Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Customer Behaviour On Ally Fashion Samples â⬠MyAssignmenthelp.com
Question: Discuss about the Customer Behaviour On Ally Fashion. Answer: Introduction Company Ally fashion is a retail company in Australia that stead fasts the growing trend of fashion in women in Australia. The company was launched in Sydney in 2001 as a wholesale company. The first store of the company was set up in Macarthur Square in Sydney. It is a privately owned business association that serves the latest clothing in about 135 locations all over the country (Allyfashion.com, 2018). Product or location Ally fashion sets up fashion trends for women by providing with a different type of products. The products that are generally provided by Ally fashion include dresses, tops, basics and skirts. At the same time, apart from the wearable items, the company provides accessories that include denim, outwear and accessories. As stated, Ally fashion has over 135 stores located in various parts of Australia. It also has online stores that are useful in the modern world for the shopping and purchasing items. The area in which the company is located includes Darwin, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. Recently in December 2016, Ally fashion launched a re-opening of a store at North Rockhampton centre (Allyfashion.com, 2018). Consumer The consumers of Ally fashion ranges from a wide variety of people starting mostly that love fashions. The company provides dresses for women and as a result, it becomes important that the company target women that are interested in fashions. Thereby the target customers of the company are the fashionable women that are in their teens or twenties. The social class is not segmented into the customers targets women from all social backgrounds. This can help the company to reach a wide of customers based on the specifications of the target market and gain profit in the business (Allyfashion.com, 2018). Influence of culture Cultural factors According to Hill and Alexander (2017), cultural factors are a set of beliefs and values that help in regulating the behaviour of the customers and the members of a society. It comprises of the ideologies and a set of values that are common in a particular community or within a group of individuals. Orel and Kara (2014) were of the opinion that the culture of a particular group decides on the manner in which a particular individual behaves. The values of individuals that are taught to them as a child are implied practically in various aspects of life. Culture is important in the lives of people as individuals grow up keeping in mind the culture that has been taught to them, However, Kim, Vogt and Knutson (2015) stated that at times the culture of people changes due to the certain factors that affect a society. In this regard, it can be said that culture also plays a significant role in the influencing the buying behaviour of customers. This is mainly because the habits and beliefs of individuals along with their principle form the basis for deciding upon the purchase of a product or availing a particular service. Influence of culture on customer behaviour According to Bilgihan (2016), the buying behaviour of customers varies according to the tastes and preferences of the customers based on the culture in which they have been brought up. In the case of making purchases, it is necessary that the customers embrace their cultural background and hope to remain true to the cultural factors that affect their business. The cultural differentiation can be done based on various sub-cultures and as stated by Blut et al. (2014), the sub-cultures play a crucial role in dictating the choice of customers. For example, the sub-cultures of a customer can be based on the fondness of a particular product or in the trend that exists in the purchase and sale of products. In this regard, a model related to the cultural influence on customer behaviour can be analysed. From the model, it can be seen that personality traits and subjective culture play an important role in developing the cognitive beliefs, practises and values. These are interlinked with one another and the development of attitudes and social norms along with the behavioural intention contributes to the behaviour of the customers. Thus, the cultural factors of behaviour are born out of the expectations of the society and the manner in which people are brought up. Influence of culture on purchasing products from Ally fashion As seen from the discussion, cultural background of an individual plays an important role in the decision-making process of a customer. The customers need to analyse the products sold and consequently decide if it matches with the culture in which they have been brought up. As such, in the case of Ally fashion, the company targets women that are in their teens or in their twenties. The advantage of targeting women of this age is that they are prone to form sub-cultures that clash with the existing cultural norms of the society (Horner Swarbrooke, 2016). Thus, it can be said that Ally Fashion can promote the products so that it can create subcultures in a society. The products are directed in meeting the requirement of fashion that exists in the Australian market and the fashion that the women of the country favour. