mb0039 business communication assignment 1

8/3/2019 MB0039 Business Communication Assignment 1

1/11

Q1. Briefly describe any situation in your own experience where the communication failed

because the non-verbal behavior sent a negative message. Which aspect of non-verbal

communication contributed to the failure? How would you correct this?

Answer : Some time back I was called up for an interview from a multinational company. I wasdressed in jean, T-shirts and sports shoes. The interview panel noticed my dressing before the

interview and I couldn`t make an impression. They told me I better try somewhere else, we don`t

want casual employee. It wasn`t a good experience for me. Type of non-verbal communication :-

Types of Non-verbal Communication

Description

Communication Terminology

Body Language Kinesics

Personal Space and Distance Proxemics

Meaning Attached to Time Time Language

Tone of Voice Paralanguage

Physical Environment Physical Context

Kinesics fully contributed towards my failure in the job interview. I will correct this by keeping

some points in my mind before taking up any commitment:

Kinesics This is the most often studied and important area of non-verbal communication and refers

to body movements of any kind. Different body movements can express inner states of emotion.

Facial Expressions can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and sadness. If you meet a

long lost friend and say Im very happy to meet you again, but with a sad facial expression, it

conveys the exact opposite meaning.

Eye Movements, such as wide open pupils express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear. The

importance of eye contact with ones audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye contact is an

indication of intensity and interest, while lack of it can convey feelings of nervousness and guilt.

Gestures, such as movement of the hands while giving a lecture or presentation indicates a high level

of involvement in what you are saying. On the other hand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of

nervousness and speaking with ones hands in ones pockets is considered to be casual or even rude.

1


2/11

Head Movements like nodding the head can convey interest, appreciation, agreement or

understanding.

Body Shape and Posture Body shape is not within ones control but can be stereotyped to convey

certain meanings. For example, someone who is strong and muscular is generally thought to be

athletic, as opposed to a person who is short and fat!

Posture on the other hand is within our control. In formal settings such as job interviews or

classroom settings, it is essential that you maintain an erect posture to convey that you are attentive,

since slouching or a relaxed posture conveys a casual attitude.

Physical Appearance Our outward appearance, including the way we dress and the jewelry and

make-up that we wear can convey an impression of formality or informality. Going to a job interview

dressed in blue jeans or not sticking to a stipulated dress code at the workplace can convey that you

are a rebel, non-conformist or a very casual person.

Therefore, it is important to take care of your appearance, so that you convey the

right meaning to others.

2. What are the biggest barriers that prevent you from listening effectively? Explain how

you could overcome these barriers.

Answer : Listening is hard work and is more than just sitting passively and absorbing a speaker`s

word. According to Lundsteen, Listening is a highly complex process by which spoken language is

converted to meaning in the mind. As pointed out earlier, listening is not easy and there are a number

of obstacles that stand in the way of effective listening, both within and outside the workplace. These

barriers may be categorized as follows :-

1. Physiological Barriers :- This was discussed earlier under the barriers to communication.

Some people may have genuine hearing problems or deficiencies that prevent them from listening

properly. Once detected, they can generally be treated. Other people may have difficulty in processing

information, or memory related problems which make them poor listeners. Another physiological

barriers is rapid thought. Listeners have the ability to process information at the rate of approximately

500 words per minute, whereas speakers talk about 125 words per minute. Since listeners are left

with a lot of spare time, their attention may not be focused on what the speaker is saying, but may

wander elsewhere.

2. Physical Barriers : -These refer to distractions in the environment such as the sound of an

air conditioner, cigarette smoke, or an overheated room, which interfere with listening process. They

could also be in the form of information overload. For example, if you are in a meeting with your

manager and the phone rings and your mobile beeps at the same time to let you know that you have

a message; is I very hard to listen carefully to what is being said.

2


3/11

3. Attitudinal Barriers :- Pre-occupation with personal or work related problems can make it

difficult to focus one`s attention completely on what a speaker is saying, even if what is being said is

of prime importance. Another common attitudinal barrier is egocentrism, or the belief that you are

more knowledgeable than the speaker and that you have nothing new to learn for his ideas. People

with this kind of closed minded attitude make very poor listeners.

4. Wrong Assumptions :- The success of communication depends on both the sender and the

receiver. It is wrong to assume that communication is the sole responsibility of the sender or the

speaker and listeners have no role to play. Such an assumption can be a big barrier to listening. For

example, a brilliant speech or presentation, however well delivered, is wasted if the receiver is not

listening at the other end. Listener have as much responsibility as speakers to make the

communication successful, by paying attention, seeking clarifications and giving feedback. Another

wrong assumption is to think that listening is a passive activity, in which listener merely absorbs the

thoughts of speaker. On the contrary, real listening or active listening is hard work it requires

speaking sometimes to ask questions, agree or disagree with the speaker, give feedbacks, etc.

