentations. Organizations do not call for meetings often unless there are some burning issues. Therefore, meetings present important opportunities for deliberations amongst stakeholders for important issues facing the organization. As such, communication means must be chosen with a lot of concern. In choosing the channel, only those channels which attract the attention of the audience most must be embraced. In the case of the meetings, making them formal and official is the best strategy. Some communication channels are more effective than others those which especially combine different sensory abilities such as vision and hearing are to be given prominence as they are likely to have much higher impact.

It is worth investing some energy towards identifying barriers to communication with a view of overcoming such. The biggest barrier to communication is the environment of the meeting. A polarized environment in the meeting is a likely cause for emotional distress to both the facilitators and the audience. Polarization occurs due to unmet needs and demands or in a situation where all the involved parties do not agree concerning some issues of interest to them. It can also result from threats from outside which can include competitors and disgruntled staff.

It is important that before the communication is delivered any differences are ironed and every one in attendance is predisposed to positively participate in the meeting (Terry, 2008). The environment of the meeting needs to be inspected for detractors such as noise and made devoid of all such detractors. This will ensure full attention of the members in attendance. Communicating to the audience way before the meeting date is important. Where possible, written confirmation of attendance needs to be sought also. Where differences persist, an atmosphere of reconciliation needs to be created so as to avoid negative criticism.
Communication needs to be highly impactful so as for it to be effective, therefore the person leading the communication needs to be capable of making lasting first impressions. Besides, one needs to be a good public speaker and able to easily connect with the audience. The interest, attention and expectations of the audience need to be captured in a bid to communicate effectively. In addition a communication needs to engage the minds of the audience so as to retain interest in the communication process. In the event where some deliberations require some stakeholders to give and others to take, it should always be communicated in such a way that it forges a win-win situation for all parties involved. No matter how a meeting goes, the objectives needs to be realized and all stakeholders expectations addressed properly. In the end it is crucial to ask for feed back to ascertain whether the stakeholders were satisfied with the communication efforts in the meeting.

Achieving success within the program requires not only proficiency and hard work, but also a dedicated approach to maximize personal and external resources. Given the importance of developing and implementing such a plan, the following items have been laid out for the purpose of guiding my study throughout the program. This course has provided me with a foundation from which I can grow and thrive in an educational environment. This will effectively be a survival guide, based on the principles and strategies learned in Gen 105. The following subjects will be addressed at length utilizing Axias resources, understanding and upholding the colleges policy on academic dishonesty, setting and reaching attainable goals, time management, reading comprehension, and applying appropriate learning styles.

Using Axias Educational Resources
One of the key offerings for Axia students is the broad and useful university resource system. I have come to find the universitys resource system to be valuable in a number of ways, one of which is the broad availability of information in multiple formats. Files can be downloaded from the university system both for use on my computer or my iPod. I have found that using different formats will enable me to get the most out of my experience and learn with the greatest amount of proficiency. For some things, I will use text documents, and for others, I will use the audio formats that can be downloaded to my iPod.

Additionally, the Universitys online library offers many valuable things, including search engines geared just for students. While traditional internet search engines might provide students with non useful or unverifiable information, Axias library is geared toward providing peer-reviewed articles and other scholarly offerings. This can help greatly in a number of subjects and will surely be a part of my essay writing and project design in the future. While the library itself has everything that one could want in a traditional library, it is capable of saving a student hours because of the streamlined nature of the online portal. With database options like Ebscohost, ProQuest, and Thomson Gale PowerSearch, I will be able to find articles targeted specifically for my subject in the future.

One of the highly useful things about the librarys system is the versatility available with the search options. Students are able to specifically target words or phrases within different texts, which will undoubtedly allow me to get the most out of my readings. Many books and articles are long, so it can be difficult to pull the main ideas that you would need out of those articles. By utilizing the resources already provided to me, I can do that and save time, as well.

Upholding Academic Honesty
Academic honest is one of the cornerstones of the educational system and it is actually a much broader topic than many realize. Though plagiarism in its purest form is easy to detect, many students are guilty of stealing ideas in a less obvious form. In order to understand the policy, a student must look beyond the basics. It is obvious that plagiarizing someones work is wrong, as is having someone else do your work for you. The last is to avoid taking anyone elses ideas without giving them proper credit. Cheating can be a tempting notion for busy people trying to complete a distance-learning program, but it can be avoided when you understand the point of the degree in the first place. The academic honest policy is in place to help students, as it is in our best interests to proactive complete the work. When you understand this fact, it makes understanding the policy much easier.

The consequences of academic dishonesty are severe and they can be crippling. In addition to sanctions from the school, which can include expulsion from the program, one will have to face the ridicule and chastisement that goes along with dishonesty. The implications can be far reaching, as some job and graduate school applications ask if a student has ever been subject to a disciplinary proceeding.

Avoiding plagiarism requires attention to detail, first and foremost. Many of the plagiarism cases are the result of inattentiveness. Learning how to properly cite materials makes it much easier to simply throw a reference in the paper. Additionally, a good approach going forward will be to cite too much, rather than citing too little. One of the keys of good educational writing is to lean on the evidence of other resources, and there is no shame in correctly citing something pulled from the universitys library. In fact, this may help to strengthen arguments being made. Aside from that, a common sense approach is necessary. Getting the work done on time will help remove any inkling of temptation that might exist.