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that Australia is a country that consists of immigrants from different other countries. Hence, the products of Ally fashion may not be a success with people belonging to cultural backgrounds that are more conservative. Apart from the culture, the social class of the society also have an influence. Social class Social factors Cohen, Prayag and Moital (2014) are of the opinion that the environment in which organisations conducts business influences the behaviour of the customers. Among the influential factors, social class is a factor that defines the socio-economic status of the society. The type of life people lead and the manner in which people conduct themselves in the society determine the social class of the people. The sharing of similar values and interests are the ones that develop the common factors in a society and bind the people together. However, the difference exists in terms of factors that are related to income, profession and quality of the neighbourhood. Among this, the income plays an important role in determining the social class of the people. Joshi and Rahman (2015) are of the opinion that without proper income, the purchasing power of the customers diminishes. The simplest method of categorising the social class of the people is by identifying three classes that exist in the society into the upper class, middle class and the lower class. These classes are mainly categorised by keeping in mind the income that is made by the people. As such the social class plays an important role in ensuring that, the customer behaviour continues to be analysed by applying various contexts of similarities and dissimilarities between the people. Influence of social class on customer behaviour Peek et al. (2014) stated that social class plays an important role in the development of customer behaviour in the society by analysing the manner in which they react once a new product is launched in the market. It has already been seen that the social class can be divided into three main classes based on the income level of the people. In this regard, it can be said that social class can sometimes be influenced by the people that exist in the society. This is because the people compete with one another in the society and ensures that they have the best product or service than the others. Usually, the higher income group of people triumph over the lower income people (East et al., 2016). However, this is considered as the least concern for the organisations, as they focus on gaining more profit from the sale of goods and services. At the same time, it is to be noted that people belonging to similar brackets does not behave in a similar manner. Erkan and Evans (2016) were of the opinion that among the high class some people does not make investments in products that are not required to them. Rather they save the available income for a future purpose. Thus, it can be said that the social class can be inconsistent in providing information about the behaviours of the customers. For example, necessities need to be purchased by either class of people, however; only the rich people purchase the luxurious goods. This provides the differences between understanding the social class and the manner in which it can influence customers. Influence of social class on purchasing products from Ally fashion After the analysis of the social class of the people it can be said that despite its inconsistent in the analysis, Ally fashion has managed to ensure that every social class of people are identified and targeted so that the revenue of the organisation increases. The social class of the people provide an idea about the manner in which the Ally fashion can set its prices. The purchasing power of the customers based on the buying products from Ally fashion commences to the luxurious purchase. According to Solomon et al. (2014), most people may consider fashionable items from branded stores to be luxurious. Such a perception, however, is different for the people belonging to the upper class of the society. It has been seen that in the western countries like the USA and countries in Europe, the division of social class does not exist. However, in Australia, the existence of the social culture conscience is more than those countries due to the number of migrants that are accepted by the country. Even so, among the native people of Australia, the existence of social class exists (Foxall, 2014). The difference is that the lower class of people are considered as the aboriginal manly because of the lifestyle that they lead. Thus, the social class of the people does not have a great deal of negative effect on the business of Ally fashion. Recommendation Thus, from the analysis of the cultural and social class factors in general and the impact it has on the business of Ally fashion, it can be said that the organisation need to keep in mind certain strategies to address the factors. Hence, certain recommendations need to be made based on the factors that influence the behaviour of the customers. In this regard, the recommendation can be done by analysing the marketing mix elements of Ally fashion. The common phenomenon of the social and cultural aspect that inspires behaviour is the price of the products. The price is an important phenomenon as it dictates the purchasing power of the social class and the cultural aspects. In the case of Ally fashion, the company targets people of all class. Hence, it is important that the company reduces the price of the products and promote it so that the middle class can know about the improvement of the prices in the organisation. At the same time, the physical evidence is also an important factor, as the quality of the products needs to be verified. With stores all around Australia, qualitymanagement can be an issue for the managers of Ally fashion. Hence, despite sticking with the trend of online purchase, it is necessary that Ally fashion renovate its physical stores as well. Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded that among factors that contribute to the decision to purchase products for the customers, the social class and culture play important roles. This is mainly because these two factors originate from the internal teaching of the people from an early age. In the case of Ally fashion, the two factors do not have a huge negative impact on the business of the company as in Australia such factors are hardly existent. Hence, the minor advantage provided by the factors help Ally fashion to continue with the existing business. References Allyfashion.com. (2018).Ally Fashion. Retrieved 2 April 2018, from https://www.allyfashion.com/shop/ Bilgihan, A. (2016). Gen Y customer loyalty in online shopping: An integrated model of trust, user experience and branding.Computers in Human Behavior,61, 103-113. Blut, M., Beatty, S. E., Evanschitzky, H., Brock, C. (2014). The impact of service characteristics on the switching costscustomer loyalty link.Journal of Retailing,90(2), 275-290. Cohen, S. A., Prayag, G., Moital, M. (2014). Consumer behaviour in retails: Concepts, influences and opportunities.Current Issues in Tourism,17(10), 872-909. East, R., Singh, J., Wright, M., Vanhuele, M. (2016).Consumer behaviour: Applications in marketing. Sage. Erkan, I., Evans, C. (2016). The influence of eWOM in social media on consumers purchase intentions: An extended approach to information adoption.Computers in Human Behavior,61, 47-55. Foxall, G. (2014).Consumer Behaviour (RLE Consumer Behaviour): A Practical Guide. Routledge. Gifford, R., Nilsson, A. (2014). Personal and social factors that influence pro?environmental concern and behaviour: A review.International Journal of Psychology,49(3), 141-157. Hill, N., Alexander, J. (2017).The handbook of customer satisfaction and loyalty measurement. Routledge. Horner, S., Swarbrooke, J. (2016).Consumer behaviour in retails. Routledge. Joshi, Y., Rahman, Z. (2015). Factors affecting green purchase behaviour and future research directions.International Strategic Management Review,3(1-2), 128-143. Kim, M., Vogt, C. A., Knutson, B. J. (2015). Relationships among customer satisfaction, delight, and loyalty in the hospitality industry.Journal of Hospitality Tourism Research,39(2), 170-197. Orel, F. D., Kara, A. (2014). Supermarket self-checkout service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty: Empirical evidence from an emerging market.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,21(2), 118-129. Peek, S. T., Wouters, E. J., van Hoof, J., Luijkx, K. G., Boeije, H. R., Vrijhoef, H. J. (2014). Factors influencing acceptance of technology for aging in place: a systematic review.International journal of medical informatics,83(4), 235-248. Ross, P. (2014). Factors influencing consumer behaviour.International journal of current research and academic review,2(9), 52-61. Solomon, M. R., Dahl, D. W., White, K., Zaichkowsky, J. L., Polegato, R. (2014).Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being(Vol. 10). Pearson.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
What Microscope Would You Use to Examine Unstained Urine Samples For The Future?
What Microscope Would You Use to Examine Unstained Urine Samples For The Future?The essay 'What Microscope Would You Use to Examine Unstained Urine Samples for The Future?' by Kristina Dobson was published in 'Receptuals' in 2020. The essay is an insightful commentary on society's habits and demands of scientific research.Dobson observes that when scientists wanted to gain a larger body of knowledge about a chemical compound, they usually first needed to use a microscope. Dobson uses this example to call attention to the power of microscopes and how it can help a person to gain a better understanding of science. Dobson also calls attention to the difficulties encountered when trying to understand the properties of something that has only been tested using a microscope. She illustrates her point with a story about one of her husband's friends.He had been dating a friend's sister who loved to cook. After a while, the friend's brother became convinced that he could easily find out every thing that the friend was afraid to know about a certain product. In his quest to find out what was in some of the mystery food products, he used a microscope and found out that some of the things in those foods were very dangerous.The story concludes with Dobson writing, 'The answer is never in his microscope, of course. Perhaps, the answer is simply that he never stopped to think that he really didn't want to know.'The essay is also reminiscent of a chapter titled 'An Elicited Conversation' from 'Etymology: An Introduction' by Reuben Palmer. Palmer writes about another writer who had an epiphany when she saw a butterfly in a photographic plate.Here's a hint, if the word 'epiphany' has no ending letter in the word 'episteme', the author is almost certainly a famous poet or playwright. Dobson discusses an experience she had with a clairvoyant while she was playing tennis. 'My eye was on the ball while my intuition was busy peering through the ground in front of me to the people who were playing tennis,' she writes.She explains that she and her friend had practiced several times a day but nothing had ever clicked. She says that when she tried to focus on the ball, she saw the moment when she met her clairvoyant guide in person.We are all exposed to so much unexplained and unverifiable information every day, I suspect we've all experienced some kind of epiphany. Perhaps you will have one soon.