5. Cultural Barriers :- Accents can be barriers to listening, since they interfere with the ability

to understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently. The problem of different accents

arise not only between cultural, but also within a culture. For example, in a country like India where

there is enormous cultural diversity, accents may differ even between different regions and states.

Another type of cultural barrier is differing cultural values./ The importance attached to

listening and speaking differs in western and oriental cultures. Generally, Orientals regards listening

and silence as almost a virtue, whereas Westerns attach greater importance to speaking. Therefore

this would interfere with the listening process, when two people from these two different cultures

communicate.

6. Gender Barriers :- Communication research has shown that gender can be a barrier to

listening. Studies have revealed that men and women listen very differently and for different

purposes. Women are more likely to listen for the emotions behind a speaker`s words, while men

listen more for the facts and the content.

7. Lack of Training :- Listening is not an inborn skill. People are not born good listeners. They

have to develop the art of listening through practice and training. Lack of training in listening skills is

an important barrier to listening, especially in the Indian context.

8. Bad Listening Habits: - Most people are very average listeners who have developed poor

listening habits that are hard to shed and that act as barriers to listening. For example, some people

have the habit of faking attention or trying to look like a listener, in order to impress the speaker and

to assume him that they are paying attention. Others may tend to listen to each and every fact and,

3


4/11

as a result miss out on main point. Yet another habit is to avoid difficult listening and to tune off

deliberately, if the subject is too technical or difficult to understand.

Although a number of barriers stand in the way of effective listening, these can be overcome

through conscious efforts, training and practice. Some of the suggested methods are discussed below

1. Create Conductive Environment: - To an extent, you can try to control the environment in

which communication takes place, so that listening can take place without any distractions. Ensuring a

proper sound system and acoustics so that the speaker is audible, avoiding places with high level of

activity, loud noises from the outside environment and poor air conditioning systems, shutting off

mobile phones and telephones, are some of the ways in which you can overcome some of physical

barriers.

2. Select Face-to-face Channels :- Listening is less accurate in the absence of face-to-face

communication. For example, listening to and understanding ideas correctly over the telephone are

much harder than through face-to-face meeting. Take the case of calling a restaurant and placing

orders over the telephone for home delivery of a meal. The chances are that your orders may not be

understood correctly. Therefore, as for as possible, arrange face-to-face contact to ensure more

accurate listening.

3. Be Open-minded and Avoid Distractions :- Listening is an exhausting activity which

requires the right attitude and mindset. You have to focus your attention completely on what the

speaker is saying, without letting your mind wander. This kind of concentration can be developed

through various techniques and through constant practice. In addition, it is also important to ridyourself of the notion that you have nothing new to learn from the other person. Even if it is a subject

about which you may be knowledgeable, the speaker may offer a different perspective or point of

view. Therefore it is important to listen actively.

4. Use Non-verbal Cues to Indicate Active Listening :- It is important to communicate to the

speaker that you are listening actively to what he is saying. This can be done even without verbal

communication. All the different aspects of non-verbal communication discussed earlier should be

used for maximum effect. For example, maintaining steady eye contact with the speaker, sitting up

with an erect posture, nodding now and then to show appreciation and understanding and appropriate

facial expressions are some of the ways in which your non-verbal communication can indicate that you

are involved in what the speaker is saying.

5. Use Verbal Communication to Indicate Active Listening:- While non-verbal behavior by itself

can communicate that you are an active listener, it is also important to engage in verbal

communication with the speaker. Silence is often interpreted as lack of understanding or attention.

4


5/11

You need to seek clarifications, give feedback and suggestions, or just paraphrase in your own words

what the speaker has said, in order to convey that you have understood his message.

6. Listen First Before Responding:- Always let yourself finish listening before you begin to speak.

Avoid the tendency to formulate your own response, even before you have listened completely to the

speakers words. If you are too busy thinking about what to say next, you may miss the main point

that the speaker is trying to make. This also gives the speaker the impression that you are pre-

occupied or rude.

7. Use the Speaker-listener Gap constructively:- It was pointed out earlier that listeners have the

ability to absorb information faster than speakers rate of speech. This spare time available to listeners

is often misused by letting the mind wander and is one of the physiological barriers to listening. One

way of overcoming this barrier is to try to use this spare time to note down what the speaker has said,

review what has been said so far and anticipate what he may say next. Thinking ahead of the speaker

and trying to guess where his talk is leading is a good strategy for effective listening. This is not easy,

but can be learnt through proper training.