Setting and Achieving Goals
One of the keys to being successful in this program will be having motivation and something to drive me forward. While it can sometimes be difficult to stay focused, this is much easier when short-term and long-term goals are in place. Long-term goals are easy to set, but they are hard to keep. In order to reach them, it is often necessary to have a listing of short-term goals that will make the long-term goal more attainable.

In the short term, the goal is to complete each assignment at least two days early, leaving room for some mishaps if necessary. This will lead to achievement of one more extended goal, which is performing at the top of my ability in my courses. Whether this means As or not remains to be seen, but my focus is on giving each piece of work my fullest attention. From there, I can be confident that the results will follow. In terms of long-range goals for my career, I intend to gain a clearer picture as I continue on through the program, though I do hold to the idea that my Axia degree will be highly useful for that.

Obstacles can sometimes stand in the way of goals, which is an unfortunate reality. Getting over those obstacles is easier when you break things down into more manageable chunks. Though keeping a long-range vision is important, I plan to beat obstacles by focusing intently on individual assignments, as this is the key to success in the courses. Gaining a full understanding of the readings and putting my best foot forward in assignments will allow for the best results. When things get difficult, either with work or my home life, I can get back to the basics and focus on the individual pieces that make up the program.

The Axia degree program will give me an opportunity to transition into another degree, move toward grad school, or even land a better job right away. This is a stepping stone that will open up the doors to more successes in the future, which is important to me.

Managing Time Wisely
Time management will play a pivotal role in whether or not I am able to achieve my stated goals. One challenge is to balance the time between my assigned courses at Axia. My plan is to allocate equal time to each class, making sure that I allow plenty of room for error in the future. Getting things done early is important, as procrastination is not a part of my weekly schedule.

I will have to align my priorities appropriately in order to be successful. Though there are some family and work responsibilities that cannot wait, I am prepared to put my course work at the top of the list over all else. The key will be to get the work done as early as possible, so that my schedule is freed up to do the things that I have to do.

This can be achieved by discarding time wasters. This can be tough when working over the internet, since so many things can occupy ones time. Doing away with chat options and social networking is one part of my plan, freeing up more time for important things.

Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention
Since almost all education revolves around reading, it will be very important to make sure that I work on my deep reading techniques. There are many ways to do this, including underlining, highlighting, and getting myself into a state of deep focus. The idea is to truly understand every paragraph that I read, rather than passing over a page or two without truly grasping the information.

The SQ3R method will be important as I move forward, since this will allow me to gain that deep understanding that I will need. Surveying the chapter first and asking those questions might take a little bit longer in the beginning, but it will help me develop the habit of reading beyond the surface. I will begin to truly absorb the material, rather than just reading it. At the end of every passage, I will immediately make sure that I not only understand the work in summary, but that I am able to effectively identify its themes and main points.

Additionally, I will utilize other study habits that foster more understanding of the material. Always asking why something is happening and seeking to dip deeper into whatever is being presented is an important part of this, and that is the type of skill that can be taken from one field to another.

Applying Personality and Learning Styles
Having a keen understanding of my own learning style will help me develop study plans going forward. I know that I am a logical learner, which means I will be well suited to use charts, graphs, and other visual resources to truly grasp information. If I am struggling to learn something in verbal form or in pure textual form, I should be able to apply visuals and master the material.

Additionally, I can use this information to understand where my weaknesses lie and what I need to work on the most. Though individuals are destined to generally stay within their learning style, weaknesses can be improved with hard work in other areas. Specifically, I will have to use this knowledge of my weaknesses to monitor how I work with other people of different learning styles.

Start typing here. The book Why Dont We Listen Better Communicating and Connecting in Relationships has been written by James C. Petersen (2007). This book consists of 225 pages and has been classified into following five major parts (p. viixii).

Part One Options in Communicating
In the first part, Petersen (2007) explains his Flat-Brain Theory of Emotions. He describes the working of our thoughts, emotions and relevant capabilities which further enters in our body and the system is explained as to how communication is delivered by us. The system of Flat-Brain Syndrome is also clarified in which our listening, thinking and acting ability feel difficulty in an emotional condition. This system also explains as to why we feel normal and relaxed upon hearing some good, supportive and well-wishing words which we believe can calm us down to live better (p. 144).

Part Two The Talker Listener Process
Using the Talker-Listener Card (TLC), Petersen (2007) describes the communication of talking by everyone and listening by none. Talker-Listener Card is useful for understanding the system of decent talking-turns which results in calm behavior, favorable environment and good understanding with each other. Petersen (2007) also tells us that our stories become really useful and exemplary for other to learn while interacting with good listeners. It is a wise decision to stop arguing while confronting an angry minded or mentally disturbed person. Some people cannot listen properly so it is moral be a good listener for them which will help in understanding other persons real problems easily (p. 47111).

Part Three The Listening Techniques
Petersen (2007) intimates in part three of this book about the Basic Listening Techniques especially for those who are really in need of assistance to enhance their listening ability. It involves the practicing of listening with talkers who have passion to talk and just talk. This will help us to improve our listening, understand the way of talking, gaps between sentences and judge expressions. The words like Why, Not, I Understand, Yes, but can lead the talker become more familiar to you. By practicing these basic listening techniques, a person will be able to improve his listening skills more effectively (p. 113176).

