1. What are the three elements of a CAP analysis? Why is each element important in professional communications?
The three elements of a CAP analysis are context, audience and purpose. Context refers to the situation for which you are writing. Will you be requesting information or receiving information? Are you announcing an important change within the business or offering congratulations to a colleague on their retirement? It is important to determine the context …show more content…
Briefly, and in your own words, explain how the encoding-decoding model of communications works.
The encoding-decoding model of communications takes place between a sender (the encoder) and a recipient (the decoder). To encode, the sender puts a message within a specific channel. The channel is typically writing or speaking but can be any form of media or communication. The recipient then decodes the sender’s message by receiving the media and deciphering the meaning. How well the meaning is deciphered determines how well the recipient understands the message.
While this process seems simple in day-to-day life, there are a lot of subconscious functions happening. The sender must imagine how the recipient will understand the media, so the sender can use words or concepts familiar to the recipient. A lot of consideration should go into the encoding process to make sure the recipient can decode the message effectively, so accurate communication takes place. The goal of effective communication is to understand the receiver well enough to ensure that barriers to communication, such as noise, are …show more content…
Dress, body language, and appearance are all semiotic elements of business communication related to ETHOS (the credibility and identity of the speaker). How does self-presentation work in writing?
Dress, body language and appearance are easy ways to garner positive first impressions. People will make judgements based on first impressions and those impressions are usually hard to change. In writing, the way that you use words, sentences, structure and grammar to communicate can make just as much of a strong impression on the people who receive your message. If you read between the lines, writing can tell a lot about a person.
If your writing is inappropriate or casual in a professional setting, it undermines your message and weakens your credibility. When you can use effective and educated writing it shows that your message is reasoned and that you are worth listening to. Further, when you have been able to assert yourself as someone who can use writing effectively, people will respect your message and may be more likely to take your thoughts into