8. Focus on the Verbal and Non-verbal Message :- Listening involves not only hearing and

understanding the meaning behind the words, but also being alert to the non-verbal behavior of the

speaker. The importance of non-verbal cues has been emphasized throughout this book. It is

important to watch for any positive or negative messages that may be conveyed through the speakers

tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and outward appearance.

9. Focus on the Content, rather than the Delivery:- In order to grasp the true meaning of what

the speaker is saying, it is important to concentrate on the content of the message, rather than onhow the message is delivered. For example, looking at the power point slides during a speakers

presentation may distract your attention from the main point that he is trying to convey. Similarly,

being over critical of the speakers accent or mannerisms may make you miss the essence of the

message.

10. Ask Questions of Yourself and Make Notes:- In order to engage in active listening, you also

need to ask certain questions to yourself while listening. For example, What is the key idea that the

speaker is trying to convey?, How does this fit in with I already know on the subject? or How is this

presentation organized?, are some possible questions that you could jot down along with the

answers.

3. List and briefly describe the five most important guidelines, in your opinion, to be

followed when making oral business presentations.

5


6/11

Ans : Once your presentation has been adequately prepared in terms of content, you also need to

ensure that it will be delivered effectively, by selecting an appropriate style of delivery. Five important

guidelines while making business presentations are enumerated below :-

Speaking Impromptu In this case, the speaker is called upon to say a few words without

any warning or advance notice. Since there is little or no time given for preparation, it is suited

for only expert speakers. Impromptu speeches should be brief, simple and direct, compared to

prepared speeches.

Speaking Extemporaneously This is different from speaking impromptu. While impromptu

speeches are delivered on the spot and not rehearsed, an extemporaneous speech is prepared

and rehearsed in advance, but delivered naturally, without the support of notes or other aids.

This is the delivery style used by experienced professionals, who have sufficient knowledge of

the subject to be able to speak without relying on notes.

Memorizing the Presentation This is the least appealing style of delivery, since it comes

across as unnatural and monotonous to the audience. A speaker who memorizes and delivers

a presentation word for word will also be at a disadvantage if he forgets a part of the speech,

since he or she will be unable to speak naturally.

Reading from Written Notes This consists in reading the entire presentation from notes.

It is a method used by government or business officials and may be appropriate when the

material to be presented is highly technical or complex. However, it has some limitations. First,

it gives the impression that the speech is very long and heavy. Secondly, it prevents the

presenter from making eye contact with the audience.

Speaking from Notes This is generally the most effective style of delivery. It consists in

jotting down the main ideas in point form on index cards and then referring to these cards

merely as a trigger while speaking. If the main ideas are put down briefly on the cards, the

speaker can elaborate on these ideas in his own words and speak for any length of time. The

presentation is likely to be more effective, since it comes across as natural and permits eye

contact with the audience

6


7/11

4. You are a management trainee reporting to the Marketing Manager of an organization.You have been asked to go through business publications and summarize articles related toBranding. Explain the purpose of reading in this case and the type of reading that you willbe required to do.

Ans. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol ordesign, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of

sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. Therefore it makes sense to understandthat branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it isabout getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem.The objectives that a good brand will achieve include:

Delivers the message clearly

Confirms your credibility

Connects your target prospects emotionally

Motivates the buyer

Concretes User LoyaltyBranding is a critical part of any business' success; if you'd like to pursue a career in business, it's

crucial to understand how branding works.From a shallow point of view, brand is what's given by a company to its merchandise so themanufacturer can be identified by consumers. Yet, after an increasing evolution on the production

systems that allows almost any manufacturer to make high quality and satisfactory products, brandsbecame a way of distinguishing simple commodities and their manufacturers by status, emotionalcharacteristics and subjective qualities. A well-built brand gives the company or product personality,and evokes emotional and subliminal characteristics that are not necessarily found in the company orproduct themselves.A brand is built, initially, considering the following main characteristics:The target public -- its preferences, interests and ways by which it might be attracted.The geographic place -- its particularities, culture, population, weather, history, etc.The selling place -- its consumers' habits, other merchandising available for sale and the nearbyselling places.The market -- similar products and eventual gaps or saturations on the distribution, communicationand manufacturing.Communication -- advertisement and other marketing actions, as well as brand building of similarproducts.