Part Four Using the TLC in Groups
In this part, Petersen (2007) delivers more examples with the usage of Talker-Listener system to communicate with group of people while sharing personal views, comments and specially on talking particular group problems faced by them. A special guide to practice oneself for becoming the wise personality has been given whose presence gives much fruitful advices and helpful tips in the resolution of specific group issues. Other useful examples such as mealtime  listening games, support to family crisis through games rules in TLC, etc. have also been given (p. 181205).

Part Five Concluding Philosophy
Petersen (2007) continues the examples of TLC in fifth part and gives more advises for practicing like a gentle men who could be useful for other with respective to personal as well as group issues. A brief introduction about his own life is too mentioned by Petersen (2007). In-depth knowledge for gaining an intellectual thought is being described. Further information for ordering of books, acknowledgements and conclusion has been specifically determined for interested readers (p. 207225).

Research Question How does the viewing of selected cartoon network programs affect the violence rate committed by children aging from seven to twelve years of age

Key Variables The variables I will be testing include the type of program watched, the frequency of viewing, the duration of viewing, the degree of violence committed, the frequency of violence, the context of the violence, personality characteristics which invite aggressive behavior, factors which lessen the potential of a cartoon to result in violent behavior

Aluja-Fabregat, A.  Torrubia-Beltri, R., (1998) Viewing of mass media violence, perception of violence, personality, and academic achievement, Personality and Individual Differences 25 (5), 973989

This study intended to investigate the relationship between viewing violence in the mass media, personality and academic achievement. 235 teenage boys and 235 teenage girls were asked to fill in questionnaires which assess their personality traits and viewing of and attitude towards violent media. The finding showed that boys who perceive violent cartoon films as being funny and thrilling are deemed more aggressive and excitable by their teachers implying that there is a relationship between viewing cartoon violence and personality traits.

This studying interestingly also took account of attitudes toward violent television and films which was found to correspond to their personality, therefore we can see that this is an important factor in the behavior watching cartoon elicits.

Fouts, G. (2006) Demonizing in childrens television cartoons and Disney animated films, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 37 (1), 15-23

This study uses a content analysis method to assess the prevalence of demonizing in 34 Disney animated films and 41 after school cartoons. Disney films were found to include a reference to evilness on average 5.6 times per film and 44 of the after school cartoons contained references to evil. The implications of this finding are that children will learn to demonize someone if they see them acting in a bad manner.

This study points out the strong influence of the media in shaping a childs perception of the world and also highlights the potential for childrens cartoons to shape and childs behavior and their moral judgment, this leading to the adoption of un welcome actions.

Kirsch, S. (2006) Cartoon violence and aggression in youth. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 11 (6), 547-557

This article views literature conducted into the effects of cartoon viewing and violence across a range of age groups. The findings suggest that by placing violence in a comedic context or limiting the graphicness of the display of violence the negative effects of viewing them can be reduced as the aggressive thoughts which following such a viewing are not articulated into an actual behavior.

As a result of reviewing literature conducted into this topic the author concludes that by focusing on the feelings of the victims in the cartoon the aggression is less likely to be realized, however he points to a need for more research to conducted into the longer term effect into a childs attitude towards violence if the victims feelings are shown which seems to be a worthwhile area of study.

Krcmar, M.,  Hight, A. (2007). The development of aggressive mental models in young children. Media Psychology, 10 (2), 250-269

This study intended to address why children reported a cartoon clip as being violent when in fact it was non violent. A repeated measures experimental design was used on 33-60 month old children as well as a questionnaire given to parents. The findings indicated that children whose parents reported that they had never been exposed to violent cartoons gave fewer aggressive responses than those who had been exposed to violent cartoons before.  This therefore indicates that children who are more frequently exposed to violence cartoons are more likely to incorrectly define behavior as violent.

We can therefore see from this study that frequency of exposure is an important factor to consider in explaining violent behavior as well as the age of the child which was a variable in the childrens responses to the text.

Linder, J.R.,  Gentile, D.A.(2009)Is the television rating system valid Indirect, verbal, and physical aggression in programs viewed by fifth grade girls and associations with behavior, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology,30(3),286-297

This study researches whether television ratings should take account of non physical displays of aggression. A sample of 99 fifth grade females were asked to give their favorite television programs and their aggressive and pro social behaviors were assessed via teacher feedback. Exposure to televised physical aggression, verbal aggression, and rewarded indirect aggression was associated with higher child aggression and decreased prosocial behavior implying that ratings which did not account for non physical aggression should do so.

This investigation looked into an areas which has received a lesser degree of media attention, that being non physical aggression and the findings therefore suggest that this area is worthy of a greater amount of study as it does affect the behavior of young people.

Manganello, J.A., Taylor, C.A.(2009)Television Exposure as a Risk Factor for Aggressive Behavior Among 3-Year-Old Children, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine,163(11),1037-1045

This study examines the relationship between television exposure and aggressive behavior amongst three year olds. A 36 month in-home survey of 3128 mothers of three year old children was used and the findings show that direct TV exposure and general household use of the TV correlated with childhood aggression.

