Effects of Verbal Communication Essay Example for Free

Effects of Verbal Communication Essay Verbal Communication Communication of all types can be found everywhere. It does not necessarily have to be spoken or oral, it can be found in verbal and nonverbal forms. This is especially true in the areas of the criminal justice system. Communications can be found in equipment, reports, phones, in roll call, or everyday operations. For police officers and other members of the criminal justice system, communication in some form or type can always be certain. It may be in the form of verbal communication, such as roll call, talking with the public, talking to peers, inmates, administration, or supervisors. It is said that nearly 70 percent of one’s time is spent communicating (2009). Officers or those appointed by the department, talk to the media on a daily basis. Whether it is the television, the newspaper reporters, or the radio, it is on a daily basis. For law enforcement officials there is the need to communicate with the press from time to time. This could be to talk about public affairs, providing information about a situation that the police are involved in, or to make announcements. It is common in most areas that law enforcement appoints a spokesperson for the department. This person chosen represents the community and the department, along with all officers. This person must have the intelligence and the ability to speak clearly and in a concise manner, and have the ability to understand questions if asked. He or she should have some clear understanding of what the media only needs to hear. One way to assure this is to him or her draft a statement, before making the announcement to the press. When drafting the announcement and when reading the announcement, the person should avoid using what is called police jargon or codes. Using such language can be confusing to the general public and may cause confusion with the press. When talking to the press he or she should be able to avoid being distracted and should keep eye contact with those who he or she are talking to. Nonverbal communication between the press and officers can also have a confusing effect at time. â€Å"Sometimes nonverbal messages may contradict verbal; often they may express true feelings more accurately than the spoken or written language (Murphy Hildebrandt). For nonverbal communication, the situations that he or she may want to be careful with can include the stance. There should be no slouching or leaning on the podium. This gives an appearance of the press seeing that he or she either does not want to be there or it could show disinterest. The spokesperson choose vocabulary carefully also. He or she may want to use a friendly tone also, and avoid using emotions during the press release. This must remember that the press usually ahs cameras somewhere that records everything that is said verbally and nonverbally, which may cause some confusion. The courtroom is another place that communication is done daily. Within this setting the law enforcement officer or other personnel, may be called to testify for the prosecutor. Communication in the courtroom setting for police, prosecutors, defense, the suspect, judge and jury, all play a crucial part. The officer when called to testify, should have the ability to understand the questions clearly, is able to listen effectively, and be able to explain the facts written in his or her report. The affidavit is based on the facts that have been written in the officers’ incident report. There may be situations or times when an officer feels uncomfortable, while sitting or standing in a group of other people. Or he or she may fill uncomfortable when having to be in front of the others in the courtroom. The officer should never let emotions or nonverbal cues cloud his or her testimony. During cross-examine; the reputation of the officer could be misinterpreted. Before testimony officers should try to talk to the prosecutor to learn what to expect. He or she may want to practice the testimony also. Being able to communicate verbally and use less nonverbal cues like emotions, could make the difference in the testimony. When testifying the officer should be able to answer in a clear and audible voice with recalling or stating just the facts. He or she may also want to remember to present themselves as a professional and to look and act as one. Not only is his or her reputation at stake, but the department also. For law enforcement personnel who work inside the correctional facility, communication techniques can be a critical part of the job. Officers must be able to talk to their peers, and inmates. The ability to be an active listener, understand, read and write clearly and to follow verbal and nonverbal orders are very important. There may be issues at time among inmates that may cause a barrier of communication. Some of these barriers could include the disruptive inmate, a language barrier, such as a foreign language or a deaf person. There may be the inmate that may cause tension between the officers and others. There are many factors to consider on how to communicate within the correctional setting. There is the use of daily reports