Mb0039 business communication spring2015_assignment- SMU_MBA-Solved-Assignment-
- 1. ASSIGNMENT, Drive SPRING 2015 Program MBA, Semester 1 Subject code & name – MB0039 –Business Communication Book ID B1622, Credit & Marks 4 CREDIT, 60 MARKS Answerall questions. Q. 1. As a speakeryouare addressingagroupof people.Whatcouldbe the possiblebarriersinthis communication? Q. 2. What is the importance of KinesicsandProxemicsincommunication?Explainwithexamples. Q. 3. What are the stepsin makingoral businesspresentation? Q. 4. Imagine a newproductfromkids’apparel industry.Write apersuasive lettertocustomers, persuadingthemtobuyyourcompany’sproduct. Q. 5. You are goingto face a jobinterviewforthe postof Manager-operations.Whichaspectsyou will keepinmindwhile facingthe interview? Q. 6. Write short noteson:a) Skimmingb) Notices Q. No 1. As a speakeryou are addressinga group of people.Whatcould be the possible barriers in this communication? Ans.1- Communicationfailswhenthe message receivedisnotidentical tothe message thatissent. Several factorscouldinterferewiththe exchangeof messages. Barriers to Communication:- ‘Noise’referstoall these factorsthatdisruptthe communicationandcan be classifiedunderthe followingtypes: Physical noise – Distractingsounds,pooracoustics,orjustinformationoverloadcould interfere withthe listeningprocess. Physiological noise – Hearingor otherdisabilities,fatigue,orphysical illnesscouldcome in the way of both speakingandlistening. Psychological noise – Sometimesemotionswithinthe senderorreceiversuchas preoccupations,hostility,fearorlackof interestcouldinterfere the speakingorlistening process. There are manyotherbarriersto communication,anunderstandingandanalysisof whichare neededbeforecomingupwithwaystoeliminateorminimisethem. These barrierstocommunicationmaybe classifiedasfollows: Environmental barriers – Anenvironmental barrieristhe same asphysical noise,whichcouldbe in the form of distractingsounds,anovercrowdedroom, poorfacilitiesandacoustics,all of whichmay hinderthe abilitytolistentoandunderstandthe message. Individual barriers – A major barrierto interpersonal communicationisatendencytojudge, evaluate,approve, ordisapprove the viewsof anotherperson.Thishappensparticularlyinsituations where we have strongfeelingsaboutsomething.Insuchcases,we tendtoblockout the communicationandformourown viewpoints.
- 2. Organisational barriers – In organisationsthatare too hierarchical,thatis,where there are multiple ‘layers’,messagesmayhave topassthrough manylevelsbefore theyfinallyreachthe receiver.Each level mayaddto,modifyor completelychange the message,somuchso thatit becomesdistorted by the time itreachesthe intendedreceiver.Inotherwords,there islikelytobe lossof meaningand the message maynot reachthe receiverinthe same wayas itwas intendedbythe sender. Channel barriers – In the earliersection,itwaspointed outthatcommunicationcanfail due toany of the differentelementsgoingwrong.Wrongchoice of channel isone of the mainbarriersto communication.Usingawrongmediumof advertising,orconveyingamessage orallywhenawritten letterwouldbe more appropriate,are examples.The writtenchannel ismore appropriate whenthe communicationismore formal orfor keepingthingsonrecord,while emotionalmessagessuchas feelingsaboutco-workersare betterconveyedorally. Linguisticand cultural barriers – Whenthe senderof the message usesalanguage that the receiver doesnotunderstand,the communicationwill notsucceed.Eitherthe sendermaybe usinga differentorforeignlanguage,orthe language usedmaybe toohighlytechnical forthe receiverto understand Linguisticbarriersmayalsooccur incross-cultural advertisinganddistortcommunication,when translatingcampaignsorslogansliterallyfromone language toanother.Forexample,Pepsi’sslogan “Come Alive withPepsi”,whentranslated intoChinese,read“Pepsibringsyourancestorsbackfrom the grave!”Many accidentshave happenedinairbecause the pilot,whoisof foreignorigin,hasnot