Monday, April 13, 2020
Beyond Blogging
BEYOND BLOGGING: MAKING YOUR COPY STAND OUT So, we all know that a blog is essential to any well-rounded marketing strategy: A good blog helps you connect with your customers and lets them see you as more than just a faceless company or organization. It builds content and credibility for your web site, and it allows you to share industry news and connect with others in your industry. Problem is, everyone has a blog nowadays, from marketing gurus to Fortune 500 CEOs. Some are fantastic ââ¬â interesting, with no-fluff content and good information. Some are mediocre at best. But, regardless of quality, theyââ¬â¢re everywhere. Do a search for ââ¬Å"copywriting blogâ⬠for instance, and youââ¬â¢ll get thousands of results. Ditto for ââ¬Å"marketing blog, ââ¬Å"advertising blogâ⬠ââ¬â you name it. A blog in itself is no longer a big differentiator. Now, donââ¬â¢t get me wrong: Iââ¬â¢m not saying that you should give up on blogging. But, if you really want to stand out, try some of these strategies: â⬠¢ Get on Social Media. Social mediaà sites let you connect easily with potential customers and business partners. Create a profile for your business and start reaching out to people in your industry ââ¬â be sure to include a link to your company web site and share your blog posts. Itââ¬â¢s a great way to build connections in a casual setting. Even better: Start a group or forum and invite people to join you for a discussion about the latest industry news. â⬠¢ Be Interactive. Why simply dump information on your readers when you can invite them to join the conversation? If youââ¬â¢ve got a blog, invite comments and make sure you respond to the readers who take the time to leave them. Have contests and invite your readers to get their creative juices flowing, whether itââ¬â¢s coming up with a name for a product or writing a catchy tagline. The more fun and interactive your blog is, the more likely it is to develop a following of regular readers. â⬠¢ Leave Comments. If youââ¬â¢re like me, you probably have a handful of blogs that you read regularly. Next time you read something you really like, why not leave a comment? A good blog isnââ¬â¢t a one-way street. But remember: No sales talk. Keep comments insightful and donââ¬â¢t use them simply as a chance to toot your own horn. â⬠¢ Write a Whitepaper. A whitepaper is a great way to connect with potential business partners and establish yourself as an industry expert. Theyââ¬â¢re meatier than a simple blog entry and require a lot more work, but the payoff for an interesting, well-written whitepaper is worth all the effort. â⬠¢ Blog often. Sure, youââ¬â¢re busy. Projects, meetings, phone conferences, and the day-to-day business of running a business can leave you strapped for time. Itââ¬â¢s easy to let your blog fall by the wayside in favor of more urgent deadlines. But, your blog doesnââ¬â¢t do you any good if youââ¬â¢re only posting once every six months. Set aside some blogging time at least once a week to keep your content fresh and give readers a reason to come back. Got any tips for making your blog stand out? Iââ¬â¢d love to hear them.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
The Rise of Canadian Business essay
The Rise of Canadian Business essay The Rise of Canadian Business essay The Rise of Canadian Business essayThe book The Rise of Canadian Business by G.D. Taylor focuses on the historical development of business and Canadian economy in the post-confederate era. At the same time, the author offers a broad overview of the economic development paying a particular attention to the development of Canadian economy in the mid-20th century and present. Throughout the book the author develops the idea that Canada relied heavily on export of resources that laid the foundation to the current economic power of Canada, while open market economy allows Canada and Canadian companies to keep progressing, evolve and adapt to changing business environment from the time of business consolidation and increasing role of state to the present era of the economic globalization.In fact, the book has three major themes that the author conveys clearly and divides into three chronological periods. These themes are the evolving patterns of business organization, the distinctive featu res of Canadian business, and its international setting. The author describes the evolution and development of Canadian economy throughout the 20th century mainly. Taylor shows that the consolidation of business made it so influential that the government regulation and interference into the economic development became essential. This interference was essential to stand for interests of the majority of people in Canada rather than for interests of a few large corporations. At the same time, along with economic changes, the author points out that the development of business and business consolidation threatened to the environment and future of Canada because business consolidation was accompanied by the intensive use of natural resources, extraction of minerals, and deterioration of the environmental situation because businesses exploited rich natural resources of Canada without any control from the part of the state. In this regard, Taylor views natural resources of Canada as the maj or asset of Canada that contributed to its economic growth.The same idea of the primary role of natural resources as the primary driver of the economic growth of Canada could be traced in other parts of the book dedicated to the increasing involvement of state into the economic regulation and development and the present era of globalization. In such a way, Taylor backs up his thesis and attempts to show that natural resources comprise the major asset of Canada and lays the foundation for the further economic