This study also took account of factors besides television in explaining aggressive behavior and similarly found that being spanked and living in a disorderly neighborhood correlated with aggressive behavior this suggests that factors other than television exposure should be considered to account for aggressive behavior.

Nathanson, A. I. (2004) Factual and evaluative approaches to modifying childrens responses to violent television, Journal of Communication, 54 (2) 321-336

This study examined the effects of two methods for modifying childrens responses to violent television. An experimental method with a sample 123 children who were either 5-7 or 10-12 year old was used. The findings show that the evaluative mediation method was most successful in promoting positive outcomes when watching violent television, particularly in the younger children. Thus, media literacy programs which emphasize a fact based approach may want to shift their emphasis as these were shown to worse the effects of violent television.

This study focuses on how to remedy the effects of violent television something which a plethora of experimental papers have already demonstrated has negative consequences on children. Thus, a solution is attempting to be found as opposed to re affirming facts already proven to be true.

Sanson, A.  Dimuccio, C. (1993) The influence of aggressive and neutral cartoons and toys on the behavior of preschool-children, Australian Psychologist, 28 (2), 93-99

Sanson and Dimuccios study looks at the behavioral effects of viewing aggressive cartoons and playing with the toys associated with in comparison to neutral cartoons and toys. An experimental method was used whereby 60 preschool children were observed playing with a toy after viewing a specific cartoon. The highest levels of aggression were found for children having watching an aggressive cartoon and then playing with an aggressive toy. Thus, reinforcing aggressive cartoons with an associated toy increases the likelihood of viewing leading to aggressive behavior.

From this study we can infer that the potential for an aggressive cartoon to become a trigger for aggressive behavior is increased if the messages relayed through it are reinforced with associated toys, thus, the program alone does not solely contribute to aggressive behavior, there must be an invitation for the behavior to be realized.

Steuer, F.B., Applefield, J.M. and Smith, R., (1971) Televised aggression and the interpersonal aggression of preschool children, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 11 (3), 442447

This study looks at the relationship between viewing aggressive and nonaggressive television programs and interpersonal behavior with peers. Ten preschool children were investigated with a matched experimental method following 110 minutes of exposure over eleven days. The findings showed that participants who viewed an aggressive program displayed more aggressive behavior than a baseline period before the study compared to those who viewed the non aggressive program suggesting a relationship between aggressive behavior and viewing aggressive programs.

By investigating prolonged exposure to aggressive programs over a period of eleven days a more realistic experience is replicated as children are likely to be constantly seeing aggressive images throughout their development, providing a more explicit link between these two variables.

Wilson, B. J., Colvin, C. M. and Smith, S. L. (2002) Engaging in violence on American television A comparison of child, teen, and adult perpetrators, Journal of Communication, 52 (1), 36-60

This study is primarily concerned with the representation of those committing crimes on television. Via a content analysis it was found that youth criminals were often portrayed as being attractive, are less likely to be punished for their behavior and their actions result in fewer negative consequences for the victim. Thus, the behavior is glorified and more likely to be emulated by a teen viewer.

This study looks at the factors within the aggression which make the behavior more likely to be replicated, studying the problem from the roots as opposed to merely commenting on the effects. This seems effective in addressing the problem as it addresses it from the source where changes in the representation can be done to ensure that the watching of a television program doesnt necessarily lead to an aggressive behavior.

How can partners be able to sustain their relationship This is a question that bothers a lot of couples in strong relationships, considering the number of break ups that are apparent in the world today. The good news is that it is possible for couples to maintain their relationship by understating relational maintenance and the theories that relate to relational maintenance. Relational maintenance focuses on the daily processes that play part in maintaining a lasting relationship. For a long time, scholars interested in understanding interpersonal relationships have studied the area of relational maintenance. The term relational maintenance is defined differently by different scholars. Dindia and Canary (1993) came up with four basic definitions of the term.

The term is at the most basic level used to refer to various behaviors common in partners in their efforts to maintain their relationship. Basically, scholars examine relational endurance or stability. At another level, the term is used to stand for the engagement in acts that assist in sustaining the quality of an association. This means that it is not enough to be together in a stable relationship (Baxter, 1988). The quality of the relationship must also be put into consideration. This is the reason why relational maintenance scholars look at other aspects of a relationship like love, contentment and trust. There is yet another definition of the term where it is used to refer to maintaining the status quo of the relationship. This is taken to mean the acts that are involved in maintaining particular states or stages in the relationship. These states or stages are for example, maintaining the current level of closeness. The last definition is derived from the meaning of the term maintenance as repair. The definition involves the examination of how individuals handle problems in their relationship. The last definition is derived from the meaning of maintenance as dialectal tensions that take place naturally in every relationship. For instance, studies have been carried out to investigate how individuals handle their desire for connection while at the same time striving to maintain their individuality. All the definitions of relational maintenance refer to behaviors and actions that operate in different ways to ensure that close relationships are kept steady, fulfilling in a particular stage, and in repair regardless of the pressures that occur naturally in relationships (Stafford and Canary, 1991). This explanation highlights studies that have investigated relational maintenance in reference to each of the given definitions. This paper seeks to establish which among interdependence theory and dialectics theory, as they apply to relational maintenance, is superior. There are various sections in the paper handling various aspects of the topic. The two theories are discussed in relation to relational maintenance. There is a section on comparison of the two theories, leading to the discussion of the theory that is superior among the two in relation to relational maintenance. There is a summary of the whole paper as a conclusion.      