followedproperlythe directionsgivenbythe AirTrafficControllerwhospeaksIndianisedEnglish. Cultural differencesrefertodifferencesinvaluesandperceptions,whichmayaffectthe interpretationof the messagebythe receiver.Forexample,ajoke aboutwomenmaybe takenin the wrong sense if the receiverbelongstoa culture inwhichwomen are highlyrespected. Semantic barriers– The word‘semantics’referstothe meaningof wordsandthe wayinwhichthey are used.Forexample,differentwordsmayhave differentmeaningsindifferentcultures.Failure to take thisintoconsiderationcouldleadtoseriousblunders. Non-verbal barriers– Thisrefersto the non-verbal communicationthatgoeswitha particular message.Non-verbal communicationincludestone of voice,bodylanguage suchasgesturesand facial expressions,etc.We will be discussingthisindetail inunit2.If the tone of voice andbody language are negative,the communicationwill fail,howeverpositive the spokenandwritten message. For example,if youhappentomeetalonglostfriendandsay“I am delightedtomeetyou”,butina sad tone of voice,the exactopposite messagewillbe conveyed! Therefore,itisimportanttoavoidgivingconflictingsignals,throughthe use of non-verbal communication. Q. No 2. What isthe importance of KinesicsandProxemicsincommunication?Explainwithexamples. Ans.2- Non-verbal communicationplaysanimportantrole inbusinesscommunication. The followinglistsare the differenttypesof non-verbalcommunication,withthe corresponding communicationterminology.
- 3. Types ofNon-verbal CommunicationDescription CommunicationTerminology Bodylanguage Kinesics Touching Haptics Personal space anddistance Proxemics Use of time Chronemics Tone of voice Paralanguage Physical environment Physical context Importance of Kinesicsincommunication withexamples:- Kinesicsisthe mostoftenstudiedandimportantareaof non-verbalcommunicationandrefersto bodymovementsof anykind.Differentbody movementscanexpressinnerstatesof emotion.The differentbodymovementsare: Facial expressions–Facial expressionscanconveyfeelingsof surprise,happiness,angerand sadness.If youmeeta longlostfriendandsay“I am veryhappyto meetyouagain”,butwitha sad facial expression,itconveysthe exactopposite meaning. Eye movements– The eye movementssuchaswide openpupilsexpressfeelingsof surprise, excitementorevenfear.The importance of eye contactwithone’saudiencewaspointedoutearlier. Directeye contact isan indicationof intensityandinterest,while lackof itcan conveyfeelingsof nervousnessandguilt.Asprolongedeye contactcanintimidate people,itisnota goodideato stare at people.Differentculturesperceive eye contactdifferently.InAsia,LatinAmericaandAfrica people avoiddirecteye contacttoshowrespect.Arabsuse prolongedeye contacttomeasure trustworthiness. Gestures– The gesturessuchas movementof the handswhile givingalecture orpresentation indicatesahighlevel of involvementinwhatyouare saying.Onthe otherhand,shuffling of the feet isa signof nervousnessandspeakingwithone’shandsinone’spocketsisconsideredtobe casual or evenrude. Head movements– The headmovementslike noddingthe headcanconveyinterest,appreciation, agreementorunderstanding. Posture – Posture,referstocarriage or attitude.Ourposture can indicate ourfeelings.Informal settingssuchas jobinterviewsorclassroomsettings,itisessentialthatyoumaintainanerect posture to conveythatyouare attentive,since slouchingora relaxedposture conveysacasual attitude.Similarly,crossingyourarmsand legscan conveythatyouare defensive andrigid. Uncrossingyourarms and legscan indicate thatyouare willingtolisten. Physical appearance – Our outwardappearance,includingthe waywe dressandthe jewelleryand make-upthatwe wearcan conveyan impressionof formalityorinformality.Goingtoajob interview dressedinblue jeansornotstickingtoa stipulateddresscode atthe workplace canconveythatyou are a rebel,non-conformistora verycasual person. Therefore,itisimportanttotake care of your appearance,sothat youconveythe rightmeaningto others.
