Essentials of Business Communication: CDN Edition – Additional Activities & Cases (2025/2026) – Guffey & SM

EssentialsVofVBusinessVCommunicationVCDNVGuffeyVS
MVAdditionalVActivitiesVandVCasesVNewVEditionV2025/
2026

1.4 Listening:VAnVIn-PersonVorVVirtualVSocialVMediaVInterviewV(Obj.V2)

HowVmuchVandVtoVwhomVdoVbusinesspeopleVlisten?


YourVTask.
InterviewVaVbusinesspersonVaboutVhisVorVherVworkplaceVlistening.VConnectVwithVaVworkerVi
nVyourVcircleVofVfriends,Vfamily,VandVacquaintances;VinVyourVcampusVnetwork;VatVaVpriorVo
rVcurrentVjob;VorVviaVLinkedInVorVFacebook.VComeVupVwithVquestionsVtoVaskVaboutVlisteni
ng,VsuchVasVtheVfollowing:
(a)VHowVmuchVactiveVlisteningVdoVyouVpractiseVdaily?V(b)VToVwhomVdoVyouVlistenVonVthe
Vjob?V(c)VHowVdoVyouVknowVthatVothersVareVorVareVnotVlisteningVtoVyou?V(d)VCanVyouVsh
areVanecdotesVofVpoorVlisteningVthatVledVtoVnegativeVoutcomes?V(e)VDoVyouVhaveVtipsVforV
betterVlistening?


ANS:
TheVanswersVwillVvary.VStudentsVcouldVbrainstormVandVdiscussVtheirVinterviewVquestionsVin
VclassVorVprepareVquestionsVatVhome.VThenVtheyVcouldVapproachVtheirVintervieweesVinVpers
on,VbyVphone,VbyVemail,VorVviaVLinkedInVorVFacebook.VAVspecialVwordVofVcautionVwhenVc
ontactingVprofessionalsVonVLinkedIn:VWarnVstudentsVnotVtoVrelentlesslyVpursueVrandomVstra
ngers,VbutVtoVworkVfromVwithinVtheirVownVestablishedVLinkedInVcircleVofVprofessionalVacqu
aintancesVorVtheirVacquaintances’Vcontacts.VThisVassignmentVcouldVbeVdoneVorallyVorVinVwri
tingV(email,Vmemo)Vindividually,VinVsmallVgroups,VorVinVclass.VTheVtaskVcouldVbeVexpanded
VtoVaVgroupVoralVpresentationVorVwrittenVreport.




1.5 ListeningVandVNonverbalVCues:VSkillsVRequiredVinVVariousVCareersV(Objs.
V2,V3)



DoVtheVlisteningVskillsVandVbehavioursVofVindividualsVdifferVdependingVonVtheirVcareers?


YourVTask.
YourVinstructorVwillVdivideVyouVintoVteamsVandVgiveVeachVteamVaVroleVtoVdiscuss,VsuchVasV
businessVexecutive,Vteacher,Vphysician,VpoliceVofficer,Vattorney,Vaccountant,VadministrativeVa
ssistant,Vmentor,VorVteamVleader.VCreateVaVlistVofVverbalVandVnonverbalVcuesVthatVaVmembe
rVofVthisVprofessionVwouldVdisplayVtoVindicateVthatVheVorVsheVisVlistening.

,ANS:
StudentVteamsVshouldVgenerateVlistsVofVlisteningVandVnonverbalVcuesVthatVincludeVsomeVofV
theVfollowing:VgoodVeyeVcontact,VavoidingVbeingVdistractedVbyVothers,VnotVinterrupting,Vtakin
gVnotes,VparaphrasingVinstructions,VaskingVpertinentVquestionsVinVaVnonthreateningVmanner,
Vleaning
forward,VandVshowingVempathyVandVcompassion.VCriticalVlisteningVinvolvesVjudgingVandVeval
uatingVwhatVyouVareVhearing.VDiscriminativeVlisteningVisVnecessaryVwhenVyouVmustVidentifyV
mainVideasVandVunderstandVanVargument.VTeamsVshouldVgenerateVdifferentVcuesVandVbehavi
oursVtoVreflectVtheseVformsVofVlisteningVinVrelationVtoVtheVprofessionalVrolesVtheyVareVanalyz
ing.


1.6 BodyVLanguageV(Obj.V3)

CanVbodyVlanguageVbeVaccuratelyVinterpreted?