that must be filled out by officers. There has to be a clear understanding by the officers and other employees of operating procedures. Incident reports that are fact based must be filled out by officers involved. As with police the correctional officer must also confront inmates and vice versa. The officer should at all times be careful of the nonverbal clues used. This would include his or her emotions at the time, the way he or she stands, or the tone of voice. Most correctional officers are trained on the use of verbal and nonverbal methods of communications before being assigned to the facility (2010). For the peer to peer communication the officer must be able to understand the assignment given, whether it is verbal or nonverbal communications. Assignments are usually given at the beginning of the shift, and it is the responsibility of the officer and peer to have a clear understanding of what it is. If the officer does not understand it is his or her responsibility to ask questions. Another form of peer to peer is among the officers themselves. Communication is a key role inside of the correctional facility when working with the inmates. He or she should be able to understand clearly the instructions that pertain to an inmate or surroundings. He or she must be able to read nonverbal cues from other officers and to be able to read nonverbal cues from the inmates. Within the Juvenile facility, there is a great need for communication of nonverbal and verbal. Like any other facility the officers must be able to understand the importance of filing out the report, whether it be an incident, daily, or new arrival. Each officer must have the intelligence and ability to be able to communicate with a juvenile in custody. Like inmates in the adult correctional setting, juveniles may also become belligerent at times and want to cause problems. The officer must be able to talk with the juvenile as well as be able to listen. Officers must also be able to read the nonverbal cues that are given by the inmates. These could include actions such as throwing of things, language, the stance, eye contact, vocal sounds, and emotions such as anger, sadness and more. Juveniles have a language that seems to be something that they have learned. Most people call it street slang and signs. Most officers are provided continuing training on problems involving juveniles, as well as training to understand the signs and slang used by them. For Officers and other employees of the juvenile facility there is the need to understand clearly the written reports, the operational procedures, releasing of information to outside agencies and families and the ability to talk clearly to peers. Officers and other employees may be called on to answer questions over the phone, concerning a juvenile. They may have to work on computers, and other equipment, or spend hours doing paperwork. This is all an important part of communicating within the facility. When an officer’s peer assigns the officer to a certain department in the facility the officer must have a clear understanding of what is expected of him or her at the time. The one way for the officer to make certain of the assignment, is to ask the needed questions if any should arise. The officer must be able to take orders on a continuous basis and be able to understand the details. When working with other officers there has to be a clear line of communication between the officers. Nonverbal cues, as with any other law enforcement facility should be easily read. The officer must have the ability to do so, in case something should happen. These nonverbal cues could be eye contact, a facial expression, or a nudge, or a physical gesture such as the wave of a hand. As with any other situation officers that work in a juvenile facility must show professionalism and act accordingly. The officer must be careful when using nonverbal communication. These include keeping the emotions from getting away from him or her, keeping the tone of his or her voice from becoming too loud, watching the stance and posture when talking to other employees, inmates, and peers. Communication can be seen in many different forms. These can include fact based reports by law enforcement officers, correctional officers, reports to the press or other media, juvenile facilities and courtrooms. There may be barriers for the officers at times, such as language, ineffective listening, a misunderstanding, or miscommunication. Whatever the reason, for one to communicate properly there must be the ability to understand, listen actively, ask questions when needed, and to speak clearly when asked to. For law enforcement and others in the criminal justice system the need to recognize nonverbal communication is essential. An officer must be able to identify cues given by a suspect, or by an inmate in custody. The law enforcement official should always act and speak in a professional matter when facing the public or fellow workers and supervisors or administrators. He or she must remember that they represent not only themselves but the departments and states they reside in. Effective communication is the key to an effective organization such as the criminal justice system.