Interdependence theory
The foundation of this theory is the argument that individuals adapt their interactive character in reaction to the ways they perceive patterns of rewards in social situations. The theory argues that results in the relationship depend upon the rewards and costs that are experienced by the partners. The theory puts forward a suggestion that the results are assessed in relation to the prospects that people hold out for what they perceive. The prospects or expectations are referred to as the comparison level. Therefore, the difference between what is actually experienced and what was expected is the measure of the relational satisfaction. Where the results measure up or goes beyond the comparison level, then the person is satisfied. Where the results fall below the comparison level, then the person is dissatisfied. The theory puts forward another argument that satisfaction in itself cannot be used as the basis for relational steadiness. According to Baxter (1988), together with satisfaction, the stability can be evaluated by considering options to relationship.

The measure of this is the comparison level for alternatives. From this measure, if the results match or go beyond alternatives, then there will be stability in the relationship. On the other hand, if the result falls below the expected alternatives, then there is likelihood for the relationship to be unstable. A study by Stanford and Canary (1991) found out that it is possible for maintenance approaches to serve as rewards to the members of the relationship. In this case, the theory would envisage that matching or exceeding expectations for maintenance actions (comparison level) would raise satisfaction in the relationship. From the same study, it was argued that maintenance actions act as both inputs and outputs in calculating equity. This means that maintenance actions that the partners are involved in acts as the rewards, whereas the actions that the individual engage in acts like the costs. There is sense in the argument that insight on the partners utilization of maintenance actions act rewarding (Canary  Stafford, 2001).

In a research conducted by Rusbult, Drigotas and Verette (1994) to analyze equity and satisfaction, analyzed in terms of independence theory, over two hundred couples were investigated. The couples fulfilled the procedures of equity, satisfaction and maintenance approaches like honesty, assurance, positivity, sharing, and socialization. The results from the research revealed that satisfaction is always high for partners where they perceive their associations to be equitable. This is followed by over benefited individuals, followed by under benefited individuals (Rusbult, Drigotas  Verette, 1994). This is as per the curvilinear association that is predicted by the equity approach. Additionally, wife-defined equity predicts both spouses maintenance behaviors in a similar upturned curvilinear association. The perceived curvilinear pattern held only for women-defined equity factions was seen to follow perceived curvilinear trends. Another factor that emanated from the research was the equity structure. This is because it was determined that under benefited husbands revealed very low levels of three out of the five maintenance strategies, than the over benefited husbands. The amalgamation of equity and satisfaction in wives was a stronger predictor of relational maintenance than any of the two components in isolation. Relational satisfaction is determined by use of maintenance strategies as well as differences between expected and perceived utilization of maintenance behaviors. However, the use of maintenance strategies is stronger in predicting satisfaction (Canary  Stafford, 2001).

The interdependence theory is well explained in this research. The research is however not all inclusive because the group considered is the married group. There is no consideration on the unmarried couples at their various intimacy levels. Otherwise all the constructs in the study are well presented, providing adequate results to reach to the conclusions put forward in support of the theory.                              

Dialectics theory
This theory was established for the first time as an alternative observation of relational maintenance. The main concern of this theory is the tensions and disagreements that arise in close relationships. The tensions are usually viewed as the dynamic interplay of contradicting behaviors as they come up in relationships (Baxter  Montgomery, 1996). The disagreements are the conflicts that exist in interpenetrated opposites. Therefore the theory refers to an association of opposites as the associates of the relationship strive to accommodate the two sides of opposing poles. The theory also sees relational maintenance as the common, continuous efforts to cope with dialectal pressures. The theory presents an argument that relationships are not static, but dynamic. As a result the people in the relationship are always involved in the management of contrasting tendencies in their efforts to answer the question of how interactions function in the middle of the members of the relationship being held together while at the same time being pushed away from each other. This theory maintains the argument that relationships cannot be in place devoid of the interaction between its opposing parts (Baxter, 1988).

According to this theory, the members of the relationship are said to face three kinds of contradictions (Baxter  Montgomery, 1996). The first kind of contradiction is the autonomy against connectedness. This contradiction is referred to as primary axigence of relating (Baxter  Simon 1993, p.227). From their research, they discovered that it is important for partners to have time to understand and relate to the requirements and wants of each other in order to maintain status quo in the relationship. The focus of this contradiction is where the partners have their own independence while at the same time having sufficient connection in the relationship. The implication of this contradiction is that the partners should strike a balance in the relationship. They should not spend a lot of time together at the expense of their individuality, or spend a lot of time away from each other at the expense of the commitment to the relationship (Baxter  Montgomery, 1996).

The second one is openness against closedness. The argument under this contradiction is based on the tension faced by the individuals in the things they should or should not say to each other. There is always a crisis in relationships in deciding what information and how much should be given to the other partner. This tension is mostly experienced before marriage in determining what and how much the other partner deserves to find out (Baxter  Montgomery, 1996).