growth throughout its economic history in the 20th as well as the 21st century. This idea is very important for the entire book and is one of the main messages conveyed by the author. At the same time, the author develops the concept of the state regulation as an essential condition for the balanced exploitation of natural resources by businesses. Even today, when the globalization has brought considerable changes to the economic development of Canada, Taylor still views natural resources as an important asset that can keep Canadian economy growing.However, the author underestimates services sector and its contribution to the economic development of Canada, especially now. For example, the author mentions that two largest insurance companies are ranked among top ten insurance companies of the world, but still Taylor does not develop thisà idea further to show the increased role of services, which may become as significant driver of the economic growth of Canada as natural resources do.Thus, the book depicts the economic development and gives the comprehensive analysis of the evolution of Canadian business from business consolidation to globalization, but the author seems to be too concerned with natural resources as the major source of the economic growth of Canada and underestimates the potential of services in the global competitive environment.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Athletic Director at State University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Athletic Director at State University - Essay Example tate University have devised their funding strategy from a different point of view, where they openly disclose their needs and costs to their supporters. Few weeks ago, the menââ¬â¢s track and the field coach released their budget through their athlete website detailing the items needs and the program attached (Humphrey, & Humphrey, 112). Furthermore, the team ensured that the individual needs were accompanied by their related costs; this gave supporters an overview of the expectations of the team. The Michigan State University track and field schedule prove goal oriented and transparent. This strategy proves an asset to many schools when creating awareness for their needs. Another crucial consideration is that the funds raised must attend to the needs specified if the team wants to gain the trusted the donors (Humphrey, & Humphrey, 146). A successful athletic department ensures that the donor will always yearn to help the team achieve higher levels of success. The period 1800/ 1900 marked a momentous date in the calendarsââ¬â¢ of college heads, law makers, alumnae, faculty, athletic directors, as the intercollegiate athletics along the institutions of higher learning was signed; they were well aware of the relationship between the success of their athletic schedules through the cooperation of donors. The reasons as to why vast individuals assume the positive influence attached to college sports and donors comes from the fact that; a well performing team serves as a source of revenue to colleges and universities in question. College sports are normally termed as a million dollar industry; prompted by their exposure to the public (Humphrey, & Humphrey, 156). The Michigan State University involves its activities in the media through; print media, the Internet, and through the television. There appears a belief that; successful college sports are a ticket to accessing more revenue for colleges and universities involved. As the director of the Central Michigan
Friday, February 7, 2020
Student will be required to go to zoo observe two types of non human Research Paper
Student will be required to go to zoo observe two types of non human primates and write two pages on each primate observed - Research Paper Example His movement on the ground is fast and fluid, and he leaps along, using hands and feet, and somersaulting as he goes. He looks left and right all the time, as if to scan for predators, and as soon as he reaches a tree trunk he swings up in an arm over arm gesture. His movement from branch to branch is even faster than his ground movement, showing an adaptation to life in the forest canopy. On the ground slightly apart from the tree equipment there is an older female and a younger orang utan who are engaging in what looks like affectionate teasing. This is probably a mother and child, but the younger individual is not a baby. This may be an adolescent. The pair roll about on the grass, and hug each other from time to time as they do so. Communication appears to be by touch, since they do not have much eye contact, and their interaction is mostly silent. The bond between the two is obviously close. At one point the solitary younger male approaches the two and reaches out as if to touch them, but the two ignore him and he distances himself again from them. None of the orang utans take any notice of the human observers on the perimeter of the enclosure. High up on a shelf there is another adult individual sitting in a crouched position. The full face is hidden, and so it is not obvious whether this is a male or female. It is easy to overlook this one because there was little movement and no sound. The orang utan looked down on the pair playing on the grass, but appeared not to be interested in what was going on. It may be that this orang utan was depressed, or simply bored with the same routine. There were several spells when the young male positioned himself at the edge of the enclosure, looking out and turning his back to the other individuals. This appeared to be a deliberate statement of independence from the rest, as if he were imitating the senior sitting up on the high shelf. He did not sustain this pose for long, however, and soon resumed his hyper-active s winging, grasping the suspended