Communication Styles Discussion
Communication Styles Discussion
Question Description
Overview
Write a 3–4-page report that examines the current research on male and female communication styles.
This exercise allows you to consider the ways gender differences in communication impacts day-to-day interactions in personal and professional environments.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 1: Critically analyze issues related to gender and communication.
Explain current research associated with male and female communication styles.
Distinguish between male and female communication styles.
Competency 2: Evaluate personal and social dimensions of gender, communication, and culture.
Describe the impact of communication styles on workplace communication and interaction.
Explain how communication styles differ depending on personal and professional environments.
Competency 5: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
Communicate in a concise, balanced, and organized manner and include an appropriate number of scholarly, high-quality resources.
Context
The Assessment 1 Context document explores the subject of male and female communication styles in greater depth. You may wish to review the document for key concepts and ideas related to the following topics:
Communication Differences.
Workplace Differences.
Strategies for Better Communication.
Do Gender Differences Really Matter?
ASSESSMENT 1 CONTEXT
George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Many believe this is never truer than when communicating with someone of the opposite sex. Our ideas about gender differences in communication styles are frequently shaped by circumstance. They are constantly evolving. While it is good to be aware of gender communication differences, you must go beyond assumptions and decide how to respond and interact based on actual behavior.
COMMUNICATION DIFFERENCES
Much of the research on gender differences, as they relate to leadership roles, is fairly new. This research was initially driven by the low number of females holding significant leadership roles in corporations, politics, and government. While women have made great strides in recent years, they are still underrepresented at the higher levels of these organizations (Richmond & McCroskey, 2000). Research has found significant differences in the ways men and women communicate, as well as how they lead others (Muir, 2007). Often, these differences account for many misunderstandings and communication breakdowns. In the bulleted lists below, you will find examples of gendered communication differences (Note: Researchers often group male and female communication styles into speech communities.):
Female Speech Communities
Use communication as a tool to establish and maintain relationships.
Think in “webs,” seeing more connections among individuals and roles, as well as the impact a given communication may have on these connections.
Establish equality and symmetry by sharing experiences.
Invite others to speak, using more “agreement cues” to indicate value and caring.
Pay more attention to relationship than content level in conversation.
Engage in more “maintenance work” to sustain conversation (Lieberman, n.d.).
Male Speech Communities
Talk to establish status and indicate knowledge and control.
Tend to be direct and assertive.
Tend to avoid personal disclosures, especially if it suggests vulnerability or weakness.
Tend to be less emotionally responsive, often more abstract (versus personal).
Interpret smiling as an “emotional” response.
Self-identify as instrumental problem solvers, discovering facts and suggesting solutions.
Use minimal response cues even if engaged (Lieberman, n.d.).
WORKPLACE DIFFERENCES
Specific differences in how men and women lead others are also present in the workplace. These differences can often be categorized in four ways: thinking, processing, leading, and speaking (McManus, 1999).
Thinking
Women are often more relationship oriented, while men are more task oriented. For example, women enjoy connecting to others when working, while men are more connected to the task at hand.
Deciding and Processing Information
Women like to “talk things out,” while men process things internally.
Women tend to work in groups and ask for help, while men work independently.
Leading
Women often take the “majority rules” approach, while men only consult those closest to them.
Speaking
Communication style—verbal and nonverbal behaviors are important.
Men tend to be more assertive and take up more time and space.
Men often talk more than women.
STRATEGIES FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION
Now that we understand the differences between male and female communication styles, it is important to understand how we can bridge the gap between these gender roles in the hope of facilitating effective communication. Below are four strategies we can use to encourage better communications, regardless of gender:
Avoid stereotyping! Some men may communicate using a feminine style, while some women may use a more masculine style. Be aware that biases do exist.
Be open to breaking the cycle. Multiple leadership styles can be effective.
Work together and embrace differences.
Approach different people differently. Stay informed and be a chameleon. Learn more about male and female styles of communication and how to use both.
DO GENDER DIFFERENCES REALLY MATTER?
The purpose of examining gender and communications is not to decide which communicative style is superior. Nor is it to motivate people to change their style. Rather, the purpose of this examination is to identify differences with a goal of understanding how best to communicate. Those around us shape our environment, so we must learn to overcome our differences if we want to work together effectively.We should also recognize that some men and women have almost none of the traits attributed to their respective gender. So it is important to recognize that people are unique and do not fit into a mold. To ensure effective and functional communication takes place, we must learn to understand and respect one another regardless of gender. Our goal should always be to focus on the individual with whom we are working and not the categories that might define him or her.
