Final Week Question #1

1). (Regarding Chapter 13) Which of the research methods listed in Table 13.3 seem the most interesting? Assume you want to study some aspect of deception. Frame a research question. Which method would you choose to answer the question. Why?

I can't believe we actually made it to the last chapter in the book. Wow, how time flies. It is hard to choose just one research method because they are all very interesting. Each is so different yet very similar. If I wanted to study some aspect of deception a research question I may use would be: How can you judge the level of deception a human exhibits in a job interview? I think the conversation analysis would be the most useful in this study because the basics of the study come from the conversation and rhetoric used during the interview. I think the research question would be good because people often tend to embelish the truth during interviews and on resumes. This causes the people that are honest to loose job oportunities to people who embelish the truth.

Final Week Question #3

3). Pick one other concept in the book that you feel needs further discussion?

A concept in the book that I feel is worthy of further discussion is Ethnography and Auto-ethnography. I find this topic to be of great importance in the communication field because it gives communication scholars the opportunity to apply critical theory to everyday life types of situations. In my qualitative communication class we all did an ethnography of some sort and then presented it to the class. There were so many everyday activities that had critical theories applied to them and it was eye opening to learn of them. Mine was on a nursing home that is in Gilroy. I looked into traditions in this sort of environment and applied a critical theory. It was very interesting and I think if there was more about it in the book other students may be more encouraged to become involved in Ethnography.

Chapter 11 Discussion Question #2

Marshall McLuhan first stated that the medium was the message when he was attempting to get across to people that the channel through which the message is transmitted is just as important as the message itself. I do agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message. Without the medium the message would cease to exist If we made television shows but had no way to broadcast them then they would be pointless. No one would see the message because the medium would not be there to support it. The cool medium idea is interesting. I am not sure I completely agree with it though. I don't find the comparrison between the coolness to the hotter to make a lot of sense.

Chapter 11 Discussion Question #1

I have never made friendships that exist exclusively through cyberspace. The reason I have never done so is because I do not trust people. I have seen to many Dateline NBC, Dr. Phil, To Catch a Predator type shows where the person does not even begin to resemble their online persona. It is to easy for people to lie. I had a friend become very close to a man she met on an online dating service only to find out months after meeting him and becoming sexually involved with him that he was not who he claimed to be. He had a wife and a family. My friend was very upset when she found this out. She found out this information when his wife called her. That was the end of her first online relationship. She continues to meet men online but they never end up being who they embody online in person. I think that if you have to meet people online than you have some problems you need to deal with, within yourself so that you can build self esteem to meet people face to face.

Chapter 8 Discussion Question #3

A section I found interesting in chapter eight is promoting professionalism in workplace relationships and especially the section pertaining to office romance. Office romance often happens at the most inoportune of times. I think office romance is fine as long as you keep it at home and not in the office. Keeping your romance at home is virtually impossible. I think people we work closely with and spend a lot of time with are often who we end up feeling attracted to because of this close link through work. We see them most often five days a week and at outside company events. I once owned a business and made the mistake of hiring one of my employees girlfriends. They worked horribly together. She would get jealous of the way other employees looked at him while he would get upset if she talked to a customer for to long. I ended up losing a good employee over this and would never hire two people who are romantically linked again. Office romance success depends a lot on the level of maturity you posess as well.

Chapter 8 Discussion Question #2

I think the etiquette rules suggested in the text are very interesting. I know I am guilty of breaking the cell phone etiquette rules. I have answered the phone while having dinner in a restaurant, but only because it is either my husband or parents calling and it must be important. Answering machine etiquette is strange to me. It makes me think back to George on Sienfield who recorded a singing message to that song from some show. I thought that was a cool idea. Confrence calls are great as long as you can mute yourself out. I hate when people think they are muted and then proceed to talk or chew into the receiver for everyone else to hear. I never thought about faxes as having etiquette rules, but it is annoying to receive junk mail from people via fax. I am not the best at timing my communication. I usually just want to get it done and don't pay close attention to time. I have seen quite a few lude screen names and heard some strange ringtones. I try to make sure that my screen names and ringtones are ones I would feel comfortable with my family seeing in case by chance that happened. Call waiting is great but I often find myself ignoring it when I am having a conversation. I hate when people click over and leave me on hold so I guess I am trying to avoid what I hate.

Chapter 8 Discussion Question #1

Organizations are tied to the environment because they depend on their surroundings for resources and energy. Just like humans, organizations can not survive without a healthy environment to thrive in. Some examples of an organizations ties to the environment are energy, transportation and housing needs. The relationship between the school I attend and the city in which it is situated is that the two form a bond and feed off of one another. The college being in San Jose creates an environment rich in jobs and students. The college also draws people to the area it is in. In response to the demands of the college buildings are constructed and the area continues to thrive and grow. Their also is a negative impact on the environment caused by this tie as well, such as over crowding and pollution. The college has many obligations to the community. Some of the obligations include supporting the growth and development of the downtown area, expanding and allowing the entrance of new students as the metropolitan area continues to grow, and also being a self sufficient entity that not only takes from the city but also gives back in return.