The last contradiction is predictability against novelty. In this contradiction, the key is the balance between the certainty and the uncertainty in the relationship. In a successful relationship, it is important to balance the predictability and novelty. Failure to achieve this can result in the partners becoming emotionally knocked out or unstable relationship wise (Baxter  Montgomery, 1996).

According to Simon and Baxter (1993), proper approaches to enhancing predictability have not been thoroughly researched for they are not sufficiently provided in relationship writings. Nevertheless, they provide some strategies that have proven operational like celebrating events, surprises and finding ways to reduce boredom. The first kind of contradiction is the tension that takes place as a result of the pressure between wanting to bond and wanting to maintain independence. The second contradiction is the tension that comes up as a result of the desire to be involved in self-disclosure while at the same time wanting to retain privacy. The last contradiction is the tension between finding behaviors that offer stability against the need for impulsiveness. The changes between each of these contradictions are a natural and essential part of every relationship. Therefore, in order to manage a relationship, it is important for the individuals in the relationship to find ways of managing these contradictions.

According to Baxter (1988), there are four principles that can be employed in managing the tensions. The
first one is selection.  This means that they need to find ways of selecting one of the poles over the other, for example, selection of independence over connectedness. The second principle in the management of the tensions is separation. The separation can be carried out through either cyclic alternation, or topical segmentation. The third principle is neutralization. This can be done through either moderation or disqualification. The last principle is reframing. This is otherwise referred to as redefining the problem in dialectal reasoning. Reframing of the tension is carried out to ensure that the tension no longer operates as a contradiction. From a research done by Baxter (1990), it was discovered that the most commonly employed principles in the management of tensions are separation by topical segmentation and separation by cyclic option. This means that separation is the most common principle in managing tensions in relationships. From the same research, Baxter discovered that more refined and probably more suitable approaches such as reframing have been underutilized. The conclusion from this study is the evidence that partners do not essentially understand the fluctuations of tensions in relationships and this is the reason why they fail to handle them efficiently (Rusbult, Drigotas  Verette, 1994).

Simon and Baxter carried out a research to test three hypothesis related to the contradictions. The first hypothesis was that there will be a stronger positive correlation between perceived partner enactment of the connection-enhancing maintenance strategy and participant satisfaction in the autonomy-dominated dialectical moment as opposed to the connection-dominated moment (Baxter  Simon, 1993, p. 231).  The other hypothesis that they wanted to prove was that there will be a stronger positive correlation between perceived partner enactment of the novelty-enhancing maintenance strategy and participant satisfaction in the predictability-dominated moment as opposed to the novelty-dominated moment (Baxter  Simon, 1993, p. 231). The last hypothesis was that there will be a stronger positive correlation between perceived partner enactment of the closedness-enhancing maintenance strategy and participant satisfaction in the openness-dominated dialectical moment as opposed to the closedness-dominated moment (Baxter  Simon, 1993, p. 232). In this study questionnaires were distributed to different intimate and married couples. Four hundred questionnaires were given to two hundred couples. The questionnaires were to be completed independently. Due to a number of reasons the number of couples that were investigated went down to one 162. From the research it was discovered that partner association was better in the autonomy-dominated circumstances as compared to the connection-dominated circumstances. These results were in line with the first hypothesis (Rusbult, Drigotas  Verette, 1994).  The results also reveled the fact that intimate efforts were better under the circumstances of extreme predictability that extreme novelty. These results supported the second hypothesis. Statistical analysis of the data in the study provided evidence for the last hypothesis.

Nevertheless, the results revealed the fact that it is unproductive to avoid the other person in circumstances of extreme closeness. In analysis of their data, the researchers argue that all maintenance approaches seem to work in particular ways to propel the association towards dialectal balance. The data from the study provides support for this argument. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction of the partners in relationships based on the maintenance approaches under the three contradictions (Rusbult, Drigotas  Verette, 1994).

After going through and analyzing this research, I support the information and conclusions reached by the two researchers. From personal observations and literature review, the hypothesis proposed by the researcher is logical and properly supported by factual data. The results provided and the way that the data is analyzed to draw the conclusions is clear and understandable. The problem however comes out in the fact that the results are generalized for couples without proper distinctions between the married and those dating and in various stages (Baxter, 1988).                                  

Comparison between the two theories
There is theoretical proof that the two theories hold as far as relational maintenance is concerned. The two are true and apply to relational maintenance. The two theories are also applicable to interpersonal relationship. The two theories seek to establish satisfaction in relationship. In the dialectics theory, satisfaction is derived from striking the balance between the opposite poles. These are the maintenance behaviors that need to be satisfied in order to ensure the stability of the relationship. In the interdependence theory, satisfaction is reached through meeting or exceeding the comparison level. In analyzing partners satisfaction according to the two theories, various maintenance strategies and approaches are borne in mind. The two theories therefore identify the part played by management strategies and approaches in satisfaction and stability of relationships (Baxter  Montgomery, 1996).

