UNIVERSITY OF CAGAYAN VALLEY

HUMAN RELATIONS IN BUSINESS LIBRARY WORK

MARICEL BERMUDEZ-QUIZZAGAN
5/24/2012

Submitted to Dr. Leandro L. Ermitanio

1. What Factors cause social change? Mention at least 5 factors and give example of each. SOCIAL CHANGE is the alteration of patters of culture, social structure, and social behaviour over time. Involves the complex interaction of environment, technology, culture, personality, political, economic, and religious factors. There can be many factors affecting change depending upon the situation and the issue at hand. The causes of social change affect or characterize every aspect of society across the world. A. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE Physical environment causes social change through influences of changes in environment. Quick change because of environmental disasters: hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes. Slow change because of pollution, garbage disposal needs, greenhouse effect. Major changes in the physical environment are very compelling when they happen. Climates change, soil erodes and lakes gradually turn into swamps and finally plains. A culture is greatly affected by such changes although sometimes they come about so slowly that they are largely unnoticed. Human misuse can bring very rapid changes in physical environment which in turn change the social and cultural life of a people. Deforestation brings land erosion and reduces rainfall. Much of the wasteland and desert land of the world is a testament to human ignorance and misuse. Environmental destruction has been at least a contributing factor in the fall of most great civilization. Many human groups throughout history have changed their physical environment through migration. In the primitive societies whose members are very directly dependent upon their physical environment migration to a different environment brings major changes in the culture. Civilization makes it easy to transport a culture and practice it in a new and different environment.

B. POPULATION CHANGE Increases or decreases in population create social change affecting all institutions. Demographic transition; move from (1) high birth rates and high death rates (with smaller population sizes) to (2) high birth rates and low death rates (with extreme population growth) to (3) low birth rates and low death rates (with populations maintenance). People have fewer children as society industrialized because role of family changes and technological advancements allow control of reproduction. Families change from extended to nuclear families due to geographic and occupational mobility. Family is no longer mainly seen as an economic unit. Urbanization when large populations live in urban areas rather than rural areas. Usually results from economic opportunities: either people move to a city for jobs, or rural areas become the sites of large businesses which lead to population growth. A population change is itself a social change but also becomes a casual factor in further social and cultural changes. When a thinly settled frontier fills up with people the hospitality pattern fades away, secondary group relations multiply, institutional structures grow more elaborate and many other changes follow. A stable population may be able to resist change but a rapidly growing population must migrate, improve its productivity or starve. Great historic migrations and conquests have arisen from the pressure of a growing population upon limited resources. Migration encourages further change for it brings a group into a new environment subjects it to new social contacts and confronts it with new problems. No major population change leaves the culture unchanged.

C. TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTOR The practical application of scientific or other knowledge creates social change. Theory of technological determinism is that a societys use of technology determines culture, social structure and history.

Technological culture lag is the delay between a change in material culture and the adjustment of nonmaterial culture to that change. Agricultural advancements - Examples include irrigation, the plow, and harvester. Lead to surplus food, which lead to population growth and urbanization. People were able to work outside of the farm. Industrialization - the process of moving from an agrarian based economy in which the primary product is food to an industrial or posts industrial economy in which the primary product is goods, services and information. The process of changing from a manual labor force to a technology driven labor force in which machines play a large role

The technological factors represent the conditions created by man which have a profound influence on his life. In the attempt to satisfy his wants, fulfil his needs and to make his life more comfortable man creates civilization. Technology is a by-product of civilization .When the scientific knowledge is applied to the problems in life it becomes technology. Technology is a systematic knowledge which is put into practice that is to use tools and run machines to serve human purpose. Science and technology go together. In utilizing the products of technology man brings social change. The social effects of technology are far-reaching. According to Karl Marx even the formation of social relations and mental conceptions and attitudes are dependent upon technology. He has regarded technology as a sole explanation of social change. W.F Ogburn says technology changes society by changing our environment to which we in turn adapt. These changes are usually in the material environment and the adjustment that we make with these changes often modifies customs and social institutions. A single invention may have innumerable social effects. The loss of human freedom and the large-scale destruction of human beings are due to the increasing use of certain types of technology which has begun to threaten the life support systems of the earth as a whole.

D. PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTOR Attitudes and values To people in developed nations and societies change is normal. Children there are socialized to anticipate and appreciate change. Societies differ greatly in their general attitude toward change. People who revere the past and preoccupied with traditions and rituals will change slowly and unwillingly. When a culture has been relatively static for a long time the people are likely to assume that it should remain so indefinitely. They are intensely and unconsciously ethnocentric; they assume that their customs and techniques are correct and everlasting. A possible change is unlikely even to be seriously considered. Any change in such a society is likely to be too gradual to be noticed. A rapidly changing society has a different attitude toward change and this attitude is both cause and effect of the changes already taking place. Rapidly changing societies are aware of the social change. They are somewhat sceptical and critical of some parts of their traditional culture and will consider and experiment with innovations. Such attitudes powerfully stimulate the proposal and acceptance of changes by individuals within the society. Different groups within a locality or a society may show differing receptivity to change. Every changing society has its liberals and its conservatives. Literate and educated people tend to accept changes more readily than the illiterate and uneducated. Attitudes and values affect both the amount and the direction of social change. No society has been equally dynamic in all aspects and its values determine in which area-art, music, warfare, technology, philosophy or religion it will be innovative. People who introduced innovations in one field or another know that type of psychological factors crop up during implementation. The major ones are lack of appreciation or tolerance, conflict between the employees and the management, fear of the unknown or uncertain outcomes of the change, lack of trust in others, need for security, and desire for existing position.

E. SOCIOLOGICAL FACTOR Bureaucratization - Process by which most formal organizations in a society (businesses, government, and non-profits) run their organizations via the use of extreme rational and impersonal thinking, an extreme division of labor, and record keeping. All tasks and functions broken down into small parts which become positions in the organizational hierarchy. Roles attached to positions. Pay and benefits attached to positions not persons. People can rotate in and out of positions but organization survives with little change. Political and Legal Power a.) Elected officials: Redistribution of wealth: income and property taxes. Today: Sales tax, tax relief. Pass laws: affirmative action, ability to sue insurance companies, increase minimum wage (leads to change in unemployment, part-time employment, health insurance premiums and coverage)

b.) Unelected officials:

Corporate power (jobs, goods and services and cost of, culture, donations to political campaigns, interlocking directorates, inner circle/power elite. CULTURAL INNOVATION: a.) Discovery new perception of something that exists. b.) Invention combination or new use of knowledge to produce something that did not exist before. c.) Diffusion spread of cultural elements from one society to another. Cultural Factor influences the direction and character of technological change. Culture not only influences our social relationships, it also influences the direction and character of technological change. It is not only our beliefs and social institutions must correspond to the changes in technology but our beliefs and social institutions determine the use to which the technological inventions will be put. The tools and techniques of technology are indifferent to the use we make

of them. For example the atomic energy can be used for the production of deadly war weapons or for the production of economic goods that satisfy the basic needs of man. The factories can produce the armaments or necessaries of life. Steel and iron can be used for building warships or tractors. It is a culture that decides the purpose to which a technical invention must be put. Although technology has advanced geometrically in the recent past, technology alone does not cause social change. It does not by itself even cause further advances in technology. Social values play a dominant role here. It is the complex combination of technology and social values which produces conditions that encourage further technological change. For example the belief or the idea that human life must not be sacrificed for wants of medical treatment, contributed to the advancement in medical technology. Thus cultural factors play a positive as well as negative role in bringing about technological change. Cultural factors such as habits, customs, traditions, conservatism, traditional values etc may resist the technological inventions. On the other hand factors such as breakdown in the unity of social values, the diversification of social institutions craving for the new thoughts, values etc may contribute to technological inventions. Technological changes do not take place on their own. They are engineered by men only. Technology is the creation of man. Men are always moved by ideas, thoughts, values, beliefs, morals and philosophies etc. These are the elements of culture. These sometimes decide or influence the direction in which technology undergoes change. Men are becoming more and more materialistic in their attitude. This change in the attitude and outlook is reflected in the technological field. Thus in order to lead a comfortable life and to minimize the manual labor man started inventing new techniques, machines, instruments and devices.

