Communication Strategies

There is an overwhelming amount of information supporting the overpopulation of dogs and cats in the world today. In the USA there are 45 cats and dogs for every person born. Only 1 out of 10 dogs born ever get a home. Only 1 out of 12 cats born ever find a home. 800 dogs and cats are KILLED each HOUR.

Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S., and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result, every year 4 to 6 million animals are euthanized because there are no homes for them.

Is euthanization the solution to pet overpopulation or is there another solution The current popular belief is that euthanization is not the solution, and the problem of pet overpopulation would be better resolved with all pets being spayed or neutered at a very young age. This platform is controversial however, veterinarians and animal shelters support mandatory spayneutering programs for all companion pets. The evidence is very convincing. Today there is more information and proof available that mandatory spayneutering laws and programs are necessary, to control overpopulation of companion pets, than ever before.

Reason 1 Euthanization is not the answer to control dog and cat overpopulation.
Millions of unwanted cats and dogs are killed by euthanization every year by shelters because their owners no longer wanted them. When the former pet owners were asked the reasons why they did not have the mother spayed before pregnancy, cost was the most frequent answer. Others said they didnt know the animal was in heat, they were going to get rid of it, they do not believe in altering animals, the procedure is inconvenient, they forgot or didnt have the time, thought the pet was too young, and a variety of other reasons.

Most people believe that pets taken to shelters are adopted out however, the sad facts show that most are killed by euthanization. Sick and unadoptable animals are euthanized at shelters regularly. Most likely, these are animals that were once someones pet, and they will be euthanized at a shelter, because they were in the wrong place, at the wrong time. These animals are not reject animals, but animals that were unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of people who decided they didnt want the responsibility, those who did not research the type of pet they were getting, and those who didnt treat the dog like a dog, but rather a human, which always causes behavior problems, sometimes major ones.

Veterinarians take a firm stand that a pet that is spayed or neutered is a healthier pet, and that unplanned births can be avoided with mandatory programs. They believe the number of euthanizations will decrease dramatically with mandatory spayneutering of all dogs and cats. The goal is to eliminate unwanted pregnancies, before they occur, not to use euthanization as the method to eliminate unwanted pets.

State and local governments agree that euthanization is not the answer. It is a difficult problem that can be resolved with fewer unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately, government run shelters make it too easy for people to dispose of their unwanted pets. Government is, however, willing to support the solution of eliminating unwanted cat and dog pregnancies, through mandatory spayneutering programs, in an effort to lower the overpopulation of cats and dogs, in the United States.

Reason 2  Mandatory government regulation of spayneutering programs would educate people to realize how necessary spaying and neutering is, to your pet.

It is clear that what needs to change is the overall concept of what is involved when a person becomes a pet owner people need to be educated of what their responsibilities are, to their pets. People need to realize that adopting a pet is a long-term commitment, and a healthy pet is a happier pet. The internet is available to research various kinds of dogs and cats, before they adopt a pet. The internet can also be used to research health and behavior problems pet owners may encounter with their pet, so they should not reject the pet because of their ignorance and inexperience. Puppies and kittens grow up into adult dogs and cats the educated pet owner does not take their animal to the shelter, because it grew up into adulthood.  

Unfortunately, the knowledge a person has, of responsible pet ownership, varies by the region they live, their economic status, and the state of the economy. Areas that are more prosperous have fewer pets turned in, to shelters, than areas where the economy is not well off. The level and willingness to understand their pet seems to be directly related to the economy and education.

Different regions have different beliefs of the needs of their pets that may have lasted through family generations. Many people do not know that spayneutering programs improve the health of their pets. Overpopulation leads to disease and behavior problems this is the fault of the pet owner, not the pet. Pet owners must be more aware of the problems that occur without spayneutering programs, and mandatory spayneutering programs help pet owners understand their responsibilities, so their pet does not become just another statistic in a state shelter, who will be euthanized, because they were unwanted. The majority of animals killed every year are young and healthy. Millions of dogs and cats are killed by cars and hundreds of thousands are abandoned, severely neglected, or abused.

There is no doubt that the more educated a pet owner is, the more able and willing they are to understand the needs of their pet, and this education can be achieved through mandatory spayneutering programs. These programs help educate the uneducated person to be more aware of their pets needs, and avoid unwanted pregnancies that occur because they didnt know the consequences or what to do, at the time. Veterinarians and shelters help educated pet owners who they encounter, and mandatory spayneutering programs would cause more people to be exposed to the information process of educating themselves and becoming a better pet owner. Mandatory spayneutering programs provide a very affirmative situation to educate the public, that can only be thought of as a positive situation.

Reason 3 Mandatory spaying and neutering laws would eliminate unwanted animals due to International economic and distribution.
A greater, international problem has developed that involves the overpopulation of pets, and that is over-breeding and puppy mills. Specific breeds are over-breed and sick puppies are brought across the borders, spreading disease. Unfortunately, rescuing animals in distress from other countries does not solve the overpopulation of animals in the United States, nor does importing animals from other countries, by breeders.

The fact that pets are readily available and affordable, through puppy mills and international internet websites, cause many Americans to try out different breeds, and ultimately dispose of the animal if the pet is not suitable for their needs. If the pet proves unsuitable, the pet is turned in, to a shelter, where it is considered unadoptable and euthanized.

There needs to be better laws involving breeding that are more parallel with pet overpopulation. Many successful transport programs exist and many more are being planned in order to better address the localized variations in supply and demand for specific adoptable pets. (DVM Newsmagazine. March 25, 2010) Many believe that veterinarian and shelter involvement would benefit the transport of pets and help eliminate regional overpopulation.