YourVTask.
WhatVattitudesVdoVtheVfollowingVbodyVmovementsVsuggestVtoVyou?VDoVtheseVmovementsVa
lwaysVmeanVtheVsameVthing?VWhatVpartVdoesVcontextVplayVinVyourVinterpretations?

a. Whistling,VwringingVhandsV Bo
b. wedVposture,VtwiddlingVthumbs
c. SteepledVhands,VsprawlingVsittingVpositionV
d. RubbingVhandVthroughVhair
e. OpenVhands,VunbuttonedVcoatVWrin
f. gingVhands,VtuggingVears


ANS:
a. Whistling,VwringingVhands NervousnessVorVfear
b. BowedVposture,VtwiddlingVthumbs Boredom
c. SteepledVhands,VsprawlingVsittingVposition ContemplationVorVrelaxatio
n
d. RubbingVhandVthroughVhair FrustrationVorVnervousness
e. OpenVhands,VunbuttonedVcoat Relaxation,Vconfidence
f. WringingVhands,VtuggingVears DistressVorVnervousness




1.7 NonverbalVCommunication:VUniversalVSignVforV“IVGoofed”V(Obj.V3)


ToVpromoteVtranquilityVonVtheVhighwaysVandVreduceVroadVrage,VmotoristsVsubmittedVtheVfol
lowingVsuggestions.VTheyVwereVsentVtoVaVnewspaperVcolumnistVwhoVaskedVforVaVuniversal
VnonverbalVsignalVadmittingVthatVaVdriverVhadV“goofed.”

,YourVTask.
InVsmallVgroupsVconsiderVtheVprosVandVconsVofVeachVofVtheVfollowingVgesturesVintendedVas
VanVapologyVwhenVaVdriverVmakesVaVmistake.VWhyVwouldVsomeVfail?
a. LowerVyourVheadVslightlyVandVbonkVyourselfVonVtheVforeheadVwithVtheVsideVofVyou
rVclosedVfist.VTheVmessageVisVclear:VI’mVstupid.VIVshouldn’tVhaveVdoneVthat.
b. MakeVaVtempleVwithVyourVhands,VasVifVyouVwereVpraying.
c. MoveVtheVindexVfingerVofVyourVrightVhandVbackVandVforthVacrossVyourVneck—
asVifVyouVwereVcuttingVyourVthroat.
d. FlashVtheVwell-
knownVpeaceVsign.VHoldVupVtheVindexVandVmiddleVfingersVofVoneVhand,Vmakin
gVaVV,VasVinVvictory.
e. PlaceVtheVflatVofVyourVhandsVagainstVyourVcheeks,VasVchildrenVdoVwhenVtheyVhave
VmadeVaVmistake.
f. ClaspVyourVhandVoverVyourVmouth,VraiseVyourVbrows,VandVshrugVyourVshoulders.
g. UseVyourVknucklesVtoVknockVonVtheVsideVofVyourVhead.VTranslation:VOops!VEngageVbrai
n.
h. PlaceVyourVrightVhandVhighVonVyourVchestVandVpatVaVfewVtimes,VlikeVaVbasketballVpl
ayerVwhoVdropsVaVpassVorVaVfootballVplayerVwhoVmakesVaVbadVthrow.VThisVsays,VI’l
lVtakeVtheVblame.
i. PlaceVyourVrightVfistVoverVtheVmiddleVofVyourVchestVandVmoveVitVinVaVcircularVmot
ion.VThisVisVuniversalVsignVlanguageVforVI’mVsorry.
j. OpenVyourVwindowVandVtapVtheVtopVofVyourVcarVroofVwithVyourVhand.
k. SmileVandVraiseVbothVarms,VpalmsVoutward,VwhichVisVaVuniversalVgestureVforVsurre
nderVorVforgiveness.
l. UseVtheVmilitaryVsalute,VwhichVisVsimpleVandVshowsVrespect.
m. FlashVyourVbiggestVsmile,VpointVatVyourselfVwithVyourVrightVthumb,VandVmoveVyo
urVheadVfromVleftVtoVright,VasVifVtoVsay,VIVcan’tVbelieveVIVdidVthat.