After a market analysis, the building is started, accomplishing the following steps (not necessarily inthe given order):Creation of a name by the company owner, its marketing department or an advertisement agencyIt is important to

Understand what your brands strengths and weaknesses are from your customersperspectives

Know how your customers perceive your brand vis--vis competitive brands

Understand which benefits are the most important to your customers and which of thosebenefits your brand could uniquely own in your customers minds

Know which benefits are believable for your brand

Understand how different customer groups perceive your brands product/service categories(and the brands within them) differently

Most product categories are mature with (a) numerous competitors and (b) most of the viable brandpositions taken. It is not a trivial exercise to position brands within those categories. It requiressignificant and nuanced customer insight informed by well thought through research. The days ofchoosing brand positions such as the following are long since past:

I. Brand X is the quality leader in its categoryII. Brand Y is the service leader in its category

III. Brand Z is the innovation leader in its categoryFurther, many categories have become commoditized making brand positioning even more difficult.Relevant brand research might include any or all of the following:Focus groups to understand customer purchase motivations and the strength of specific functional,emotional, experiential and self expressive benefits

7


8/11

Qualitative research to identify the most advantageous paths between product/service features, brandbenefits, customer values and customer self esteemQuantitative brand equity research to measure the strength of various brand insistence factors foryour brand and those of its competitorsBrand positioning research to map your brand against competitive brands for a variety of benefits fordifferent customer market segmentsConjoint analysis to identify which benefits are the primary drivers of customer purchase decisions and

the specific value that customers assign to eachOrganizations that position their brands without extensive customer research do so at their own risk.Dont assume that you know everything about your customers or that your intuition is spot on.Rigorous customer research is very likely to uncover significant competitive opportunities and threats(including positioning opportunities) that you had not previously considered. And, that added insightmight make all of the difference in the world to your organization.

Key Point: Uncover the most advantageous way to position your brand through thoughtful rigorousresearch

5. In your opinion, what are the five most common mistakes made during business

meetings. Justify your answer.

Ans : Since meetings are prone to so much inefficiency, it would be relevant to round off this unit

with a list of common mistakes to avoid, both from a chairpersons as well as a participants

perspective.

1. Lack of Structure :- Meetings should be structured in terms of an agenda being sent to

participants in advance, the discussion being initiated by a specific person and the chairperson

ensuring that different points of view emerge. A loosely structured meeting will not be successful.

2. No Goals or Agenda :- It was pointed out earlier that a meeting without an agenda lacks

direction.

3. No Pre-meeting Orientation:- This is the job of the chairperson. Members must be briefed on

how to prepare for the meeting.

4. Inadequate Preparation:- This is a mistake made by members who attend the meeting without

preparation.

5. Not Focusing on the Subject :- This is a common mistake made by participants who discuss

matters that are not relevant to the meeting.

6. Meetings that are too long:- The chairperson must try to avoid this, by ensuring adherence to

the time limit.

7. Disorganized Meetings :- Again, this is the chairpersons responsibility to see that the meeting is

well organized.

8


9/11

8. Inconclusive Meetings:- The chairperson must hear out all the points of view and then arrive at a

decision.

9. Ineffective Leadership :- This is the fault of the chairperson, if or she he fails to give direction to

the meeting..

10.Time Wasted:- Participants may engage in unrelated discussions and the Chairperson may be

inefficient at managing time.

11. Dominating the Discussion :- A few members may speak all the time, while others remain

silent.

12. No Follow-up Action :- The meeting may proceed satisfactorily, but nothing is done after the

meeting either by the chairperson or the participants, to ensure that the meeting goals are

accomplished.

6. Select any article from a business publication and prepare a summary of it in one

fourth its size.. Write this in the form of a one page memo, addressed to your professor.

Attach the original article with your assignment.

Ans:

TO : The Professor

FROM : The Student

DATE : Jan 20th, 2011

SUBJECT :Rising Food Prices Kill the Recovery !

Sir, the article is about rising food prices in the world by Stephan Gandel in Times E-

edition. According to Gandel the issue is that raw food prices are way up. Corn is at a two and a half

year high. And some think it could rise by another 30% this year. Sugar was up 77% in the last six

months of 2010. Beef prices are up as well. On the face of it, climbing food prices seem like a bad

thing. It can cause inflation and cause people to buy less of everything else. Rising food prices have

already lead to violent riots in Tunisia and Algeria. But a number of economists, including Goldman

Sachs' Andrew Tilton and IHS Global Insight's Nariman Behravesh, say this time around, food prices

won't necessarily be a recovery killer. Here's why:First of all, food prices might not be as much of a

driver of economic growth as many people think. In a recent research paper World Food Prices and

9


10/11

Monetary Policy published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Luis Catao, of the

International Monetary Fund, and Rutgers University economist Roberto Chang argue that rising food

prices do not always lead to slower growth. In a number of scenarios, economic growth will actually

increase after a rise in food prices.