Is the problem of over-breeding creating a pet overpopulation problem  Although breeders provide more pets than there are homes, they only breed pets because people will readily buy them. The real problem is that people purchase puppies or kittens on impulse, and treat them as disposable then the pet becomes the problem of the shelters, with the owner moving on to test another breed. Mandatory spayneutering programs protect overpopulation of pets, as well as providing breeders with guidelines and exceptions that will hopefully provide an agreeable solution to both sides involved. With stronger mandatory spayneutering laws, transport of pets, from other countries into the United States, are dealt with appropriately, and laws are designed to detour the activity, completely.

Opposing Views
Understandably, there is an opposing viewpoint and long lists against mandatory spayneutering laws. Some say that the pet overpopulation problem is limited to specific regions of the United States, and that government regulation could make the problem worse. They argue that fewer euthanizations could lead to more animals sick and suffering, left to die in the shelters, causing more cruelty than ever before.

Opponents against mandatory spayneutering laws claim there are many other problems connected with the laws. The problems include that the programs cost too much, would be difficult to enforce, is an infringement of the rights of the public and constitutional rights, and is ultimately not effective, to curb the pet overpopulation. They say that those people, who are currently complying with rabies vaccination and licensing laws, may avoid the program completely, if they now had to comply with mandatory spayneutering of their pet. Still others claim that mandatory spayneutering would not curb the aggressive behavior in dogs, and those dog kennels who raise and compete in dog fights, who would not comply with the laws, would find themselves intentionally breaking the laws.

Rebuttal Information
In all fairness, supporting veterinarians, shelters, and other supporters of the mandatory spayneutering laws and programs, in the United States, provide factual information that cannot be refuted, in response to the objections of the laws.

First, they state that, although detailed statistics cannot be produced as to how many euthanizations are actually performed, during a year, all general information shows that the number of euthanizations has increased steadily, every year, similar to the number of unwanted pets, in the United States.

Secondly, voluntary spayneutering are already established throughout the country, and the cost to spay or neuter a pet is very affordable. If someone cannot afford the low cost, there are agencies that will help with the payment, so pets who have not had owners who care for them can enjoy their life, being neutered or spayed, and being more healthy, because of it.

Finally, it is societys moral obligation to try to protect and keep dogs and cats, in todays world, from harm, as well as prevent unwanted pets from entering into the world, who will live a life of pain, hunger, illness, neglect, and abuse against people who should know better.

Conclusion
Most government state and local officials, veterinarians, shelters, and responsible pet owners agree that pet overpopulation is a huge problem, and something needs to be done immediately, to curb the ever-growing dilemma. What they do not  agree upon, however, is if mandatory spayneutering laws and programs are the answer. The more people that realize the horrors of this problem and know how they can help minimize it, the better. The more animals that do not have to die needlessly, the better job we all are doing of spreading the word.

The goal is to have all dogs and cats spayed or neutered, for their own safety, and for the safety of overpopulation. As long as there is an overpopulation of pets, uneducated people will continue to dispose of unwanted pets at shelters, where there is only a remote possibility that any shelter pet will find a home, because there are simply too many pets and not enough homes. Unless we begin to enforce mandatory spaying and neutering of pets, we will never begin to solve the pet overpopulation problem. Mandatory spayneutering laws are the beginning of an attempt to solve a problem that cannot continue, for the sake of all of the pets, in the United States. They must be established and it must happen now.

This speech discusses the various consequences of underage drinking including

Physical effects such as injuries and death resulting from underage drinking

Mental consequences. Here underage drinking effects such as brain damage, addiction and memory loss are discussed.

Legal implication as underage drinking is against the law.

Lastly, a discussion on how underage drinking compromises the social life of the victim is given.

Underage Drinking
Underage drinking is quite common in our society despite is numerous effects on the physical, mental, social, and economic life of the victim. First, there are many physical consequences of underage drinking. According to available statistics, an estimated 5,000 teens die each year due to alcohol related injuries (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Such include car accidents, homicide, drowning, burns, and suicides. It has also been established that underage drinkers are at a higher risk of sustaining fatal alcohol poisoning as well as permanent scars and disability. Since drinking slows down reaction and thinking, underage drinkers have increased risk of being victims of rape (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). This is because it makes it hard for them to either refuse sex or escape an attack. Other physical consequences include liver damage, stomach problems and problems of growth and development hormone production which can compromise development of body organs (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003).

Underage drinking is dangerous to the mental health of the victim. Drinking alters the thinking ability and feeling in the victim (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Based on this reasoning, underage drinking has been closely attributed with incidences of depression, anxiety and suicide among the teens. According to scientists, the mind of an individual continues to develop until their early twenties. This has the implication that underage drinking can have long term effects on the victims brain (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Some of these effects include possible brain damage, compromise memory problem and problems of thinking, and learning. It has been sufficiently established that victims of underage drinking are at a higher risk of being psychologically dependant on alcohol (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). This is quite detrimental to the victims day-to-day academic and economic life as their effectiveness and reliability will be influenced by alcohol.

Another consequence of underage drinking is its legal implications to the victim. It is a crime under the constitution of America for a minor to drink alcohol. This means that once caught drunk, teens are subjected to legal punishments such as serving prison terms, losing driving license, paying fines, or engaging in unpaid community service (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Also, underage drinking has been identified as a reason for increased crime activities among the youth. Such include rape and homicide whose legal implication is quite serious. According to available statistics on underage prison population in America, an estimated 70 percent are due to alcohol related crimes (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). Still, underage drinking can be a source of legal consequences to the adults who provide alcohol to teens. It is due to this reason that parents and other adult members of the community are legally bound to serve in informing the teens of the negative effects of drinking alcohol.