2. What are the five basic elements of a communication model? Effective communication plays a vital role in the success of every professional and personal relationship. Becoming a skilled communicator requires you to learn the roles of every element of communication. You can use these elements in many ways, including public speaking, interpersonal relationships, media development and business relations. The basic communication model consists of five elements of communication: The SENDER or communicator, speaker, issuer or writer, who intends to express or send out message. The sender plays the specific role of initiating communication. To communicate effectively, the sender must use effective verbal as well as nonverbal techniques. Speaking or writing clearly, organizing your points to make them easy to follow and understand, maintaining eye contact, using proper grammar and giving accurate information are all essential in the effectiveness of your message. You will lose your audience if it becomes aware of obvious oversights on your part. The sender should have some understanding of who the receiver is in order to modify the message to make it more relevant. In the basic communication model, the sender is Point A in the diagram. The RECEIVER or communicatee receives the message, order or information for which the communication is meant. The receiver means the party to whom the sender transmits the message. A receiver can be one person or an entire audience of people. In the basic communication model, the receiver, labelled Point B, is directly across from the speaker. The receiver can also communicate verbally and nonverbally. The best way to receive a message is to listen carefully, sitting up straight and making eye contact. Don't get distracted or try to do something else while you're listening. Nodding and smiling as you listen to the sender speak demonstrate that you understand the message. The MESSAGE, also known as the subject matter of communication process. The message may be the most crucial element of effective communication. A message can come in many different forms, such as an oral presentation, a written document, an advertisement or just a comment. In the basic communication model, the arrow from Point A to Point B represents the sender's message traveling to the receiver. The message isn't necessarily what

the sender intends it to be. Rather, the message is what the receiver perceives the message to be. As a result, the sender must not only compose the message carefully, but also evaluate the ways in which the message can be interpreted. The CHANNEL or the MEDIA, through which the sender passes the information and understanding to the receiver. The message travels from one point to another via a channel of communication. In the diagram, the channel sits between the sender and receiver, Points A and B. Many channels, or types, of communication exist, from the spoken word to radio, television, an Internet site or something written, like a book, letter or magazine. Every channel of communication has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, one disadvantage of the written word, on a computer screen or in a book, is that the receiver cannot evaluate the tone of the message. For this reason, effective communicators word written communications clearly so they don't rely on a specific tone of voice to convey the message accurately. The advantages of television as a channel for communication include its expansive reach to a wide audience and the sender's ability to further manipulate the message using editing and special effects. The FEEDBACK is the effect, reply or reaction of the information transmitted to the receiver. The last element of effective communication, feedback, describes the receiver's response or reaction to the sender's message. The receiver can transmit feedback through asking questions, making comments or just supporting the message that was delivered. Feedback helps the sender to determine how the receiver interpreted the message and how it can be improved. In the basic communication model, the receiver transmits feedback from Point B back to the sender at Point A. As a result the model has a cyclical appearance, as the original receiver becomes the sender and vice versa. Firstly, the communicator/sender develops an exact idea about concepts, beliefs or data that he wants to convey. Then he translates the idea into words, symbols or some other form of message which he expects the receiver to understand. The communicator/sender picks out an appropriate medium for transmitting the message. The message is then received by the communicatee/receiver. The communicatee/receiver acts upon the message as he has understood it. Finally, the effectualness of communication is assessed through

response or feedback. If the communication brings in the desired changes in the actions, it is said to be successful communication.

The Two-Way Communication Model

message

(A) sender

channel

(B) receiver

feedbak

Why is two-way communication (feedback) an important aspect of effective communication? Communication plays a very crucial role in an organization. In fact, communication is the reason for human existence. There are different forms of communication through which the intentions of people and animals and even plants alike can be passed across to another. Without communication, life will be very difficult and in fact, it will be full of chaos. Feedback makes communication meaningful. It is the end-result of an idea and makes communication continuous. In the process of communication, the originator first gets the idea to be passed across and then think of how to get it across via appropriate channel or medium. After the coding and

