mb0039 business communication set2

Business Communication | Set 2 of 13

Sikkim Manipal University | MBA-Spring 2010 | MB0039 Business Communication | Sem 1

ASSIGNMENT – 02/02NameAyaz Anis AnsariRegistration No.511025251Learning CentreKarrox Technologies

(Borivali Centre, Mumbai) Learning Centre Code03092CourseMBASubjectBusiness Communication - Set

2SemesterSemester 1Module No.MB0039Date of SubmissionMay 8, 2010Marks AwardedDirectorate of Distance Education

Sikkim Manipal UniversityII Floor, Syndicate House,

Manipal – 576 104

_________________Signature of Coordinator

__________________

Signature of Center

_________________

Signature of Evaluator


Q. 1. What are some of the relative advantages and disadvantages of

email, as compared to other written communication channels? Suggest

two ways to overcome the disadvantages of email communication.

Ans. The abbreviated form of an Electronic mail is 'E-mail'. E-mail is a system of creating, sending and storing

textual data in digital form over a network. Earlier, the e-mail system was based on Simple Mail Transfer

Protocol (SMTP) mechanism, a protocol used in sending the e-mails from one server to another. Today's e-mail

technology uses the store-and-forward model. In this model, the users send and receive information on their

own computer terminal. However, the computer is used only for connecting to the e-mail architecture. The

creation, transmission and storage of e-mail takes place, only when the connection with this e-mail architecture

is established.

Advantages of Email

The benefits of e-mail are huge in number.

Easy to use: E-mail frees us from the tedious task of managing data of daily use. It helps us to manage our

contacts, send mails quickly, maintain our mail history, store the required information, etc.

Speed: The e-mail is delivered instantly, anywhere across the globe. No other service matches the e-mail in

terms of speed.

Easy to prioritize: Since the mails have subject lines, it is easy to prioritize them and ignore unwanted mails.

Reliable and secure: Constant efforts are being taken to improve the security in electronic mails. Thus making

it one of the secured ways of communication.

Informal and conversational: The language used in e-mails is generally simple and thus makes the

communication informal. Sending and receiving e-mails takes less time, so it can be used as a tool for

interaction.

Easier for reference: When one needs to reply to a mail, there is a provision in the mailing system to attach the

previous mails as references. This refreshes the recipient's knowledge, on what he is reading.

Automated e-mails: It is possible to send automated e-mails using special programs like the auto-responders.

The auto-responders reply back to the sender with generalized pre-written text messages.

Environment friendly: Postal mails use paper as a medium to send letters. Electronic mail thus, saves a lot of

trees from being axed. It also saves fuel needed in transportation.

Use of graphics: Colorful greeting cards and interesting pictures can be sent through e-mails. This adds value

to the e-mail service.

Advertising tool: Many individuals and companies are using e-mails to advertise their products, services, etc



Disadvantages of Email

The e-mails, though beneficial in our day-to-day life, has got its own drawbacks that are of late coming to the

fore.

Viruses: These are computer programs having the potential to harm a computer system. These programs copy

themselves and further infect the computer. The recipient needs to scan the mails, as viruses are transmitted

through them and have the potential to harm computer systems.

Spam: E-mails when used to send unsolicited messages and unwanted advertisements create nuisance and is

termed as Spam. Checking and deleting these unwanted mails can unnecessarily consume a lot of time, and it

has become necessary to block or filter the unwanted e-mails by means of spam filters. Spamming includes,

sending hoax e-mails. E-mail spoofing is another common practice, used for spamming. Spoofing involves

deceiving the recipient by altering the e-mail headers or the addresses from which the mail is sent.

Hacking: The act of breaking into computer security is termed as hacking. After the e-mail is sent and before it

is received by the desired recipient, it "bounces" between servers located in different parts of the world. Hence,

the e-mail can be hacked by a professional hacker.

Misinterpretation: One has to be careful while posting any kind of content through an e-mail. If typed in a hurry,

the matter could be misinterpreted.

Lengthy mails: If the mail is too long and not properly presented the reader may lose interest in reading it.

Not suitable for business: Since the content posted via e-mails is considered informal, there is a chance of

business documents going unnoticed. Thus, urgent transactions and especially those requiring signatures are

not managed through e-mails.