Underage drinking affects the social life of an individual (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). This is because drinking compromises the reasoning and judgmental power of an individual. Such social effects include loss of reliable family relationships by the victim as well as breakdown of social relationships with others in the society. Education has become a crucial tool in the realization of sustainable social-economic life by individuals in the society. However, according to available statistic alcohol has been closely attributed to the high levels of school dropouts and poor academic performance by students (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2003). This has the final implication of increased unreliability of the future generation of the American community.

Therefore, owing to the numerous physical, social, and economic consequences of underage drinking in the American community, there is need for all stakeholders to device means of solving this social vice. To realize this, the law enforcement should engage its resources in fighting against the access and use of alcohol by the teens. It is only by doing so that the future of our nation can be promising.

Executive summary
The proposal has been submitted to the General Manager of the company, Mr. John, by the senior office staff at Drill Business Services. The purpose of this proposal is to bring into light the recent problems that the company is facing with regard to the customer complaints which is then affecting the revenues. This proposal would bring all the symptoms of the problem to the knowledge of the general manager and a solution would be proposed by the senior team at the office. This solution aims to reduce all the customer dissonance and encourage a healthy work environment within the office.

The problem as identified by the senior team members is the lack of concentration by the sales personnel towards the customers. From our close observations it has been observed that the office staff does not have a proper work environment as they have a lot of distractions while they are attending the customers. This has made the customers feel neglected due to which they have had this dissatisfaction. The foremost problem that was identified was the mismanagement of the employees themselves.

I have suggested a few solutions to this problem which are based on introducing the clean- desk policy at the work place. This would help the employees manage themselves properly and the customers would also be taken care in the best manner. I feel that in order to sustain our competitive advantage of good customer service, Mr. John should incorporate the suggestions provided in his decisions regarding the work place.

 Introduction
The purpose of this proposal is to identify various problems that our company has been facing in since last few months. The proposal tends to give a clear insight of the problem and after that I have suggested some solutions to the problem that I feel would help the company in coming out of this turmoil. Our company Drill Business Services is a sales oriented company where the number of sales done per day is very important and affects the revenues of our company heavily. The employees are given daily sales goals which they have to achieve.

Drill Business Service is a consulting firm which provides complete business solution to the clients. It is located in Czech Republic and manages the HR related functions of various companies who have outsourced their work to the company. The employees on daily basis have to get clients as the company is in its growth phase and is looking for more and more employees in order to achieve economies of sale. (Drill Profile)
Being selling oriented requires the focus to be only on sales for which the interaction with the consumer has to be done in a very superior way. (Longenecker, Moore,  Wil, 25)

Problem Identification
Mr John, I as the team leader for this tenure have been facing a lot of problems in terms of customer satisfaction which in terms is affecting the sales goals which the employees are not being able to achieve.
Being a service provider, we have a direct contact with the customers. The moment of truth, which is when the sales persennol attends the customer, has become a little controversial as now the customers are not satisfied by the way they are attended. According to our data we have now been receiving 30 more compalints and a lot of customers are seen going back without getting their work done.

Surprisingly in these last few months we have also seen a few customers snapping and yelling at the sales people for the first time ever. We have always been very proud of our service but now this differentiator or the compatitive advantage is turning into our weakness because a lot of customers in their feedback have pointed out that they were not satisfied by the way they were attended. Moreover, they felt that the salespeople were not as active listeners as they used to be and had a lot of distractions while the customers were being attended.

I along with some other senior staff considered it as an alarming situation and we decided to have a close watch of the sales people while they were busy with the customers. It was obvious that there were no external sources responsible for this as the compalints were regarding the environment of the office and the sales people.

Solutions
Sir after a complete and a thorough research we have found out that the basic problem right now is the mismanagement of the employees due to which they are not been able to serve the customer in the best manner which has had an impact on the sales goal due to which ultimately the revenues of the organization are going down  (Cooper).

Solution  1
I feel that in order to curb any sort of mismanagement or distractions within the office, you should incorporate the clean desk Policy within the company. By the clean desk policy I precisely refer to a corporate document which directs the employees to leave their desks clean when they leave for there places after the whole days work. (Falcone,63) This would enforce all the employees to make sure that when they leave the office their desks are clean and no official document or any other belonging is left idle on the desk.

Affect on the employee
This would create a habbit of keeping the desk clean in the organization as everyday before leaving the premises, the employees would make sure that the desks are left empty. Due to this the employees would also avoid creating a lot of mess on the desks during they are working as they would know that they have to clean it before they leave.

Solution  2
Other than that, the employees should be given strict instructions to make sure that their desks are empty when they are attending the customers. They should be asked to make sure that no irrelevant document or anyother belonging is on their desk while they are busy with the customer. Once a customer is there with the saless person he should not be allowed to manage his documents or other personal things and his complete concentration has to be towards the customer.

Affect on the employee
This would help in reducing the compaliants that we have been receiving in past few months regarding the lack of concentration that the customers have felt from the employees. The sales people would not waste their time in managing their desks and handling their documents. They would focus only towards the customer while he is there. Moreover, the prim and proper work place would represent a healthy work environment and a good personality of our company. Since the employees judge the company by the sales people with whom they interact, so they would ave a better picture of the organization into their minds.