Resources
Eagley, A. H. (2013). Harvard business school faculty and research – gender and work. Retrieved from http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/conferences/2013-w50-re…McManus, B. (1999). Gender and communication. Retrieved from http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/gendercom.htmlMuir, C. (2007). Communicating diversity at work. Business Communication Quarterly, 70(1), 80–82.Lieberman, S. (n.d.). Differences in male and female communication styles. Retrieved from http://www.simmalieberman.com/articles/maleandfema…Richmond, V., & McCroskey. (2000). Nonverbal behavior in interpersonal relation. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Questions to Consider
To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.For the following questions, you may want to refer to the Resources for links to the resources by Lieberman and by Ivanov and Werner:
How would you describe male and female communication styles?
What impact do male and female communication styles have on the workplace?
Do all males have the same sex chromosomes?
How does this relate to our communication style?
References
Ivanov, M., & Werner, P. D. (2010). Behavioral communication: Individual differences in communication style. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(1), 19–23.Lieberman, S. (n.d.). Differences in male and female communication styles. Retrieved from http://www.simmalieberman.com/articles/maleandfema…
Library Resources
The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:
Eblen, A. L. (1983). Communication, gender, leadership, and commitment in the organization. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (Order No. 8325263, University of Oregon).
Schneider, J. D. (2007). Effect of gender-related communication differences and awareness of gender-related communication barriers on communication effectiveness. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (Order No. 2359648, Capella University).
Reeder, H. M. (2005). Exploring male-female communication: Three lessons on gender. The Journal of School Health, 75(3), 115–117.
Ivanov, M., & Werner, P. D. (2010). Behavioral communication: Individual differences in communication style. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(1), 19–23.
NBC Archives on Demand
NBC Learn Video
Men and Women: Communicating in the Workplace
NBC: Video purchased for use in this Capella course through NBC Archives on Demand.
NBC Learn Video
Better Communication Needed Between the Sexes in the Workplace
NBC: Video purchased for use in this Capella course through NBC Archives on Demand.
Click Men and Women: Communicating in the Workplace to view a video from NBC Learn.
In this video, you will hear various perspectives on how women communicate in the workplace.
Running time: 2:45.
Click Better Communication Needed Between the Sexes in the Workplace to watch a video from NBC Learn.
In this video, you will learn about communicating between genders in the workplace.
Running time: 2:37.
Internet Resources
Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have been either granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.
Lieberman, S. (n.d.). Differences in male and female communication styles. Retrieved from http://www.simmalieberman.com/simma/differences-in…
World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.). Gender and genetics. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/genomics/gender/en/index1.html
Devor, A. H. (2000). How many sexes? How many genders? When two are not enough. Retrieved from http://web.uvic.ca/~ahdevor/HowMany/HowMany.html
United States Department of Labor (DOL): Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). (2013). ERISA advisory council report: Successful plan communications for various population segments. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/2013ACreport1…
Bookstore Resources
The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and are not required. Unless noted otherwise, these materials are available for purchase from the Capella University Bookstore. When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific –FP (FlexPath) course designation.
Fixmer-Oraiz, N., & Wood, J. T. (2019). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and culture (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
Assessment Instructions
In a 3–4-page report, explain current research on male and female communication styles. Specifically, differentiate between male and female communication styles and leadership behaviors. Respond to the following:
What impact does this have on workplace communication and interaction?
Do our communication styles differ depending on our personal and professional environments?
Do your personal workplace experiences either align or contradict the research outcomes? Discuss.
Use the Capella library to locate current journal articles on male and female communication styles. (See the Course Library Guide in the Resources.) Reference at least four resources, most of which should come from the Capella library. Note: If you use Internet sources, they must be credible. For example, Wikipedia and YouTube are not credible resources.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
APA formatting: Resources and in-text citations should be formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced. Use Microsoft Word.
Number of resources: 4 or more.
Length: 3–4 pages.
ORDER NOW FOR AN ORIGINAL NURSING ESSAY ASSIGNMENT ON: Communication Styles Discussion
You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.
Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.
Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.
The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS
Discussion Questions (DQ)
Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.
Weekly Participation
Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.
APA Format and Writing Quality
Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.
Use of Direct Quotes
I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.
LopesWrite Policy
For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.
Late Policy
The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.
Communication
Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:
Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.