- 4. Importance of Proxemicsincommunication with examples:- Proxemicsisderivedfromthe word‘proximity’orclosenessandisthe communicationtermfor personal space anddistance.The space and distance whichwe choose tokeepfrompeople isalso part of non-verbal communication.Eachof us hasour own innerand outercircles,whichdifferfor differentpeople.The differenttypesof spacesare asfollows: Intimate space – Our innermostcircle isan ‘intimate space’,intowhichwe generallyadmitonly selectpeople suchasfamilyandclose friends. Personal space – A ‘personal space’mightinclude otherfriendsandcolleaguesorco-workers.The intimate andpersonal spacesinvolve communicationof aninformal nature. Social and publicspace – The ’social andpublicspace’includesofficial orworkplace relationships, where the communicationisof amore formal nature. In a businesscontext,itismore relevanttounderstandthe conceptof the followingspaces: Fixedspace – Fixedspace meansthatthe physical featuresof the workenvironmentsuchas furniture,roomsize andseatingarrangementare permanent.Thisconveysanimpressionof formality. Semi-fixedspace –Semi-fixedspace meansthatcertainelementsof the environmentcanbe changed.For example,changingthe seatingarrangementconveysanimpressionof informality. Sometimes,use of space atthe workplace candetermine leadershippositions.Forexample,seating at the headof the table conveysleadershiporauthority.A roundtable meeting,however,conveys the ideaof equality,since noone canbe seatedatthe headof the table.All pointsof a circle are the same.That iswhy whenheadsof state meet(asinUN SecurityCouncil meetings),itisalwaysa roundtable discussion,since all headsare equal. Space shouldtherefore be usedcarefullyinaworkenvironment,soasto conveythe right impressions. Q. No 3. What are the stepsinmakingoral businesspresentation? Ans.3- Oral businesspresentationsare apowerful wayof presentingyourideastoothersandare usuallycalledforwhen awrittenmemoorreportisnot sufficienttodothe job. Presentationsmaybe made to bothinternal audiences –superiors,peersandsubordinates,aswell as to external audiences –consumers,intermediaries,bankers,suppliersetc.Presentationsmayalso be of differenttypes,eachwithadifferentpurpose. The followingstepsare usedto developan effective Oral Businesspresentation:- Definitionofthe purpose of the presentation Before preparingforthe presentation,itisimportanttobe clearon the goal of the presentation.A ’statementof purpose’,expressingwhatyouwantto achieve throughthe presentationmustbe framed,sothat it becomeseasytomeasure whetherthe goal hasbeenaccomplishedornot. The purpose of the presentationmaybe statedinbroador general termsorinmore specificterms.