Solution  3
Clean Desk policy would not be restricted towards the  official documents only but would also include the food or any personal belonging that the employee may keep on the desk. The employees should not be allowed to have their lunch on the desk as it may become dirty with it.

There should be a strict rule regarding having lunch on the desksand even for beverages it should be made sure that as soon as it is drunk it should be removed from the desk. (Cochrane, 99)

Affect on the employees
By adopting this solution the work place would become more presentable and the customers would also feel comfertable while they are visiting the office. This measure would ensure a clean and hygienic working place with prim and proper desks and the overall workplace.

Advantages of these solutions
By incorporating the above solutions into the business practices, the company can enjoy various advantages which are as follows
First and foremost this policy would encourage a paper free environment in the office as people will prefer not to have a lot of documents which they would have place in order before leaving the office or attending the customers.

A proper working environment would be in place where no clutter would be found on the desks and no irrelevant material would be placed on the desk while attending the customers. This would also help in reducing any deviation by the sales person.

This policy would help in boosting the image of the company as the sales people and the office environemnt represents the company. A clean and a properly manged office would have a good impact on the employees.
Most importantly the core problem which is customer dissatisfaction would be reduced and they would be attende in a better way as the customers would not waste their time in managing their desks.

The problem that is being explored in this report is the issue of privacy that face social networking as a popular communications tool in the globalized world. The advent of extremely popular social networking media such as Facebook and MySpace has raised very serious questions on how private information that is registered in social networking sites are protected and safeguarded to ensure their confidentiality. Among the often-cited instances where user privacy is compromised are the following practices the lack of control over activity streams,  unwelcome linkage, and deanonymization through merging of social graphs (Chew et al., 2008, p. 1).Specifically, this report answers the questions

Do social networking sites compromise user privacy
What steps are being undertaken by social networking sites to protect user privacy
The purpose of this report is to inform individuals on the issue of privacy which holds significant implications for global communications. It also aims to highlight the policies and measures that are currently being employed to prevent the needless and unrestricted flow of information which could be compromise the identity and reputation of end users. This will be an informational report that focuses on the most popular social networking sites Facebook and MySpace. It will focus on the privacy issues that users of said social networking sites have experienced as well as the measures that have been undertaken by management to address these issues.

This paper is aimed at analyzing the following website httpwww.nma.gov.auabout_us this is the website for the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. To do the analysis the Locker and Kaczmareks PAIBOC principles will be used. PAIBOC stands for Purpose, Audience, Information, Benefit, Objections and Context. These factors have to be considered in order to gauge the effectiveness of a website. Web analysis is important because if the website is to be improved it has to rely on research rather than guesswork.

The websites purpose is to inform those who come across it more about the national museum of Australia. It gives information to its users about the structure, location and the collections found in the museum and in case of any new arrivals the users of the website are notified. The website has also used a variety of colors which include red, blue, yellow, green and purple among others in order  to create an a appealing picture so that anybody who comes across it is attracted by the colors and thus ends up reading the information it contains. The homepage of the website also has links which can lead its users to the other pages containing the other details.

The website has a variety of audiences which include tourists from other countries who would visit the website to find out whether the museums collection has items that will interest them before they visit it. There are also maps and directions to guide them to the museum. Secondly, students and educators in arts such as history and geography could visit the website since the content of the museum is relevant to them. There is information on the collection as well as for research. Kids are also audiences to the website and hence the simplicity of the language used in it. There is information for the kids and their parents on the kids page.
 One can know the audiences according to the display of the website, colors used and the links provided. For example from the link labeled kids we can deduce that parents and kids are users of this website.

The information is well presented because first of all as was stated earlier there is a use of a variety of colors and links which are used to navigate through the website. In addition there is the use of other communication techniques which include diagrams such as maps. In the visit page after clicking the visiting the museum link one gets the map and the directions on how one get to the museum. Images are also used in the website. For example in the home page there is a picture of the museum which shows that the museums structure has different shapes. This could lead to many people wanting to visit the museum to have a look at it. The language used in the website is simple English which can be understood by all the audiences.

The website has a number of benefits. Due to the links provided the work of the readers is made easy since they can navigate easily and get the information they need quickly. The use of the website is interesting due to the images and colors used. When using the website one would also get a lot of information without necessarily reading a lot of literature by using the pictures.

Some of the website users would object to the fact that not all the items in the collection are accessible to them online. However this should not be made known to the website users. They should only discover for themselves after visiting the museums collection that there are some new items they had not viewed online.  They therefore have the urge to visit the museum more often.

The National Museum of Australia is a famous organization or facility which has a good reputation and therefore more people are likely to use the website. In this information age it is also clear that many people in the society are technologically informed and they can therefore access the website without problems. They can use the links to lead them from one page to the next. In case a web user requires amore refined search there is a provision for this. He or she can type want he wants to search.

According to Peacock (2002) web log analysis can be used to understand the experiences of the web users in order to gauge the effectiveness of the website. This information can be used to understand the weaknesses and strengths of the website in a view to improve the website. It can be used to show how many users were able to use the web well and those who failed. He continues to state that qualitative analysis is used to measure whether the customers are satisfied with the performance of the website or not. If the customers are not satisfied the comments they provide go a long way in assisting in making improvements on the website.

The website for the national museum of Australia is effective since it has been in operation since1995. The museum has been using the digital technology since its inception .It is technologically advanced and has radio broadcasting and a television. The radio facility helps in the production of webcast information. This is a benefit because the users of the website know that it is credible because it has survived to this far. This is also a benefit since there is a lot information available to the web users to fit their divergent needs.