There are however a number of differences between the two theories. The dialectics theory differs from the interdependence theory because the interdependence theory views changes as an irregularity instead of an internal construct. Dialectics theory focuses on the changes themselves where it recognizes the fact that the changes have to occur because they are part of the relationship. The interdependence theory considers the changes though not as part of the relationship. The interdependence theory focuses on the basic level of relationship which is the interpersonal relationship. Dialectics theory on the other hand focuses on the tensions and contradictions that take place between people who are already in the relationship (Stafford  Canary, 1991). The factors that are considered by the two theories as affecting satisfaction in the relationship are different. While the two theories consider maintenance behaviors as crucial in determining satisfaction, interdependence model goes further to look at the perceived expectations being additional factors that determine satisfaction. The interdependence theory puts forward a suggestion that the outcomes in relationships are assessed in relation to the prospects that people hold out for what they perceive. The attention on the tensions as argued by the dialectics theory fails to take into consideration all the other factors. It seems from this theory that the tensions that act as the behaviors that affect every relationship are not only basic, but also the only factors that affect the stability of any relationship. The maintenance strategies identified by the two theories are different. The behaviors that are identified by the dialectics theory are taken as contradictions or tensions that come into play in every intimate relationship. In the interdependence theory the behaviors that are considered include honesty, assurance, positivity, sharing, and socialization (Stafford  Canary, 1991).      

Discussion
The most superior of the two theories is the interdependence theory. This does not mean that the dialectics theory does not apply in relational maintenance. The interdependence theory takes into consideration the fact that human experience is naturally social. Most of persons traits have originated from interpersonal relations. It is also a fact that most of the strong norms have their origins in interdependence experiences where the norms offer the means to adapt to different situations. In order to perfectly understand human behavior, it is very important that the nature and understanding of interpersonal interaction is obtained. This means that interdependence theory plays the most basic part in relationships. This is the reason why the basic elements of interpersonal relationships are analyzed using the interdependence theory. It is also because it is an inclusive theory of interpersonal processes. Most of the theories in this field persist on adopting a within-person viewpoint, providing an analysis of peoples character from personal-level biological factors, individual characteristics, or cognitive experiences. This theory is the remedy to the actor-based bias (Stafford  Canary, 1991).

It is only interdependence theory that recognizes the most crucial characteristics of interpersonal experiences through a thorough evaluation of situation framework. The reason behind this is the acknowledgement that it is in the interpersonal reality that motives are triggered, toward the orientation of cognition and around the unfolding of interactions. When two individuals are entering into a relationship, they have things that they expect from the relationship. This is what the theory refers to as perceived expectations. Unlike the dialectics theory, the interdependence theory takes into consideration the perceived expectations in the measurement of the satisfaction of the partners. In short, it means that the interdependent theory takes into account more factors that come into play in relational maintenance than the dialectics theory. Where expectations are not met, no matter how a person is able to conquer the tensions and disagreements in a relationship, he or she cannot be satisfied. Meeting expectations is thus very crucial in determining the level of satisfaction in a relationship (Stafford  Canary, 1991).  

This theory takes another step to investigate the alternatives. Together with satisfaction, the stability can be evaluated by considering alternatives to relationship. From this measure, if the results match or go beyond alternatives, then there will be stability in the relationship. This means that stability in a relationship is not something that is affected by only one factor as many of the other theories may claim. It is an element that is affected by many other factors, satisfaction and the need to analyze alternatives included. People in a relationship might be satisfied because their expectations are met, but that does not mean that their relationship is stable. This is the reason why the interdependence theory is superior to the dialectics theory (Rusbult, Drigotas  Verette, 1994).        

Conclusion
This paper is an investigation of which among interdependence theory and dialectics theory, as they apply to relational maintenance, is superior. The conclusions of all the researches on theories related to relational maintenance reach to a common conclusion that maintenance behaviors have an effect on satisfaction of the partners as well as the stability of the relationship. The two theories discussed are a means to the same end, which is, investigating and understanding relational maintenance. The two theories have some similarities as well as differences. The dialectics theory presents a very crucial argument concerning the contradictory behaviors that determines the stability of any relationship. This is important considering the fact that these contradictions are natural and common to all relationships. The fact that these factors are inherent in every relationship has also been proven practically through research. This is a fact that cannot be denied. However, it is important that even when trying to balance the opposing forces between the two poles, not to forget that there are other factors that play a part in maintaining a lasting relationship. This is what makes the interdependence theory superior to the dialectics theory. The interdependence theory takes into consideration a number of factors that affects the stability of relationships. Although the interdependence theory does not present change as a part of the relationship, this theory is superior in the understanding of the stability of relationships.  According to Simon and Baxter (1993), proper approaches to enhancing predictability have not been thoroughly researched for they are not sufficiently provided in relationship writings. It is important that more research is carried out to find out other factors and how they may affect relationships. There are many other factors left out and should be thoroughly researched.  

E-commerce or electronic commerce can be defined as selling and buying of goods and services over the internet (Donegan, 2000).  It is a commercial transaction or any type of business involving exchange of information across the internet and covers a variety of distinct businesses for instance music or auction sites, business trades between corporations and consumer based retail sites (Manes, 2000).  E-commerce is convenient as it allows consumers to transfer information, goods and services electronically without experiencing any barriers as concerns distance or time (Bonisteel, 2000).