- 5. Developmentofthe key idea The ‘keyidea’of a presentationisastatementthatexpressesthe mainmessage tobe conveyedto the audience.Itisdifferentfromastatementof purpose,which isgenerallymeantforthe presenter. The keyideais forthe audience anditis statedat the beginningof the presentation. Audience analysis Making a goodpresentationalone isnotenough.Italsohasto be tailoredtoyourlistenersinsucha waythat theyunderstandandappreciate it. Analysisof yourselfas a speaker You alsoneedtodo a self-analysistodetermine yourownpurpose of makingthe presentation,your level of knowledgeonthe subjectandyourfeelingsaboutthe subject. Analysisof the circumstances Thisincludestakingintoconsiderationanylimitationsof infrastructure,time andcontextthatmight affectyourpresentation.Forexample,if youwill be speakinginasmall roomwhere the lightingand acousticsare insufficient,youmayhave toovercome the limitationsbyalteringthe seating arrangement,usingbrightervisualsandspeakingloudly.If the presentationistobe made after lunch,youcan include manyattentiongrabbersinthe presentation,tokeepthe audience alert.If youare makinga presentationaspartof a team, your style of presentationhastobe consistentwith that of your teammembers. Preparation of outline Once the initial groundworkisdone,youmustdevelopanoutlineof yourpresentation.Irrespective of the nature and purpose of the presentation,astandardformatis generallyfollowed. Collectionofinformationand material Once the outline of the presentationisdeveloped,youcanstartgatheringthe relevantmaterial.This isa time consumingprocessandrequiresafairamountof research. Organisation of the body The body of the presentationmustalwaysbe preparedbefore the introduction.Organisingthe body consistsinidentifyingthe keypointsthatsupportyourmainideaandthenselecting an organisational plantodevelopthese keypoints. Planningthe introduction Since the introductioniswhere youmake the firstimpression,itmustbe plannedwithcare.Itmust take up between10and 15 percentof your total speakingtime.Atthe outset,youneedtotryand establishyourcredibility,byshowingthatyouare qualifiedtospeakonthe subjectof the presentation.Anattentiongettingopenermustbe developed,usingtechniquessuchashumour, dramaticquestions,aninterestingstory,aquotationora startlingstatement. Planningthe conclusion The conclusionof a presentationmustbe shorterthanthe introductionandoccupyonly5 percentof the entire presentation.Youmustneverintroduce anew topicinthe conclusion.Generally,every conclusionmusthave a reviewandaclosingstatement. Selectionofa deliverystyle Once your presentationisadequatelypreparedintermsof content,youalsoneedtoensure thatit will be deliveredeffectively,byselectinganappropriate style of delivery.
- 6. Q. 4. Imagine anewproduct fromkids’apparel industry.Write apersuasivelettertocustomers, persuadingthemtobuyyourcompany’sproduct. Ans.4- Business lettersmaybe usedfora varietyof purposes,includingroutinecorrespondence, buildinggoodrapport,conveyingpleasantorunpleasantnewsandpersuadingcustomerstobuythe company’sproducts.The typesof messagesconveyedthroughbusinessletterscanbe categorised intothe followingthreebroadtypes: Routine messagesorletters Bad newsmessagesorletters Persuasive messagesorletters Persuasive letters The most commontype of persuasive letterisasalesletteraddressedtocustomers, persuading themto buyyour company’sproduct.A salesletterissimilartoanadvertisementandusesthe same “AIDA”(Attention,Interest,Desire andAction) format.Thismeanstakingthe consumersthrough differentmental stagesinaparticularsequence –firstgettingtheirattention,creatinginterestby highlightingunique featuresof the product,inducingdesire byconvincingthemthatthe productis betterthanothersand thenmotivatingthemtotrythe product.Saleslettersare usedtosell industrial productssuchasmachinery,consumerdurable productsandotherhigh-valueitems. The indirectorganisational planorthe inductivepatternisalsousedwhenwritingpersuasiveletters such as salesletters.Inasalesletter,the mainideaisasking the customertobuyyour company’s product.Thiscannot be statedright away,since the readerfirsthasto be convincedaboutthe benefitsof the product,before he canbe askedtobuy or try it.Therefore,itisnecessarytodelay the mainidea,or askingforaction,until youhave presentedthe reasons.Inotherwords,the reasonswill be presentedfirst,thenthe mainidea,followedbyafriendlyclosing. The AIDA formatisessentiallyanindirectorganisational plan.Ittriestocapture the reader’s attentionfirst,andthencreatesinterestinanddesire forthe product,before askingforpurchase of the product. The indirectorganisational planisusedforconveyingbadnewsmessagesandpersuasive messages such as salesletters.Itincludesthe followingsteps: 1. Presentthe reasonsandexplanationsfirst. 2. Tell the mainidea. 3. End witha friendlyclosing. A persuasive lettersuchasa salesletteralsofollowsthe indirectorganisational plan.Inthiscase,the AIDA formatis usedto first gainattentionandconvincesthe readeraboutthe product’sbenefits, before askingforactionor purchase of the product. The mainidea,whichisthe call for actionis presentedatthe end. Beginthe letterthankingthe distributorforthe interestshown.Brieflydescribe the mainprinciples of yourcompany.Thenlistthe featuresandbenefitsof yourproducts.Close the letteronapositive note to buildalong-termrelationshipwiththe distributor.