toys, and running along the ground. The key activities viewed were therefore play (both solo and in a mother/child pair) and observation of each other and the surrounding area. There was plenty of independent activity, but only the mother and child had any real close interaction with each other. This suggests that orang utans are fairly solitary creatures outside the mother/child unit. There is evidence of group awareness but it appears not to be the main concern of the orang utans observed. The chimpanzee group is much more vocal and there is a lot of interaction between individuals, with groups forming and dissolving all the time. There is also a larger number present, with at least 12 individuals moving around in a steady walk on their hands and feet. From time to time there is some screeching from one or two individuals, and the rest appear to be uneasy when they hear this. The screeches are made with bared teeth and agitated movements. The other chimpanzees look at the screeching chimpanzee and then look away again, sometimes making lip movements and raising eyebrows. Some chimpanzeess get up and move out of the way when an agitated individual approaches them. Many individuals sit for a time on the grass, picking items up and looking at them which suggests a foraging instinct. They do not appear to be eating what they find. It is not always evident which are males and which are females, especially in the younger individuals. There is one
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Effective Communication Essay Example for Free
Effective Communication Essay Effective communication is essential in any workplace, especially within a criminal justice organization. In this paper, the author will discuss the process of verbal and nonverbal communication and the associated components of each, the differences between listening and hearing in communication, the formal and informal channels of communication in criminal justice organizations and the strategies that may be implemented to overcome communication barriers therein. Types of Communication and the Process Involvedà Communication is defined as ââ¬Å"a process involving several steps, among two or more persons, for the primary purpose of exchanging information. â⬠(Wallace Roberson, 2009). This process can involve two types of communication: verbal and nonverbal. Verbal Verbal communication includes transmitting information orally. This type of communication can involve sharing information or exchanging ideas between two people or a group. Speaking is just one aspect of verbal communication. Verbal communication does not solely involve the sender transmitting the message to the receiver. Verbal communication also involves listening from the receiver and giving feedback to the sender as a confirmation that the message was understood. In a criminal justice organization, ââ¬Å"oral communication skills are necessary to talk with members of the general public, request assistance from other officers, advise suspects of their Miranda rights, and inform supervisors that certain actions have occurred. â⬠(Wallace Roberson, 2009). Being an officer requires a lot of verbal communication to fulfill some of the essential duties of working in law enforcement. Nonverbal Nonverbal communication includes written communication via reports, memorandums, notes from meetings, notes taken from accounts between officers and witnesses, victims, suspects, etc. Nonverbal can also include facial expressions. Facial expressions and body language oftentimes are used to convey emotions when words are absent. The Process of Communication The process of communication involves transmitting an idea, sending the idea through a medium (verbal/nonverbal), receiving the message, understanding the idea, and providing feedback to the message sender. The first step of transmitting an idea ââ¬Å"implies the formation of one or several thoughts and the desire to express these ideasâ⬠. (Wallace Roberson, 2009). The next step involves choosing a method of communicating that idea. This can be done through verbal or nonverbal communication. Despite what method is used, it is imperative to know who the audience is and decide what tone the message is to be delivered. The tone, especially with oral communication, can make a world of a difference in how the receiver interprets the message. When the receiver then receives the message, his interpretation may not be how the message was originally intended to be received. The understanding of the idea or message relies strongly on interpretation of the person receiving the message. The process is then completed when the receiver provides feedback to the message sender by clarifying what he or she understood and then agreeing or disagreeing with the message itself. All these steps are part of the communication process, if one step fails then the communication becomes ineffective and invaluable. Listening vs. Hearingà According to the American Heritage College Dictionary, the word hearing is defined as ââ¬Å"the sense by which sound is perceived; the capacity to hearâ⬠(2009). Hearing can include the capacity to hear the audio of the message being received and the words being enunciated, but it cannot ensure whether the message was indeed understood. Hearing is only one part of the communication process. The ability to comprehend by actually listening to what is being said, understanding the message by using the aids such as tone, facial expressions and body language completes this process. Active listening is important to effective communication. Channels of Communication Channels of communication in a criminal justice organization help demonstrate how the information flows from one person or group to another. The flow of communication or channels can include formal or informal