E-commerce is considered one of the most vital facets of the internet to have emerged with modern day technology in the recent past.  It also has a number of benefits or advantages for instance it allows the buyer to make better buyer decisions as concerns the goods andor services they would be interested in purchasing (Bonisteel, 2000).  As compared to costs incurred during traditional exchange of goods and services, the direct cost of sale for purchases and sales conducted from a website are lower since there are no middlemen involved during the transaction process (Donegan, 2000).  E-commerce is not only the cheapest and most affordable means of conducting business but also is ideal for niche products because its customers are few.  This form of business transaction gives customers control of the sales and purchasing process thus building loyalty (Manes, 2000).

RESEARCH
E-tailing or electronic retailing, on the other hand, can be defined as the practice of selling products and services over electronic mediums such as the Internet (Donegan, 2000).  An example of a widely recognized e-tailer is the which was established in 1995, developing its own structure as well as managing its own site (Bonisteel, 2000).  Other e-tailers include Bizrate.com and Toys-rus.com (Manes, 2000).  E-tailing provides a wide range of individuals to sell products to leading to increased profits and decreased costs.

This form of business transaction is easy and comfortable since all information concerning the products and services are just but a click away and is easily accessible for the comfort of ones home (Donegan, 2000).  E-tailing also has the ability to create interaction en-masse in that it is capable of interacting with consumers on a personal level and be able to react to responses of individual customers, worldwide (Manes, 2000).  With this form of business, accessibility is possible from any part of the nation or the world using a website and therefore increasing potential customer base as compared to a supermarket with limited area of operation (Donegan, 2000).  In addition, customers are able to conduct transactions using the same medium from where the information is obtained, creating no disconnection between the ability to purchase and the desire to purchase (Bonisteel, 2000).

There are a few strategies used by e-tailers to ensure customer retention and satisfaction for instance pricing, store design, repeat purchase, customer loyalty as well as interactive marketing. E-tailers have to constantly keep in mind, stick to and create a sound internet strategy, one of them being scalability. Scalability is the term used to refer to the software, network infrastructures as well as hardware used to ensure Web sites and related systems are up and running (Donegan, 2000).  E-tailers have realized that it this is an important strategy since investments and valuable resources are not lost when any changes are required to be made to them.  In recent studies carried out, Shop.org discovered that approximately 100 of online retailers went through planned e-mail marketing efforts where about 97 would conduct organic and paid search marketing activities (Manes, 2000).  In addition, social media usage increased from a smaller base but at a higher rate. Organic search marketing and social media usage are two other strategies used by e-tailers to conduct business transactions.

Reports have shown that brands as well as retailers have opted for a more aggressive approach in trying to implement social media strategies in an effort to foster greater customer engagement (Donegan, 2000).  A number of social media tools are used such as Facebook, community forums, Customer Q  A, social listening tools, Twitter and product suggestion boxes (Manes, 2000).  E-tailers have accepted the fact that majority of individuals are willing to engage through social media and that if they do not get into it, consumers and potential consumers will leave.  This strategy invokes certain consumer behavior and that is the main reason as to why e-tailers choose social media usage.  It not only mobilizes advocates to advertise for their products and services through word of mouth but also enhances greater customer engagement (Donegan, 2000).  It also increases brand and customer engagement.  Every time individuals discuss about social media strategy, they discuss about community sites, apps on social networking sites, blogging as well as how brandproduct can be communicated or position with the customers through such medium (Bonisteel, 2000).
As a form of internet marketing strategy, organic search marketing considers how search engines work as well as what individuals look for in web sites.  E-tailers have observed that organic search marketing is necessary in the marketing mix for modern day businesses since it not only delivers the most easily measurable solutions but also inform customers of the latest available goods and services (Bonisteel, 2000).

Organic search marketing is perceived as being accurately refined and suited for better performance.  A number of benefits that e-tailers are much aware of are associated with organic search marketing.  For instance, organic search marketing if free of charge.  Google and Yahoo are some of the search engines enabling organic search marketing to occur and have been consistently steady (Donegan, 2000).  Research has revealed that individuals are more comfortable relying on organic listings as compared to paid listings as far as organic search marketing is concerned (Manes, 2000).

The aforementioned strategies used by e-tailers serve the purpose of informing the customers of what is available in the current market and how much it would cost (Bonisteel, 2000).  They also promote consumer loyalty, motivation and repeat purchase in addition to enabling advocacy of the products and services through word of mouth.

Sample Persuasive Message
Ever wish that your shopping could be made easier Ever wish that you could find someone to do all your shopping due to your busy schedule Fortunately, you do not have to wish anymore for this has just become a reality.  Facebook and Twitter have introduced a new website, which is easily and readily accessible, offering catalogues containing different products and services at cheap and affordable prices.  Shopping-made-easier is a website found on facebook or twitter at the left hand side also indicating individuals and delivery companies that one can get in touch with if any delivery services are required.

This website will be beneficial in that unlike other sites where one has to pay in order to view what is available, one just has to log on to hisher facebook or twitter website to view the available catalogues and prices.  At the click of a button, one can be able to place orders and receive immediate feedback from online customer care as concerns the products and services one desires to purchase.  The other benefit is that it is absolutely user friendly in that one is able to communicate with other users as concerns effectiveness of the products and services.

Once you access this website, your shopping experience will never be the same again and you will be able to relax and carry on with your day-to-day activities, knowing that all your shopping needs are catered for. Try it You will not regret it