- 7. Q. 5. You are goingto face a job interview forthe postof Manager-operations.Whichaspectsyou will keepinmindwhile facingthe interview? Ans.5:- As a jobapplicant,youwill have todosome groundworkbefore the interview,prepareto do well duringthe interview,assessyourperformance anddosome follow upafterthe interview. Preparationbefore the interview alsoinvolvesdoingaself-analysis,toassessyourownabilities, strengths,weaknesses,interestsandpreferences. Last,butmostimportant,isplanningyour personal appearance andattire. During the job interview:- Once you have gone throughthe preparationstage,youare readyto face the actual interview.This isthe mostimportantstage of the jobapplicationprocess,duringwhichattentionshouldbe paidto the followingaspects: Openingformalities – Since itisimportantto create a goodfirstimpression,the wayyougreetand introduce yourselfisimportant.Usingthe name of the interviewercorrectly,givingafirm handshake,waitingtill youare askedtobe seatedandsittingwithanerect posture are common courtesiesthatshouldbe observedtoprojecta goodimage. Non-verbal communication– Thiswasdiscussedindetail inUnit2. It wasemphasisedthatinface- to-face communication,non-verbal cuescanenhance communicationandconveyapositive message.Apartfroma firmhandshake anderectposture,yournon-verbal behaviourshouldindicate that youare confidentandattentive towhatthe interviewer issaying.Directeye contact,facial gesturesandnoddingtoshowthat youare listeningare all importantaspectsof non-verbal communicationthatshouldbe observedduringthe interview. Group interviews –A group interviewisone where apanel of interviewersinterviewasingle applicant.The groupmay comprise peoplefromdifferentfunctional areasinthe organisation,such as HR, Marketingand Finance.Whenaskedaquestionbyone of the group members,itiscommon courtesyto make eye contactwith and addressyourresponsestoall the interviewers. Two-way interview– Althoughthe applicant’staskisprimarilytolistenandthe interviewer’sjobis primarilytoaskquestions,itisinthe handsof the applicanttomake the communicationatwo-way process.Apartfrom answeringquestions,the intervieweeshouldshow interestinthe jobandthe companyby askingrelevantquestions,whereverpossible. Honesty and humility– It is importanttobe honestandto avoidgivingvague answersorbeating aroundthe bush,if youdo notknowthe answertoa particularquestion.Employersappreciate honesty,ratherthanover-smartanswers.Humilityisequallyimportant.Forexample,whenasked aboutyour weaknesses,donotstate thatyou have no weaknesses.Anotherpointtorememberisto avoidexaggeration.Forexample,if youare beinginterviewedbyatop executiveof the company,do not suggestthatyou can turn the companyaround. Positive answers– Do not speakill of yourpreviousemployers.If askedaboutyourprevious experiences,youmaygive honestfeedback,butyoushoulddosotactfully.Youranswersshould alwaysendona positive note. Salary discussion– Anydiscussion onsalaryshouldbe initiatedbythe interviewerandnotby the interviewee,especiallyduringthe initial interview.Whenaskedaboutyoursalaryexpectations,you