Television Censorship in the Past and Present Essays -- Exploratory Es

Television Censorship in the Past and Present Typing in the web address "http://www.censorship.com", I begin my search for information regarding the controversial subject. After a few seconds of waiting for the site to load, a black background comes up, with black font displaying the message: "This site is not accessible because it is categorized as: Sex, Violence, Language." I immediately highlight the web address and annoyingly thrash at the delete button on my keyboard and watch it disappear. "Jeez, everything is censored nowadays!" Frustrated, I decide to take a break. I get up from my computer, drop my tired body onto the couch, and turn on the T.V. Once the picture becomes clear, I am greeted by a completely bare behind! The man yells, "You little bitch!" to his friend who has taken his pants, and a roar of laughter comes from the simulated audience on the show. The scenario shocked me, for I had just been restricted from a website because of subject matter closely related to what I was just seeing on the television I sat for a few seconds and thought about the way behavior like that was prohibited from the public eye just soon before. But why was it now being allowed to broadcast over millions of T.V. sets across the country? I realized that censorship itself, and specifically television censorship, has changed immensely through the years. Censorship, or the "prevention of disturbing or painful thoughts or feelings from reaching consciousness except in a disguised form" has been present since the Roman times ("Censorship", "History..."). The original intentions of the widespread act were to supervise the manners and morals of the people. Government officials were to exclude certain topics, groups, or religio... ...ensorship." 02 Oct 2003 17 Mar 2004 <http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/rgcolumns/2003/1002.asp> "History of Censorship." 20 Mar 2004 <http://www.angelfire.com/vt2/UnitedStudents/history.html> Buchanan, Matt. "Ratings, Censorship, and Negative Criteria." 20 Mar 2004 <http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/3765/appropriate2.html> "Televised Censorship." 21 Mar 2004 <http://www.dragg.net/users/vocalofkentucky/multiculture.htm> "Television Censorship." Academic Library. 20 Mar 2004 <http://wwwacademiclibrary.com/view/Music%20and%0Movies/2682.htm> "The Long History of Censorship." Beacon for Freedom of Expression. 20 Mar 2004 <http://www.beaconforfreedom.org/about_project/history.html> "The Shadow of Incipient Censorship: The Creation of the Television Code of 1952." 17 Mar 2004 <http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6558/>

Understanding Organizational Citizenship Behaviors

Joshua Harris Althea Johns Organizational Behavior October 21, 2012 Understanding Organizational Citizenship Behaviors Citizenship, most don’t normally associate this term with an organization like a business. Many would think of the word citizenship in terms of the country that you may live in. Some may even think of it more broadly then that. As in we are all citizens of this planet. But what is the opposite? Are there smaller citizenship classifications, and are they as important? Particularly, what about citizenship at your place of employment? What does organizational citizenship behavior mean to a company?Can it affect things like job satisfaction, efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction? Research suggests that there is a â€Å"moderately positive correlation† between job function and organizational citizenship behavior. [ (Kinicki) ] This paper will examine real examples of OCB, explain how organizations can influence OCB, and which pitfalls to watch out for. (Kinicki) Organ defined organizational citizenship behaviors as, â€Å"Individual behavior that is discretionary, not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system, and that in the aggregate promotes the effective functioning of the organization.By discretionary, we mean that the behavior is not an enforceable requirement of the role or the job description, that is, the clearly specifiable terms of the person’s employment contract with the organization; the behavior is rather a matter of personal choice, such that its omission is not generally understood as punishable. † (Organ) Literature in this subject has been almost non-existent prior the early 1980’s, but has increased in popularity ever since. Its these â€Å"discretionary† behaviors that according to Brooker, â€Å"Our esprit de corps is the core of our success. That’s the most difficult thing for a competitor to imitate.They can buy all the physical things. The th ing you can’t buy is dedication, devotion, and loyalty. † (Brooker) Its this loyalty that convinced Herb Kelleher, from Booker’s article tiled â€Å"Can anyone replace Herb? â€Å" to argue â€Å"that employee citizenship is the single biggest reason for the company’s success. † However this was hard to prove with hard evidence until late 1990’s. (Brooker) In Bolino and Turnley’s 2003 article â€Å"Going the Extra Mile: Cultivating and managing Employee Citizenship Behavior† which appeared in Academy of Management Executive, they describe factors that can promote good OCB.It is the authors’ opinion that the most important being job satisfaction. (Turnley) Bolino & Turnley conclude from their analyst of several studies, that if an employee is happy, they will provide a positive organizational citizenship behavior. The article also covered other factors such as trust, job interest and involvement, organizational suppo rt, and Employee Characteristics. It is with these factors that researches use to try to come up with predictors. Perhaps one of the best predictors happens in what Bolino and Turnley calls the â€Å"recruitment & selection† process. Turnley)They provide three main ways in which human resource managers