Another consideration that is important to be made on gauging the effectiveness of a website is its usability. This deals with the issues of motivations and needs of the users.  This is always important in pointing out whether the customers are satisfied with the effectiveness of the website. Sterne (2001) provides some ways that can be used in measuring the effectiveness of websites. Inan (2002) also does the same. They both feel that if the web users cannot be able to use the website on their own it is therefore not an effective one.

Hein (1998), states that there are some usability tests that can be used to show how often and in what manner the people interact with the computer. This enables in the improvement of the website because if the website users cannot navigate freely within the website there is a problem. The links should be revised to enhance quick access in the website. A website should meet the needs of its users or else they may never visit it again. Falk and Dierking (1992), state that the website users are looking for some information which should be in the website.

Teather (1998) states that though user studies are expensive they should be conducted in order to ensure that the views of the website users are featured in it and thus enhancing its effectiveness.

In a concluding remark the internet has enabled the museum users a number of means or ways to get information about the National Museum of Australia website. However it is important to be able to evaluate the usefulness of the website in order to ensure that the website meets the users needs.

Web log information is one important tool to do this evaluation. However it has its own limitations that should be borne in mind. There are other means or ways. This evaluation is done to ensure that the website conforms or changes in relation to the dynamic user needs. Technological advancements may not be enough without ensuring that the information contained in the website is up to date easily accessible and free from any interference. It is in view of these points that I come to a conclusion that the National Museum of Australias website is effective. However this is achieved through the hard work of the staff in the organization that should be recommended for their efforts. They should continue with their good works.

Communication is the sending and receiving messages through a medium. Communication between two or more people can be aroused by either business interactions or personal conversations. Communication is not considered complete until the message is received by the intended recipient in the form it was intended by the sender. There are different forms of communication which can be categorized according to the media used. These include interpersonal also known as face to face communication and the use of electronic mediums which entail the use of electronic equipment like telephones and computers to place calls, send e-mails and chat. Business and personal relationships are established on the basis of communication without which their existence would at times become disastrous.

An email is an electronic message that contains text, numbers, photographs, video or audio clips. An email can be sent or received through a computer or a cell-phone, which is either connected to the internet or an intranet. With this background, this report will analyze the effectiveness of email as a means of communication citing the advantages and disadvantages of the same.

Demonstration of trust and respect are built upon proper communication methods and processes that make an organization earn the support of investors money and the time spent investing in that organization (Guffey  Almonte, 2009). Further, in their book titled, Essentials of Business Communication, Guffey and Almonte argue that e-mail is an essential service to effective communication and development in an organization. Good communication is seen to bring about additional benefits such as attracting and retaining customers who in turn ensure regular cash flow to the business.

Effects of technological innovations on communication

Embracing of new technology in different sectors of trade and industry has brought about the explosion of e-mail use for communication. However, the advantages of using email as a form of communication can be realized only when efficiency is emphasized. This can be through adequate technical skills and etiquette from both senders and receivers (Iowa State University, 2010).

The IT department of Iowa State University notes that the high volumes of e-mails have led to the popularity of this means of communication between individuals and companies. The effectiveness of e-mail communication is fostered by initiatives to observe practices that ensure accuracy and discipline in both its personal and technical aspects. These initiatives include training users on effective means of using the service, underscoring the need for acceptable and intolerable conduct while using the medium to achieve proper communication (Iowa State University, 2010).

Advantages of e-mail communication
E-mail communication is a more preferred form of communication especially in situations where the intended recipients are many and cannot be gathered at one place at the same time. The fact that the sender and the receiver only need a computer or a cell phone connected to the internet or an intranet to send or receive the message makes this form of communication convenient. Subsequently, the time which would otherwise be spent on traditional modes of communication such as posting letters would be saved (Seeley  Hargreaves, 2003). In addition, the elimination of the need to travel physically by both the sender and receiver to convey the message makes e-mail a cheaper means of communication. Needless to say, communication between or among people in different countries would otherwise prove tiresome and expensive if they were to travel every time they needed to talk. Individuals who are less versed with interpersonal communication skills are also able to take advantage of this form of communication since they can pass information without necessarily facing the audience (Seeley  Hargreaves, 2003).

As mentioned above, face to face interactions require more time, which at times necessitates the physical movement of individuals from one place to another making email a cheaper option. Otherwise, users would spend a lot of money to send huge documents or audio visual material from one place to another or make a lengthy phone calls to explain the details making the entire communication very expensive (Seeley  Hargreaves, 2003). This has made it easier for individuals and organizations to send and receive information that they may need at lower costs. The cost effectiveness of the medium has been tried and tested and found to be applicable as only an internet enabled computer is needed.

Another advantage is that e-mail can enable users to send and receive bulky messages at one given time, whether text, photos, videos or links through attaching them to the e-mail. The bulky nature of sending paper documents through post or hand delivery is eliminated. Apart from this having an effect of reduced cost, information storage is much easier and takes up no physical space as it is contained within the e-mail (Iowa State University, 2000). Users are entitled to a large data capacity in which messages received, sent and those still in storage can be viewed at their convenience. Finally, electronic mails ensure that only authorized users access their mailboxes hence making it safe and reliable. To access an email, there is a mandatory access procedure where one enters a user ID followed by the password for authentication.

