Chapter 1
Emotional Literacy
Section 1- Ch. 1
Strictly Business: A Brief History of Corporate Language
Business culture
1) The norms,
... [Show More] values, and beliefs that pertain to all aspects of doing business in a culture.
2) Language used while conducting business informs how we view tasks, accomplish goals, and build relationships
o Risk limiting ourselves to outdated clichés that no longer apply to the ever-changing landscape of corporate America
Emotional literacy
1) The capacity to perceive and to express feelings, especially as they surround intimate relationships
o Business Language is void of emotion because decisions based on emotion are often seen as naïve, illogical, and possibly unprofitable
Discourse
1) Written or spoken communication, personal interactions, debate
2) Business related discourse is learned behavior
Code switch
1) We use different vocab and ways of speaking/communicating in different situations and with different people
o Ex: We laugh and cry with friends and family
o Ex: At work, we often do put personal concerns aside to concentrate on whatever important task is at hand
Workplace Alienation
1) Feeling disconnected from co-workers because business relationships lack intimacy we're accustomed to outside of work
o Fast-paced work environments leave especially little room for coworkers to form close bonds
o Slower-paced office environment can limit personal interactions
o Wharton study shows that this kind of loneliness has a negative affect on job performance
Reciprocity
Mutual benefit (both parties can gain)
Section 2- Ch. 1
Metaphors and Idioms in Business
Metaphor
1) Figure of speech comparing two different things in regard to Competition (different cultures use different metaphors)
2) We use them in order to make complex ideas easy to understand. They serve as a kind of shorthand that simplifies our communications with people
o corporate ladder
o business as a kind of "game."
Zero-Sum Game
1) A situation in which one person's gain is another's loss
Idioms
Words and phrases that mean something different from the literal meanings of the words in regard to Competition
o It's a dog eat dog world
Collectivism
Giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly
o Ex: Business Culture in Japan emphasizes collectivism
Individualism
Giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications (American Dream)
o This image of a single, successful businessperson rising above the competition to build a capitalistic empire permeates our cultural understanding of how business works in the United States
o The cultural norm of individualism has both rewards and drawbacks, and not being aware of the potentially negative side effects of misunderstanding the "rules" of the game you're about to enter can have disastrous results
Individualism- War and Sports
1) The Art of War- Sun Tzu's military strategy have translated well into business world (Forbes)- Top Down Approach
2) Sports- win or lose attitude
o "roll with the punches"
o "throw in the towel"
Section 3 (notes included)- Ch. 1
Shifting Paradigms in the Language of Business
o Consider the most effective ways of using language in the workplace that best suit the needs of an early 21st century employee
(The last several decades have seen a gradual increase of women in white collar positions across the board)
o Internet is a "new" linguistic arena
a. Forbes tells us that younger employees in the workplace prefer email and texting to talking face to face or making phone calls
b. The previous generation sees email, texting, and social media more as tools than inherent lifestyle indicators. Their idea of corporate culture is probably still somewhat bound up with ways of communicating that might seem outdated to you because of your personal experience [Show Less]