The problem, for that scenario, is that around the world most policy makers have

generally followed a policy of keeping rates as low as possible. Low rates tend to cause your local

currency to fall, and that can boost exports. But that might soon be changing. Rising inflation in India

and elsewhere may soon force a number of countries to raise interest rates. Indeed, China has already

begun raising its lending rates. Of course, in the US, Bernanke & Co. seem to have no plans to raise

rates anytime soon. food prices in the US and other developed countries make up a relatively small

portion of consumption, about 10%. So food prices would have to rise dramatically to really affect our

budgets. That's not as true in developing countries. The average citizen in China and India spends half

their budget on food. In really poor countries, like Bangladesh, food can make up as much as 75% of

a household's expenditures. But the later group of countries still makes up a small portion of worldeconomy activity. So while rising food prices could be a huge problem in poor countries, causing

horrible food riots, it's not clear the slowdown in consumption in those parts of the world would hurt

global growth. The actual food that you buy in the supermarket on average has yet to go up very

much, just 1.5% in the past year. Tilson agrees this is about to change, but it will take seven months

to a year before we see a change. Hopefully, by that time the economic recovery will be well on its

way, and fatter paychecks will allow us to continue to get actually fatter without pause. The food

prices will go up and this will slow down the recovery process of falling economy all around the world.

The original Article by Stephen Gandel Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 5:35 pm

If food costs more, will you buy any less? Surprisingly enough, that simple question may be

the key to whether 2011 sees a strong rebound in economic growth, or is, instead, a bust. The issue is

that raw food prices are indeed way up. Corn is at a two and a half year high. And some think it could

rise by another 30% this year. Sugar was up 77% in the last six months of 2010. Beef prices are up as

well. On the face of it, climbing food prices seem like a bad thing. It can cause inflation and cause

people to buy less of everything else. Rising food prices have already lead to violent riots in Tunisia

and Algeria. But a number of economists, including Goldman Sachs' Andrew Tilton and IHS Global

Insight's Nariman Behravesh, say this time around, food prices won't necessarily be a recovery killer.

Here's why:First of all, food prices might not be as much of a driver of economic growth as many

people think. In a recent research paper World Food Prices and Monetary Policy published by the

National Bureau of Economic Research, Luis Catao, of the International Monetary Fund, and Rutgers

University economist Roberto Chang argue that rising food prices do not always lead to slower growth.

In a number of scenarios, economic growth will actually increase after a rise in food prices.

10


11/11

How could that be? The real determinate of whether an economy will grow or shrink has more to do

with policy makers response to rising food prices. A gradual increase interest rates by a central

bankers will eliminate any adverse effects of climbing food prices, and may actually boost growth.

The problem, for that scenario, is that around the world most policy makers have generally

followed a policy of keeping rates as low as possible. Low rates tend to cause your local currency to

fall, and that can boost exports. But that might soon be changing. Rising inflation in India and

elsewhere may soon force a number of countries to raise interest rates. Indeed, China has already

begun raising its lending rates. Of course, in the US, Bernanke & Co. seem to have no plans to raise

rates anytime soon.

Second, food prices don't necessarily slow consumption, which gets back up to our original question.

That's because of substitution. Yes, we all have to eat. But we don't have to eat as much or as well. In

fact, economists assume that if food becomes relatively more expensive you will end up spending less

on it. So if the price of a night out at a fancy restaurant goes up, we might forgo that pleasure for

spending more nights in and buy a HDTV, the prices of which for the time being continue to fall. We're

still spending money, on what really doesn't matter to the economy, to an extent.

What's more, Behravesh says food prices in the US and other developed countries make up a

relatively small portion of consumption, about 10%. So food prices would have to rise dramatically to

really affect our budgets. That's not as true in developing countries. The average citizen in China and

India spends half their budget on food. In really poor countries, like Bangladesh, food can make up as

much as 75% of a household's expenditures. But the later group of countries still makes up a small

portion of world economy activity. So while rising food prices could be a huge problem in poor

countries, causing horrible food riots, it's not clear the slowdown in consumption in those parts of the

world would hurt global growth.

Tilson, for his part, points out that there is lag between rising raw food prices, like

corn, which is what we have seen, and what happens to actual food prices, like corn chips. The actual

food that you buy in the supermarket on average has yet to go up very much, just 1.5% in the past

year. Tilson agrees this is about to change, but it will take seven months to a year before we see a

change. Hopefully, by that time the economic recovery will be well on its way, and fatter paychecks

will allow us to continue to get actually fatter without pause.

11

mb0039 business communication assignment 1

Documents