The features and functions offered by email have made this service a more popular form of communication. E-mail service providers offer their clients big storage capacity for their electronic communication which includes customizable folders to organize their electronic messages. These folders include the inbox folder for incoming messages, drafts for unsent or incomplete messages, sent folder for sent messages and trash for temporarily deleted items which can be restored (Khosrowpour, 2004). The user has an additional advantage of storing all e-mail addresses and other contact information in an easily accessible address book. The customizable folders allow sorting of messages in order of date and their message status i.e. read or unread.

In his book titled Innovation through Information Technology,  Khosrowpour reveals that the automation facilitated by e-mail programs allow users to edit their texts while composing their messages, and at the same time utilize tools such as spell check and other formatting tools. After sending e-mails, a copy is left in the users sent folder where sent messages can be retrieved in future.  The user may also request a read receipt in which the sender is notified when the recipient has opened and read the message.  It is also possible for individuals to confirm that the message has been sent since a delivery report is issued to the sender in form of a short message which the sender receives to actually clarify that the message has been delivered (Flynn  Flynn, 2003).

Disadvantages of email communication
As a non-verbal mode of communication, emails encourage some senders to convey messages in a more spontaneous nature without taking much time to think about the content and adequate language.
Khosrospour claims that users fingers tend to be faster than their brains as they often type faster than they can think about the content and choice of language used in the message (2004). Spontaneity in communication may result in substandard communication on the side of the sender. Poor message quality has the ability of changing the meaning of the message or completely distorting it. This may prove to be difficult as the effects realized once the receiver gets the message would be irreversible. In some cases, the consequences of miscommunication may sometimes have effects which are legally binding. Additionally, some consequences may be both psychologically and financially costly to the users (Khosrospour, 2004).

In some instances, some people are not zealous users of e-mail service. Users who take a long to read their messages make the information lose its timeliness hence rendering communication inefficient. Speedy reaction to the message conveyed may not be guaranteed sometimes making the use of the service irrelevant. This is because the sender has to wait for a while before getting a reply from the receiver of the message and unless there is an alternative means of contacting the recipient, a timely feedback may not be certain.

Computers are susceptible to virus attacks that either crush the system or slow it down causing delays in sending the messages or at times the loss of stored data. This would be a major setback in the timeliness of the message depending on the importance. In some cases where the data is completely lost, the effect may be irreversible. Other means of sending and receiving messages such as telephone calls may not be subject to such setbacks (Khosrospour, 2004). In addition, technical problems like power shortages and network unreliability may affect the timeliness and relevance of the message.

What are the requirements for an effective communication
To ensure successful communication, professionalism, clarity of the message, accuracy and timeliness must be ensured. The change in technology has seen professionals and computer users constantly need extra skills in using software that are introduced into the market. At any given point, there may be users with limited computer skills which create a major hindrance to adequate communication. Such users may send inaccurate or late information due to the need to use more time to process information. In worse case scenarios, the untrained sender may completely fail to deliver the job. That aside, e-mail service requires professional skills that enhance the quality of communication. Grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors made while drafting messages may result in distortion of meaning which in turn may adversely affect communication (Seeley  Hargreaves, 2003).

Senders are supposed to demonstrate a good ability to apply professional conduct while sending e-mail messages. It is worthwhile to note that the character and personality of the recipients may vary. This necessitates professionalism in message composition in order to avoid claims of misconduct. Besides, this calls for the need to have good social communication skills in conveying the message (Flynn  Flynn, 2003).

According to Nancy and Tom Flynn (2003), accurate writing skills are important to make the reader of the e-mail to be interested in reading the message (Flynn  Flynn, 2003). Sending and receiving messages is not a sure way for communication as communication is achieved when the message is received in the same context it was sent. As described by Seeley and Hargreaves in their book titled Managing in the Email Office, e-mail competence is important in sending and receiving information. In fact they categorically state that lack of competence is claimed to affect the quality, timeliness and relevance of the information (2003).

The mission of the e-mail judges the efficiency in conveyance of the message. Personal messages are better off sent through telephone calls or text messages as opposed to e-mails owing to their formal nature. Thus, e-mails are favorable to tasks or events such as sending memos, online registrations, donations to organizations, alerts calling for a certain action within a company and other collaboration purposes in an organization.

What are the benchmarks for an effective email communication
One cannot send an email without a purpose, according to Guffey  Almonte (2009). After identifying the audience for the e-mail based on the course of action expected, the conveyor of the message evaluates whether the message was effectively received and interpreted. The inclusion of links in the sent e-mails enables the organization trace the number of recipients who click on the diverse pages of the companys website.

The activities generated by the emails sent out to employees can be tracked and results drawn based on the effects of the feelings and views of the recipients. The feelings and views include rates of donations, registrations to events and renewals of members. This enumeration enables individuals to report on the outcome of the e-mails such that appropriate action can be taken.

It is also essential to coordinate between the e-mail records and the events management system considering the primary function of an email is to communicate. The sender identification-id is required to label constituent verification of an appeal sent as a pledge to individuals to participate in the course of action. Preserving all records in one place, like observing bulk e-mails, where all parties involved can see the resulting course will ensure visibility of the bigger picture concerning the issue in subject. This is most likely to influence lasting relationships among the members of the organization.

Conclusion
The advancement in information and communication technology has seen e-mails become a preferred mode of sending and receiving messages particularly those of a formal nature. Adoption of this mode of communication has created the need for most companies and individuals seeking information to conform to this method of sending and receiving information. The technical nature of the means of communication under which large volumes of data can be sent and received remains a favorable reason for individuals as well as businesses to rely on.