dissemination, one expects the decoder after receiving the information or idea to give response. The response thus given is called the response which may be verbal or non-verbal, that is, in words or mere smile, glance, clap, etc. While feedback could be instantaneous as in the case of verbal conversation between two people standing or on telephone conversation or internet instant message, it could be delayed for sometime before the response is given to allow the receiver to think and take his time to consider what he is given. While the former is common to an informal communication, the latter goes with formal communication via letters, memo, etc. Feedback could also be in written form or in oral form or even both. It could be also in form of demonstration e.g. body movement, paralanguage, gesture, posture, etc. At one time or another, people are seen been frustrated as a result of the refusal of another person to give response to their message or letter. Some got so mad that delay in such could result to disciplinary measures or insubordination especially in a formal setting. To lovers, it means life itself. Refusal to communicate one's intentions may mal the whole relationship of a thing. All these explain the importance of feedback in communication. The following are some of the importance of feedback in communication either in a formal or informal setting: 1. It completes the whole process of communication and makes it continuous. 2. It sustains communication process 3. It makes one know if one is really communication or making sense 4. It is a basis for measuring the effectiveness of communication 5. It is a good basis for planning on what next to be done especially statistical report 6. Communication will be useless without feedback 7. Feedback paves way for new idea generation Effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills are valuable in the workplace. Some companies spend a lot of money to train their employees on how to effectively communicate. Good communication skills go beyond conversations, but employees must know how to communicate well in written reports and emails. Understanding the benefits of effective communication helps companies place a focus on developing a workforce that is able to communicate within the firm and with customers, vendors and international business partners.

Helps with Diversity Effective workplace communication is important in companies with workplace diversity. Good communication skills help to reduce the barriers erected because of language and cultural differences. Companies that provide communication training to domestic and international employees reap the benefits of effective workplace communication. Companies can avoid cultural confusion and miscommunication by training international employers early in their careers and on a regular basis. Effective communication causes productivity to increase, errors to decrease and operations to run smoother. Global Business With global business transactions continually increasing, the need for effective communication to meet global demands is also increasing. Managers and employees must know how to effectively communicate with the company's international counterparts. The difference in cultures requires managers to understand terms commonly used in America that another culture finds offensive. Companies that prepare workers to excel with verbal and nonverbal communications skills find it easier to enter into global marketplaces than companies that do not prepare its employees. Effective communication is important for businesses looking to expand beyond its domestic borders. Team Building Effective communication in the workplace helps employees and managers form highly efficient teams. Employees are able to trust each other and management. Effective communication reduces unnecessary competition within departments and helps employees work together harmoniously. The result of a team that works together is high productivity, integrity and responsibility. Employees know their roles on the team and know they are valued. Managers are able to correct employees' mistakes without creating a hostile work environment. A manager who openly communicates with his subordinates can foster positive relationships that benefit the company as a whole. Employee Morale An improvement in employee morale can result from effective communication. Although pay is a concern for many workers, it is not their only concern. Employees appreciate good communication coming from management. It produces a healthy work environment. When employees are satisfied with their jobs, they are able to efficiently perform their duties with a positive attitude. Failing to communicate effectively in a workplace leads to frustration and confusion among employees. However, managers can alleviate such problems by keeping the lines of communication open.

What kind of message and communication channels would you use for a passive audience? An active, information seeking audience? An ACTIVE AUDIENCE is one that actively engages with the text. They do not simply accept every media message. They question what they see and develop their own interpretation of a media product based on their life experiences, education, family and cultural influences. Bottom up theories generally assume an active audience. Formal Communication Channels 1. A formal communication channel transmits information such as the goals, policies, and procedures of an organization. Messages in this type of communication channel follow a chain of command. This means information flows from a manager to his subordinates and they in turn pass on the information to the next level of staff. 2. An example of a formal communication channel is a company's newsletter which gives employees as well as the clients a clear idea of a company's goals and vision. It also includes the transfer of information with regard to memoranda, reports, directions, and scheduled meetings in the chain of command. 3. A business plan, customer satisfaction survey, annual reports, employer's manual, review meetings are all formal communication channels.

A PASSIVE AUDIENCE does not actively engage with a media text. A passive audience is one that does not question the message that the media is sending and simply accepts the message in the way the media outlet intended. Top down theories of media influence tend to assume that audiences are passive. Informal Communication Channels 1. Within a formal working environment, there always exists an informal communication network. The strict hierarchical web of communication cannot function efficiently on its own and hence there exists a communication channel outside of this web. While this type of communication channel may disrupt the chain of command, a good manager needs to find the fine balance between the formal and informal communication channel. 2. An example of an informal communication channel is lunchtime at the organization's cafeteria/canteen. Here, in a relaxed atmosphere, discussions among employees are encouraged. Also managers walking around, adopting

a hands-on approach to handling employee queries is an example of an informal communication channel. 3. Quality circles, team work, different training programs are outside of the chain of command and so, fall under the category of informal communication channels.