can help achieve this. The first is to look for causes that applicants are committed to. For examples, college graduates that have a lot of extra curricular activities or a professional with volunteer services. Another predictor in determining positive OCB would be to provide situational questions to the interviewee. (Turnley)This is one tool that Smucker’s uses to gage their employee’s. The last tool the article provides is personality trait questions.This is somewhat similar to situational interviews, but they are geared to the person and not a specific situation. The next natural step in influencing organizational citizenship behavior is during training. It is during training that an organization may have the best chance at eliciting citizenship behaviors. However, Bolino & Turnley, describe how this is usually the opposite of what organizations do, due to their emphasis on individual achievements. One way an organization can help influence positive OCB is to sponsor training programs that focus on cooperation and taking initiative.But probably the best would be to develop a training program that is used to improve relationships among coworkers and/or supervisors and subordinates. Bolino’s article gave an example of this at Southwest Airlines when works were cross-trained on other positions. This allowed employees to gain experience in other area, but also appreciate and help out when they could. Also a study showed that supervisors that have had training in organizational justice principles also benefit from higher levels of OCB. In the last direct way organizations can influence OCB is in compensation.Bolino’s arti cle concluded that employees are more likely to engage in behaviors that are rewarded. An example of this is Asada, the British subsidiary of Wal-Mart, gives awards to employees who go â€Å"above and beyond†. CitiGroup does something similar. It is called â€Å"Galaxy of Thanks†. Employees can thank other employees for going above and beyond. If an employee reaches so many, that employee gets special recognition by the company and can win rewards. (Young) Bolino’s article also pointed to group or organizational level compensation fosters positive OCB. But, there can be many pitfalls for compensating for OCB.Some more informal ways of promoting positive OCB would include developing a culture in the organization that is conducive for positive OCB. Having managers and supervisors living by the same standard and by having an organization act in a deserving way. As you can tell there are many ways that organizations can influence their potential positive organizatio nal citizenship behavior. But, there are some pitfalls to be aware of. While there are potentially several pitfalls, all seem easily manageable. Bolino places pitfalls in three categories: Impression Management, Costs, and Escalating.Impression Management, is noted in another article by Bolino as, â€Å"Several organizational behavior scholars have noted that individuals may engage in organizational citizenship behaviors not because they are concerned about the organization’s welfare but because such activities may cause others (especially their supervisors) to look favorably upon them† (Bolino) The pitfall here comes when rewarding this type of â€Å"Impression Management† behavior, which can put a strain on morale. (Turnley)Managers should watch for this type of motivation during citizenship assessments and be sure not to reward this type of behavior.If this behavior is rewarded the costs could certainly outweigh any potential gains. Another potential downside to positive OCB happens when employees become lax on their main job functions. Many don’t think helping another co-worker could potentially be a downfall, but that is exactly what Sprint, Xerox, and Ford found out in a Wall Street Journal study. Employees would help co-workers with computer issues and it was estimated to have cost the companies upwards of $15,000 per computer. It is thought that hiring more support personal would have been significantly less expensive, and with better quality of support. Bulkeley)The last area of pitfalls is a concept of Escalating Citizenship. You can think of this concept like inflation. Today a dollar will buy you much less than fifty or so years ago and escalating citizenship is something that manager must watch out for. If the bar for above and beyond is constantly moved higher and higher it can be catastrophic for an organization including high levels of job dissatisfaction, high turnover, and high stress. It is the author’s opi nion that the evidence is overwhelming that positive organizational behavior can greatly influence or be the â€Å"single biggest reason for the company’s success†. Brooker)In this essay we have examined why organizational citizenship is important to an organization. We also took a look at what organizations can do to positively impact OCB. Finally we examined some downsides of OCB and provided some way managers can navigate around them. Organizational citizenship behavior can be a very good thing, when done correctly. Bibliography Bolino. â€Å"Citizenship and impression managment: Good soliders or good actors. † Academy of Managment Review 24. 1 (n. d. ): 82-88. Brooker, K. â€Å"Can anyone replace Herb? † 2000. Fourtune. 19 Oct 2012 <http://money. nn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2000/04/17/278112/index. htm>. Bulkeley, W. M. â€Å"Study finds hidden costs of computing. † The Wall Street Journal (1992). Kinicki, Angelo. Managment: a practical introduction 5E. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Organ, D. W. Organizatioal citizenship behavior: The good soldier syndrome. Lexington: Lexington Books, n. d. Turnley. â€Å"Going The Extra Mile: Cultivating and managing employee citizenship behavior. † Academy of Managment Executives 17. 3 (2003): 60-71. Young, Joseph P. Interview. Joshua Harris. 19 October 2012.