Crowded inbox: Over a period of time, the e-mail inbox may get crowded with mails. It becomes difficult for the

user to manage such a huge chunk of mails.

Need to check the inbox regularly: In order to be updated, one has to check his e-mail account regularly.

Two ways to overcome the disadvantages of email communication.

Include a specific subject line – Your email message should always include a subject line that clearly

mentions the topic of the email. Since business executives receive several emails a day, this would help them to

decide which messages are most important to them. They will also have an idea of what the message contains.



Place important information first – Since business executives do not have time to read lengthy email

messages, it is a good idea to put all the important information that you want to convey in the first three lines of

the message. Whether you are seeking a clarification, making a request, or giving instructions, it is best to

mention this right at the outset, so that it is noticed.



Q. 2. Imagine that you are the Marketing Manager of a multinational FMCG

company. Write a job rejection letter to a prospective candidate in the

appropriate format, explaining why he/she was not selected for a

Management Trainee position with the company.

Ans.

Date

Name of Applicant

Applicant's Address

Dear (Applicant Name),

We interviewed a number of candidates for the Management Trainee position, and we have determined that

another candidate is the most qualified for the requirements of our opening. This letter is to let you know that

you have not been selected for the position.

Thank you for taking the time to come to FMCG to meet our interview team. The team enjoyed meeting you and

our discussions.

We wish you success with your job search and in the future. Thank you for your interest in our organization.

Regards,

Marketing Manager of a multinational FMCG company



Q. 3. Select and briefly describe two corporate ads that you have seen

recently which you feel are effective. Explain how they benefit the

company.

Ans. First Advertisement

Hindustan paper corporation Ltd.

Hindustan Paper Corporation was established in 1970. The business of this company was to help & remove

shortages in the field of writing paper, printing paper & newsprint & to ensure that paper was distributed in

rational & equitable manner. Although the company was started in 1970, but the level of awareness about the

company until as late as 1977 was extremely low. Even they found out that awareness of Hindustan Paper

Corporation as a corporate entity was low & awareness of the company’s activities was even lower. There was

not much of popularity to the company.

Thus it was obviously impossible for a growing company to build a market for its product or to attract the best

talents into the company. The result of the above is that there fall in Share Company’s share in the market & all

sort of risks exist. In such circumstances the company may loose the orders, loose the staff working under

company. To deal with the company’s situation, it was felt that a market research survey should be designed &

launched.

The objective of this communication would be:

To create awareness about the existence of the company & purpose for which is had been established.

To give it a recognizable identity.

To give a sense of belonging to the employees & the internal public

To project an image of the organization amongst the external publics as one, which was helping to ensure a fair

distribution of vital but scarce commodity?

Utmost care was taken to develop & implement effective communication strategy to achieve the said objectives.

An evaluation of the impact of the survey was carried out by the market research group of Hindustan Paper

Corporation. The findings were that the survey cannot make lot of awareness of HPC & its activities.



Second Advertisement

Dell India.

Since the first Dell PC was introduced in 1986, Dell has continued to shape the industry, breaking new ground

and pioneering critical developments in home, small business and enterprise computing. Dell's R&D efforts now

span the globe, driven by some of the industry's foremost product designers and engineers. At the core of Dell's

innovation approach, however, remains an unwavering commitment to delivering new and better solutions that

directly address customer needs.

PROBLEM OF THE CASE

Lack of awareness of the existence of the company.

The market for the company’s product was very low.

Lack of effective communication amongst the internal public.

So the growth is not up to the mark.

SOLUTION OF THE CASE

To stop further depression & to create a favorable market situation, for that the company have to place a

confidence boostle corporate advertising. Corporate advertising help than any other forms of communication. It

can serve the purpose of presenting good news about the company than any other media.

The company can maintain good public relation with their different types of publics i.e. customer, investors

suppliers & so on. Company’s management have to give chance to the different publics to present their views at

the right time & at the right place. Because consumer is a person who actually consumes the product or uses

the services.

Along with the market survey to create corporate identity there is need for greater public relation. They have to

be more conscious about their target audiences i.e. prints, press etc.