The disadvantages that arise from e-mail use are rendered avoidable as only a few precautionary measures can be taken to ensure that unfavorable conduct while using the internet is avoided. To enhance proper communication, it is imperative to train individuals and employees in organizations on effective use of email as a means of communication. This will consequently help to realize individual and organizational goals achieved through proper communication. It is no doubt that presently, email is the preferred means of communication.

The process of making and sustaining capabilities of an organization which has worldwide operations poses a major challenge to most companies which have gone global. Achieving this requires the managers to makes changes to the cognitive processes of framing business problems. They should have universal thinking, values and experience across business, functional and national boundaries. It also involves creating a balance between the competing functional, business and country priorities which usually come up in the process of globalization. The set of attitudes given are a description of a global mindset. To achieve these, organizations need to know and use knowledge based on cross-cultural management and communication which are part of international business (Knight, 2002). The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the profile for a successful internationalglobal manager and the differences between an expatriate and a global manager.

Profile for a successful global manager
As organizations continue to view their markets more globally, they are finding it necessary to work, communicate, negotiate and interact effectively with people of different business practices, customs, language and values. The environment is such that misunderstandings between these people can result into mistakes which would cost the organizations dearly and they might also lead to failures in business. One of the key competences is therefore considered to be the understanding and acquisition of skills for managing the differences of cross-cultures. However, organizations do not only look at this when they are selecting international managers. This job needs individuals who can understand the way in which the organization procedures and systems operate as well as those who have effective functional skills (Leavitt, 1999).

Most organizations do not base their selection on the individuals who just have cross-cultural sensitivity. The reason is that this alone can not make an international manager to be successful in a global environment. International managers should be people who can cope with the many differing situations which come their way and manage through them effectively. An international manager is a person who comprehends the implications of cross-culture and understands his role at organizational and national level. Through acquisition of the suitable skills, such a person can make out the similarities and build on them while at the same try reconciling with the differences. They should be in a position to turn the two situations into their competitive advantage (Park, Young  Mitchell, 1998).

Global managers have the responsibility to contribute to business growth. They also act in the capacity of organizational figureheads and country ambassadors. In this regard, it would be advantageous for such mangers to be in a position to communicate using the language of the country they are in. Such manages should also have attitude and age maturity and should be in a position to adopt diplomatic approaches to relationships in business. They should have the capability to combine enthusiasm and diplomacy so as to take care of their social lives (Xing, 1995).

International managers should be industry leaders and company experts. The industry knowledge would help them as they find their way in the local maze. Since the international business environment has many unplanned for situations, global managers should be people who can learn to cope fast. They should be in a position to improvise ideas when they find out that what they had planned for can not work in the country they are in. These call for innovativeness and creativity. Managing business internationally requires understanding the social, political and economic environments in the foreign country. Open mindedness is crucial if international managers are to effectively to do their work (Price, 2001).

Differences between expatriates and global managers
Expatriates are executives in positions of leadership involving worldwide assignments. On the other hand, global managers are executives with understanding and experience of worldwide business and are able to work across functional, organizational and cross cultural boundaries.  While doing so, they have the ability to balance the concurrent demands of growth and profitability, especially in the short run. The expatriate is also known as the international manager and this definition is usually connected to the assignments location. On the other hand, a global managers definition is pegged on the frame of mind of the person.

The competences of expatriates include professional and technical skills in addition to clear managerial qualifications. They are usually be in a position to not only give motivation to all organization members to cooperate but also, they communicate confidence in their capability to find solutions when challenges and difficult situations arise. When unexpected changes occur, they are able to improvise and come up with workable solutions. They respond appropriately to the complex problems and as well as performing tasks effectively as members of teams. Research indicates that the people who end up being successful on international assignments are the ones who can learn from experience. Good expatriates show steady growth over a given period of time, seek for feedback and make use of it, respect the fact that people are different, are responsible enough to learn and change, have bias towards action, show readiness to learn, are adventurous and are curious about the way things work. They also have a business understanding of leadership style, process and strategy (Lenartowicz  Roth, 2004).

On the other hand, global managers are people who are selected, developed and appointed into the wider
trans-national organization.  Their chief characteristic is that they are able to give resolutions to contradictory and complex issues which are in the international environment. Global managers usually have global scale integration and efficiency, flexibility, national level responsiveness and the potential to learn on an international basis. Global managers are described to be individuals who are capable of conceptualizing the complex cultural and geopolitical forces as they affect business and are also capable of having international behaviours and leadership skills. They are capable of acting as change agents and have the talents, skills and energy to build and work efficiently with cross-cultural teams. They are described to be people with the capacity to envision complex environment, capacities to put up with stress, have pattern recognition, maintain organizational networks, be an inspiration to others and instil values are other characteristics of global managers (Jackson, 2004).

The expatriates and global managers have different roles in any international organizations. This means that the organizations have different expectations from them. However, a company which seeks to succeed in the international business should invest in both. Despite their differences, some of the characteristics of expatriates and global managers are similar. These factors are related to cultural awareness, family situation, leadership factors and relational abilities, technical and professional competences (Sizoo  Serrie, 2004).

Cross-cultural management theory and cross-cultural communication
All communication has a cultural background. The way people have learnt to give and speak both verbal and non verbal messages come from the culture in which they grew up in. This means that people do not communicate the same way since their communication is affected by mood, individual personality and context which are also influenced by culture. All these are related to the cross cultural management theory and cross cultural communication. Cross cultural communication can be referred to a form of communication among people who belong to different cultural backgrounds. It is considered to be an interactive process whereby the communicators keep referring back to their own culture when they are in contact with other people. It is also a source misunderstanding which come from the different meanings communicated in a certain message whether it is done verbally or nonverbally. On the other hand, cross cultural management is organization which involves the process of considering and handling cultural differences between the management and the workforces (Alon, 2003). It focuses on making the communication in a company better in addition to improving the organizations international exchanges (Harrison, 1994).