- 8. shouldindicate arange,ratherthan a specificfigure.Therefore,youshouldhave foundoutthe general salaryrange forcandidateswithyourqualificationsandexperience,before the interview. Onlythencan yougive a reasonable responsetothe question.Youalsoneedtoassessyourown experience, qualificationsandwhetheryouhave otherjoboffers,before respondingtoa question on salaryexpectations. Closingthe interview– Howyou close the interview isasimportantashow you openit.Normally, the interviewergivesasignal whenthe interviewisover,eitherthroughbodylanguage, orby makinga commentonthe nextstepforaction.At thispoint,youmustthankthe interviewer,give anotherfirmhandshake andsaythat you lookforwardtohearingfromthe companysoon. Sometimes,the interviewermayconclude byinvitingyoutoask questions.Inthiscase,youshould onlyask questionsthatare relevanttothe jobor the organisationandavoidaskingquestionsrelated to yourperformance inthe interview.Itwouldbe agoodideato prepare a listof questionstoask and to reserve some of these questionsforthe endof the interview. Q. 6. Write short notes on the following: a) Skimming b) Notices Ans.6- Readingcanbe classifiedintofollowingtypes:Skimming,Scanning,Extensive reading, Intensive readingandLoudandsilentreading. Meaningand role of skimming Skimmingmaybe definedas“lookingoveratext/bookquickly,inordertogeta general or superficial ideaof the content”.Skimmingisusuallydonetograspmainideasand to review the material byskippingthe details. Let ussay that youare a studentof managementandassuggestedbyyourprofessor,youneedto buya reference textbook forwritingapaperon InvestmentManagementorQualityManagement. You go to a bookstore and see a rack full of books,withthe same title,butdifferentauthors.Youdo not have time toread the pagesbefore decidingonbuyingthe book.Therefore,you quicklygo throughthe contents,title page andthe blurb.By now,youhave decidedtobuyone book.Thistype of readingthatyoudo inthe bookstore isknownas ’skimming’. Meaningand role of Notices:- In an organisationalarge amountof informationiscommunicatedviathe writtenmedium.Written communicationsinclude memos,notices,circulars,organisationperiodicals, etc. communicatedvia e-mails,bulletinboards,etc.Writtencommunicationispreferredoverotherformsof communicationasitprovidesatangible andverifiablerecordof the informationthatwas exchanged.The recordcanbe storedforan indefinite periodandhence,in-caseof anyconcernon the communicatedmessage,itisphysically available forverification.Thisisveryuseful for communicationthatinvolvescomplex andlengthyinformation. Noticesare alsowrittenformsof communicationwithinthe organisation.The basicdifference betweenacircularand notice isthatcirculars are announcementsthatare distributedtosmall or selectivegroupsof people withinthe organisation,whereasnoticesare meantfora largergroup of people.Anotherwaytodifferentiateacircularand notice isthat circularare circulatedtorespective individuals,whereasnoticesare putupon notice boards.
- 9. On the otherhand,noticesgenerallycontaininformationorannouncementsthatare meantforall the employeesof anorganisation. For example,alistof declaredholidaysforacalendaryearis a notice,asthe informationisrelevant to all employees. The common purposes ofusing a Notice inbusinesscommunication are to: Invite fora meeting Informa newrule/regulationtobe initiatedorformulated Informaboutan eventtobe held Informthe deadline forsubmittinganypaperwork A notice istherefore alegal documentthathasto be put upon an official notice orbulletinboard. It has a reference number,date anda subject,similartoa memo.The signature,name and designationof the issuerof the notice appearat the bottomon the lefthandside. Noticesare readby a large numberof people andcan alsobe usedas evidence incourtcases. Therefore,care mustbe takenwhenwritingthem.Theyhave tobe wordedverypreciselyand clearly,tomake sure that there isno ambiguity.Theymustalsobe brief andtothe point.The tone mustbe firm,butnot offensive andarrogant.Dependingonthe type of notice,the durationof displayof a notice isspecifiedundervariouslegal provisions.