The Evolution of Modern Tennis Who Invented the Game

Games using some form of ball and racquet have been played in numerous civilizations dating back as far as Neolithic times. Ruins in Mesoamerica indicate a particularly important place for ball games in several cultures. Theres also evidence that ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians played some version of a game that resembled tennis. However, court tennis—also called real tennis and royal tennis in Great Britain and Australia—owes its beginnings to a game enjoyed by French monks that can be traced back to the 11th century. The Beginnings of Modern Tennis Monks played the French game of paume (meaning palm) on a court. Rather than a racquet, the ball was struck with the hand. Paume eventually evolved into jeu de paume (game of the palm) in which racquets were used. By the year 1500, racquets constructed of wood frames and gut strings had been developed, as well as balls made of cork and leather, and by the time the game spread to England—where both Henry VII and Henry VIII were big fans—there were as many as 1,800 indoor courts. Even with its growing popularity, tennis in the days of Henry VIII was a very different sport from todays version of the game. Played exclusively indoors, the game consisted of hitting a ball into a netted opening in the roof of a long, narrow tennis house. The net was five feet high at each end and three feet high in the center.   Outdoor Tennis By the 1700s, the games popularity had seriously dwindled but that changed dramatically with the invention of vulcanized rubber in 1850. The new hard rubber balls revolutionized the sport, making it possible for tennis to be adapted to an outdoor game played on grass. In 1873, Londoner Major Walter Wingfield invented a game called he called Sphairistikà ¨ (Greek for playing ball). Played on an hourglass-shaped court, Wingfields game created a sensation in Europe, the United States, and even China, and is the source from which tennis as we know it today eventually evolved. When the game was adopted by croquet clubs that had acres of manicured lawns, the hourglass shape gave way to a longer, rectangular court. In 1877, the former All England Croquet Club held its first tennis tournament at Wimbledon. The rules of this tournament set the standard for tennis as its played today—with some notable differences: service was exclusively underhand and  women were not allowed to play in the tournament until 1884. Tennis Scoring No one is sure where tennis scoring—love, 15, 30, 40, deuce—came from, but most sources agree it originated in France. One theory for the origin of the 60-point system is that its simply based on the number 60, which had positive connotations in medieval numerology. The 60 was then divided into four segments. The more popular explanation is that the scoring was invented to match the face of a clock with the score given in quarter-hours: 15, 30, 45 (shortened to the French for 40 quarante, rather than the longer quarante cinq for 45). It wasnt necessary to use 60 because reaching the hour meant the game was over anyway—unless it was tied at deuce. That term may have derived from the French deux, or two, indicating that from then on, two points were required to win the match. Some say the term love comes from the French word loeuf, or egg, a symbol for nothing, like a goose egg. The Evolution of Tennis Attire Perhaps the most conspicuous way tennis has evolved has do do with the games attire. At the end of the19th century, male players wore hats and ties, while pioneering women wore a version of street clothing that actually included corsets and bustles. A strict dress code was adopted by the 1890s that decreed tennis wear must be exclusively white in color (with the exception of some accent trim, and even that had to conform with stringent guidelines). The tradition of tennis whites lasted well into the 20th century. Initially, the game of tennis was for the rich. White clothing, although practical because it tends to be cooler, had to be vigorously laundered, and so it wasnt really a viable option for most working-class people. The advent of modern technology, especially the washing machine, made the game more accessible to the middle class. By the swinging ’60s, as societal rules relaxed—nowhere more so than in the realm of fashion—more and more colorful clothing began to make its way onto tennis courts. There remain some places, such as Wimbledon, where tennis whites are still required for play.