The biggest challenge with these theories is that there is always a likelihood of miscommunication especially when the communicators have cultural differences. When it occurs, it may result into conflict or make the conflict that is already there worse. Theories demonstrate cross cultural communication by using four variables. The first variable is time and space which proposes that time is a chief difference which separate cultures and peoples ways of operating. Some cultures view time as being monochromic method which supports focusing on one interaction or event at a time. Other view it as having unlimited continuity with no restricting boundaries. Differences over the way people look at time during negotiations can lead to conflicts. For example, people in the west are very time conscious and a person who can not be like that is considered unreliable and irresponsible and this can make companies to lose deals as a result of not keeping time (Leavitt, 1999).

The second variable is fate and personal responsibility variable. This is the extent to which we consider ourselves to be masters of our situations or the extent to which we consider ourselves to be subjects to the things beyond our control. These perceptions are likely to cause conflicts in that if a person who is fatalistic in orientation is in negotiation with one who is driven by free will, they are likely to have communication failure. The third variable is face and face saving. These have to do with the image and respect one holds. A person who sees himself a self-determining person is likely to preserve his image with other people. They might therefore be required to exert control in different events and situations in order to achieve this. These people tend to confront the others they feel have wronged them and this might lead to conflicts (Maddox, 1993).
Lastly, we have nonverbal communication variable. During communication, people tend to look for nonverbal cues due to the ambiguity of the verbal messages. Peoples non verbal behavior is as a result of their cultural background. This determines what individuals consider to the appropriate and effective in communication. Since cultures are different, people who are products of culture might have a variety of gestures which mean the same thing. Physical appearances, touch, emotional expression, special relations, silence, posture among other non verbal cues are used differently by people of different cultures to mean different things. They might therefore be a source of conflict when communicating (Al-Deen, 1997).

The major theories of cross cultural communication and cross cultural management have their base on the work which has been done outlining differences between cultures. They are applicable in different fields of international business including marketing and management. The proponents of these theories claim that they are practical and have been applied in cross-cultural situations. The critics however feel that they are based on cultural concepts which were there in the 19th century and therefore they claim that they are not applicable in todays business world. Cross cultural management theory is supported by many and it is seen to be a form of knowledge. At the same time, cross cultural communication is seen to give opportunities to different perception and perspective, experiences and ideas when interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds (Frykenberg  Low, 2003).

A case study
There are many organizations in America which spend a lot of money on lodging. The North American company knew that there were chances of reducing its lodging costs and the method they could use was to focus on the spending and selection in the hotel.  In order to have more control of these costs the hotel started an initiative to refine and structure the program in the hotel. One of the primary issues to ensure that the program succeeded was to negotiate fixed rates with some of the hotel it could choose. The travel manager foresaw an obstacle which entailed gathering data to show to such hotels the extent to which the company spent on lodging within and with other hotels. The travel agency gave some data but it was found out that this data was not credible and could not be very useful when making the negotiations. For example, the travel agency did not get its information from actual transactions rather it got it from booked reservations. This shows that the information was incomplete and they therefore could not be used since they did not represent the actual spending of the hotel (Diners club international Ltd, (2010). This data obstacle was overcome by the combined efforts of the travel manager and Diners Club account manager. They used a global vision to overcome the problem and his means that they acted in the capacities of global managers.

The hotel, its operations, made use of a reporting tool which was already web-based to run entertainment policies and expenses as well as the overall travel expenses. These managers generated reporters containing reliable documentation of how the company spent. This global vision tool gave the hotel the actual transactions and the amounts spent on them. The data they got could be sorted out in many ways for example through date ranges, geographical areas, hotel chain and brand. The managers made detailed reports which assisted in the identification of the hotel properties and markets where most of its money was spent. They also determined the rate per room which the company was ready to pay at the said properties and armed with credible and clear data, contracts were negotiated based on these rates (Diners club international Ltd, (2010).

These managers used global mindset to shape guidelines which would be used in support of the new program as well as reinforcing workers compliance with such guidelines. The new policy persuaded the workers to make use of referred hotels or get a rate at a substitute hotel or charge a lower rate than the one negotiated by the company. Using a global mindset, the managers could now monitor the workers who used non preferred hotels. They could also get to know the ones who paid rates which were higher than the negotiated ones. Since the global mindset of the managers enabled the company to have the details it require in lowering its costs, it achieved so and this enabled it to increase its markets by thirty. The company has continued to expand and gain more partners and it has also boosted workers compliance and they have almost 100 preferred hotels bookings (Diners club international Ltd, (2010).

This case study shows the need of global managers to have a global mindset and vision. The company which had hotels in different countries was able to survive and go through the obstacle because the managers could think internationally. They were able to solve a problem in their hotels which were in many countries by using one tool and one solution. The results were a tremendous success and major expansions for the company. What the two managers used are characteristics of global managers.

Conclusion
Cross-cultural management and cross-cultural communication are very relevant in todays international business. This is because it is not practical to conduct international business in one way while doing business in different cultures. As a result, business relations are promoted when technical and sales personnel as well as the management is trained and made aware of the conflicts and difficulties they are likely to encounter in a cross-cultural environment. International business can be enhanced when global managers can anticipate the commonalities among cultures as well as reconciles with the differences.