ANS:
ThisVisVaVgoodVexerciseVforVteams.VSuggestVthatVteamVmembersVtakeVturnsVdemonstratingVea
chVofVtheVnonverbalVmessagesVdescribedVhere.VTheyVshouldVthenVdiscussVhowVeffectiveVeach
VwouldVbe.VOfVcourse,VsomeVwouldVbeVquiteVdangerousVifVtheyVrequireVtakingVyourVhandsVof
fVtheVsteeringVwheel.VBeVsureVtoVdiscussVwithVstudentsVtheVdifficultyVofVculturalVimplications.
VAlthoughVaVgestureVworksVinVoneVcountry,VitVmightVnotVworkVinVanother.




1.8 NonverbalVCommunication:VSignalsVSentVbyVCasualVAttireV(Obj.V3)


AlthoughVmanyVemployersVallowVcasualVattire,VnotVallVemployersVandVcustomersVareVhappy
VwithVtheVresults.VToVlearnVmoreVaboutVtheVimplementation,Vacceptance,VandVeffectsVofVcas
ual-
dressVprograms,VselectVoneVofVtheVfollowingVactivities,VallVofVwhichVinvolveVsomeVformVof
Vinterviewing.

, YourVTask.
a. InVteams,VgatherVinformationVfromVhumanVresourcesVdirectorsVtoVdetermineVwhich
VcompaniesVallowVcasualVorVdress-
downVdays,VhowVoften,VandVunderVwhatVspecificVconditions.VTheVinformationVmay
VbeVcollectedVbyVpersonalVinterviews,Vemail,Vtelephone,VinstantVmessaging,VorVonVt
heVWeb.
b. InVteams,VconductVinquiring-
reporterVinterviews.VAskVindividualsVinVtheVcommunityVhowVtheyVreactVtoVcasualVdre
ssVinVtheVworkplace.VDevelopVaVsetVofVstandardVinterviewVquestions.
c. InVteams,VvisitVlocalVbusinessesVonVbothVcasualVdaysVandVtraditionalVbusiness-
dressVdays.VCompareVandVcontrastVtheVeffectsVofVbusiness-
dressVstandardsVonVsuchVfactorsVasVtheVprojectedVimageVofVtheVcompany,VtheVnatu
reVofVtheVinteractionsVwithVcustomersVandVwithVfellowVemployees,VtheVmoraleVofV
employees,VandVtheVproductivityVofVemployees.VWhatVgeneralizationsVcanVyouVdra
wVfromVyourVfindings?


ANS:
ThisVactivityVcanVbeVexpandedVintoVaVresearchVpaperVtopic.VAVvariationVonVthisVactivityVrel
iesVonVstudentVexperiences.VInsteadVofVconductingVinterviewsVinVtheVcommunity,VtheyVcanV
conductVaVforumVamongVstudentsVwhoVwork,VaskingVthemVtoVcommentVonVcasual-
dressVpoliciesVinVtheVjobsVtheyVhaveVhad.




1.9 NonverbalVCommunicationVAroundVtheVWorldV(Objs.V3,V4)


GesturesVplayVanVimportantVroleVwhenVpeopleVcommunicate.VBecauseVcultureVshapesVtheVm
eaningVofVgestures,VmiscommunicationVandVmisunderstandingVcanVeasilyVresultVinVinternatio
nalVsituations.


YourVTask.
UseVtheVWebVtoVresearchVtheVmeaningsVofVselectedVgestures.VMakeVaVlistVofVtenVgesturesV
(otherVthanVthoseVdiscussedVinVtheVtext)VthatVhaveVdifferentVmeaningsVinVdifferentVcountries
.VConsiderVtheVfingertipVkiss,VnoseVthumb,VeyelidVpull,VnoseVtap,VheadVshake,VandVotherVge
stures.VHowVareVtheVmeaningsVdifferentVinVotherVcountries?


ANS:
StudentsVshouldVbeVableVtoVfindVaVnumberVofVgesturesVandVtheirVmeaningsVdiscussedVatVvari
ousVwebsites.VHereVisVoneVexample:V“TheVfingertipVkiss,VinVwhichVtheVtipsVofVtheVthumbVan
dVfingers
areVkissedVandVquicklyVmovedVforwardVawayVfromVtheVface,VisVaVsignVofVaffectionVandVmayVb
eVusedVasVaVgreetingVinVSicilyVandVPortugal.VTheVfingertipVkissVisVnotVusedVoftenVinVItalyVand
VtheVBritish
Isles,VbutVitVisVcommonVinVFrance,VGermany,VGreece,VandVSpainVtoVsignifyVpraise.”V[SeeVMarti