Also the company has to use different communication tools like TV, home video & satellites etc. where

corporate public relation shows its expertise.

Finally the public relation & corporate advertising believe in adequate consumer focus, which should be the

spirit of the profitable organisation.



Q. 4. List and explain five important principles of business report writing.

Ans.

Planning the report – The first question to be asked before gathering information and writing the report, is

regarding the type of report that is required. We classified reports into four main types, based on the purpose,

the audience to whom they are addressed and the frequency of the report. Secondly, it must be remembered

that most reports are required by management to solve a problem, or to make a decision. Therefore, the basis,

or starting point for a report is a problem. Reports are written after a problem is analyzed and a solution to the

problem is found. The problem may be of a day to day nature, such as determining which brand of overhead

projector to recommend for purchase. Or, the problem may be a negative one, such as sales of the company

Internal And External Business Communication Writing

Selecting a Method to Solve the Problem – After defining the problem and doing an audience analysis, a

method has to be selected to collect the necessary information to solve the problem. Broadly, information may

be gathered using secondary research methods, such as books, magazines, newspapers, internet and other

available sources, or through primary research methods, such as surveys that provide first hand information.

Gathering and Organizing Data - Once the method of gathering information has been selected, the actual

process of gathering the information begins. Since this is time consuming and expensive, only information that

is relevant to the report and the study must be gathered. The raw data should be evaluated for its usefulness

and organized in a form that is meaningful to understand. Tables, charts, graphs and summaries should be used

to do this.

Arriving at a Conclusion – Once the information has been checked for its validity and reliability, it must be

interpreted and conclusions drawn. Correct interpretation of the data is needed for the success of the report.

Sound conclusions cannot be made if the interpretation of the data is faulty. A common mistake made in the

interpretation of data is the tendency of the researcher to use subjective judgments, instead of objective

reasoning based on facts.

Writing the Report – The actual process of writing the report should begin only after a satisfactory solution to

the problem has been found. As pointed out earlier, a well written report that contains a bad answer, is worse

than a badly written report that contains a good answer.



Q. 5. As a recent MBA graduate from Sikkim Manipal University, write your

resume with a specific career objective, including all the other standard

components.

Ans.

Ayaz Anis Ansari

Sai Shraddha Bldg,

Room No. G3, Mira Road (E),

Thane: 401104

Phone (022) 28452113

Mobile – 9892185124

Email- [email protected]

OBJECTIVE

A middle to senior level position in the area of Client Servicing, in an IT Agency. To contribute to your

organization's success through the use of exceptional customer service, managerial, and people skills.

EDUCATION

PGDCA, Computer Science, from the Department of electronics, Delhi

Diploma, Computer Science, from the Department of electronics, Delhi

B.C.A, Computer Science, from the Department of electronics, Delhi.

EXPERIENCE

Service tenure: April 2009 to till date

Title: PeopleSoft HRMS 8.0 post implementation support.

Client: L & T InfoTech Ltd., India

Description:

L&T Infotech is a global IT services and solutions provider. They provide the winning edge to our clients by

leveraging our Business-to-IT Connect and deeply committed people. There clients include industry leaders like

Chevron, Freescale, Hitachi, Sanyo and Lafarge, among others. L&T Infotech’s PeopleSoft HRMS system is

supported and maintained currently by our team.


mailto:[email protected]


Contribution:

Extensively involved in FSD, TSD Test plan and User Acceptance testing and post production support

Conducted various training sessions to train core and technical users on PeopleSoft HRMS.

Involved in various quality implementation and defect prevention processes in the project.

Role: Functional Consultant

Technical Environment:

PeopleSoft HRMS 8.0, PeopleTools 8.15

OS-Windows 2003, DB-Oracle 9i

Service tenure: May 2008 - March 2009

Title: PeopleSoft Global Payroll 9.0 Implementation

Client: Blue dart Ltd, India

Description:

Blue dart is South Asia's premier courier, and integrated express package Distribution Company. They have the

most extensive domestic network covering over 21,467 locations, and service more than 220 countries and

territories worldwide through our Sales alliance with DHL, the premier global brand name in express distribution

services. Blue dart required an application which can help them in complete payroll and taxation process. The

requirement where met in PeopleSoft Global Payroll.