methods. Formal Formal channels of communication include orders, directives and written memorandums that follow a chain of command. Communication in this scenario usually flows downward from the highest level of the totem pole, such as a police chief down to its subordinates. This type of channel of communication has both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of using a formal channel promote uniformity within the department. All officers, despite their rank, receive the same information. The disadvantage of using formal channels is that it sometimes stops the free flow of communication. If this channel type of communication is used it does not leave much room for officers to exchange freely any information within their department. That is to say that patrol officers usually are not encouraged to communicate amongst their peers but rather just receive instruction from their superiors. This hinders the department because officers are not encouraged to help one another, communicate with each other and possibly provide or exchange crucial information that might help them execute their responsibilities. Informal Informal channels of communication include ââ¬Å"unofficial routes of communication within a law enforcement agency. These channels do not appear on any organizational chart, and they may not be officially sanctioned by the department. â⬠(Wallace Roberson, 2009). This type of communication usually allows a free flow of information within all those employed in criminal justice organization. The direction of communication usually does not go up or down the ladder of chain of command. It opens up and encourages communication between officers and the different departments that make up the law enforcement agency. It promotes the sharing of information amongst peers that may ultimately contribute to successfully completing their duty of serving and protecting the community together as a team. Barriers to Effective Communication There are many barriers to effective communication. These barriers include emotional, physical and semantic barriers. Ineffective listening can also be construed as an important barrier as well. Emotional barriers can include an officer having low self esteem. This officer in question perhaps feels the need to refrain from communicating anything because he lacks self-confidence and is afraid to be put down by his peers. Many agencies have confronted this type of barrier by providing peer support groups so that they can work together to break these feelings of insecurity and promote a sense of trust. Physical barriers can breakdown communication. Physical barriers can include the use of faulty equipment where messages cannot be transmitted from one to another because the radio transmitters are not working or the computers in the vehicles or in the office are down. Having readily available and working technological equipment can help with communication between officers. Other types of physical barriers is perhaps the distance between officers when they are communicating. Shortening the distance can help provide a feeling of camaraderie and trust. Semantics involve the selection of words you choose to aid you with your communication. Obviously if you choose the wrong word, the communication will not be as effective and the entire message can be misread. Ineffective listening can also play a role in hindering the communication process. If one is not engaged in the speaker because perhaps they do not find the speaker or his/her topic interesting enough, or perhaps you already have your biases or set opinions on what is being said and so your are listening with a closed mind, this can lend to ruining the communication between you and the sender. Strategies to Overcome Barriers In order to overcome the above mentioned barriers, you must first understand what kind of barrier is preventing the flow of communication. Once pinpointing the type of barrier you can proceed to try and remove those barriers so that you can become an effective communicator. Emotional barriers can be dealt with by working on self improvement such as going to counseling for depression or self esteem issues can help. Law enforcement agencies can provide help with finding the right person to talk to or by providing a peer support group you can join to help deal with these types of emotional barriers. Physical barriers can be handled by ensuring that all equipment used within the department is adequately functioning and therefore the lines of communication can remain open. If the physical barrier involves distance between officers, then that distance needs to be shortened so that the communication between these officers allows for better exchange between them. Barriers that involve semantics can be improved upon by going to school or studying grammar, and word selection. The internet is a great way to explore tools that can help with improving your communication skills with words. Identifying what barriers are preventing someone from exchanging information and finding appropriate solutions to overcome these challenges will ensure a better and more effective way of communicating. Conclusion As children we learned early on how to communicate first without words then learning to speak and finally learning to write. Communication is a vital part of life. Without proper communication, the exchange of ideas and messages cannot be conveyed between people in either a personal or professional setting. Communication within a criminal justice organization is just as important. Learning how the process of communication works and identifying the barriers that breakdown this communication are tools that are needed. Communication is crucial to helping overall with the execution of law enforcement.
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