Contribution:

Involved in as-is and To-be for Payroll implementations.

Involved in Design and Fit gap for Study.

Extensively involved in FSD, TSD Test plan and User Acceptance testing.



PeopleSoft Global Payroll 9.0, PeopleTools 8.48

OS-Windows 2003, DB-Oracle 10G



Service tenure: March 2006 - April 2008

Title: PeopleSoft HRMS 8.0 Implementation and post implementation support

Client: L & T InfoTech Ltd., India

Description:

L&T Infotech is a global IT services and solutions provider. They provide the winning edge to our clients by

leveraging our Business-to-IT Connect and deeply committed people. There clients include industry leaders like

Chevron, Freescale, Hitachi, Sanyo and Lafarge, among others. L&T Infotech required an application which

assisted the Human resource team to perform their daily activities. These requirements (recruitment, core HR

processes, Absence management, Onsite travel process, skill details) where met in PeopleSoft HRMS.

Contribution:

Involved in design for Core HRMS implementations

Worked as Techno Functional Consultant throughout implementations, which involves daily interaction with core

users for various issues analysis and resolutions


Involved in complex data Upload of PeopleSoft

Role: Techno Functional Consultant


• PeopleSoft HRMS 8.0, PeopleTools 8.15

• OS-Windows 2003, DB-Oracle 9i

Service Tenure: December 2005 - February 2006

Title: HR and Payroll Application maintenance and support

Client: SET India Ltd.

Contribution:

Performed first Level support




• ASP and ASP.Net

• OS-Windows 2003, DB-Oracle 9i



Service Tenure: March 2004 - November 2005

Title: HR and Payroll Application implementation.

Client: Valtech technology

Contribution:

Involved in design for Core HRMS implementations

Worked as Functional Consultant throughout implementations, which involves daily interaction with core users

for information gathering.

Conducted various training sessions to train core users.



ASP and ASP.Net


Service Tenure: January 2003 - February 2004

Title: HR and Payroll Application implementation.

Client: J. Walter Thompson

Contribution: Impact Analysis, Low Level Design, Development, Unit Testing



ASP and ASP.Net


References available on request.



Q. 6. Prepare a list of ten questions to ask during a job interview, in order

to make the interview a two way process and to show that you are

interested in the company and the job you are applying for.

Ans. List of questions to ask during a job interview can be as follows

What are your long-term and short-term career goals? How are you preparing to achieve them?

What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

What do you consider to be your main strengths and weaknesses?

What motivates you to put forth your best effort?

Why do you think you are suitable for this position?

In what ways do you think you can contribute to our company?

What are the qualities of a successful manager?

What is your leadership style?

What accomplishment has given you the greatest satisfaction? Why?

Describe your most rewarding college experience.

Describe any major problem that you faced and how you dealt with the problem.

How do you cope with pressure?

What do you know about our company?

What two or three things are most important to you in your job?

How would you describe the ideal job?

What academic subjects did you like best and least?

What have you learnt from participation in extracurricular activities?

How would you describe yourself?


TO : The VP Marketing

FROM : The Advertising Manager

DATE : March 11th , 2008

SUBJECT : Review of advertising campaign

An analysis of our latest sales reports has revealed that territory X, for which I am responsible, is a highly profitable one. This territory has been contributing to the bulk of our company’s sales over the last one year. The annual advertising budget for our products being sold in territory X is currently Rs. 50 lakhs.

Although our advertising has been satisfactory, it needs to be reviewed for the following reasons-

More frequent advertising is needed to improve awareness levels of our products, which are still new to the market.

Advertising is an investment and needs to be sustained over a long term, in order to build our brand.

Building a positive brand image through advertising can help build long term brand loyalty.

Fast moving consumer goods such as ours require a higher percentage of sales spent on advertising, during the introductory stage.

We need to spend an amount on advertising that is comparable to our closest competitor in the region.

In view of the long term benefits of advertising, I would like to recommend doubling our advertising budget in territory X to Rs. 1 crore a year. I request you to consider my proposal and to grant approval.


mb0039 business communication set2

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