ASSIGNMENT, Drive SPRING 2015Program MBA, Semester 1

Subject code & name – MB0039 –Business CommunicationBook ID B1622, Credit & Marks 4 CREDIT, 60 MARKS

Answer all questions.

Q. 1. As a speaker you are addressing a group of people. What could be the possible barriers in this communication?Q. 2. What is the importance of Kinesics and Proxemics in communication? Explain with examples.Q. 3. What are the steps in making oral business presentation?Q. 4. Imagine a new product from kids’ apparel industry. Write a persuasive letter to customers, persuading them to buy your company’s product.Q. 5. You are going to face a job interview for the post of Manager-operations. Which aspects you will keep in mind while facing the interview?Q. 6. Write short notes on: a) Skimming b) Notices

Q. No 1. As a speaker you are addressing a group of people. What could be the possible barriers in this communication?Ans.1- Communication fails when the message received is not identical to the message that is sent. Several factors could interfere with the exchange of messages.Barriers to Communication:-‘Noise’ refers to all these factors that disrupt the communication and can be classified under the following types:

Physical noise – Distracting sounds, poor acoustics, or just information overload could interfere with the listening process.

Physiological noise – Hearing or other disabilities, fatigue, or physical illness could come in the way of both speaking and listening.

Psychological noise – Sometimes emotions within the sender or receiver such as preoccupations, hostility, fear or lack of interest could interfere the speaking or listening process.

There are many other barriers to communication, an understanding and analysis of which are needed before coming up with ways to eliminate or minimise them.These barriers to communication may be classified as follows:

Environmental barriers – An environmental barrier is the same as physical noise, which could be in the form of distracting sounds, an overcrowded room, poor facilities and acoustics, all of which may hinder the ability to listen to and understand the message.

Individual barriers – A major barrier to interpersonal communication is a tendency to judge, evaluate, approve, or disapprove the views of another person. This happens particularly in situations where we have strong feelings about something. In such cases, we tend to block out the communication and form our own viewpoints.

Organisational barriers – In organisations that are too hierarchical, that is, where there are multiple ‘layers’, messages may have to pass through many levels before they finally reach the receiver. Each level may add to, modify or completely change the message, so much so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver. In other words, there is likely to be loss of meaning and the message may not reach the receiver in the same way as it was intended by the sender.

Channel barriers – In the earlier section, it was pointed out that communication can fail due to any of the different elements going wrong. Wrong choice of channel is one of the main barriers to communication. Using a wrong medium of advertising, or conveying a message orally when a written letter would be more appropriate, are examples. The written channel is more appropriate when the communication is more formal or for keeping things on record, while emotional messages such as feelings about co-workers are better conveyed orally.

Linguistic and cultural barriers – When the sender of the message uses a language that the receiver does not understand, the communication will not succeed. Either the sender may be using a different or foreign language, or the language used may be too highly technical for the receiver to understand Linguistic barriers may also occur in cross-cultural advertising and distort communication, when translating campaigns or slogans literally from one language to another. For example, Pepsi’s slogan “Come Alive with Pepsi”, when translated into Chinese, read “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave!” Many accidents have happened in air because the pilot, who is of foreign origin, has not followed properly the directions given by the Air Traffic Controller who speaks Indianised English. Cultural differences refer to differences in values and perceptions, which may affect the interpretation of the message by the receiver. For example, a joke about women may be taken in the wrong sense if the receiver belongs to a culture in which women are highly respected.

Semantic barriers – The word ‘semantics’ refers to the meaning of words and the way in which they are used. For example, different words may have different meanings in different cultures. Failure to take this into consideration could lead to serious blunders.

Non-verbal barriers – This refers to the non-verbal communication that goes with a particular message. Non-verbal communication includes tone of voice, body language such as gestures and facial expressions, etc. We will be discussing this in detail in unit 2. If the tone of voice and body language are negative, the communication will fail, however positive the spoken and written message. For example, if you happen to meet a long lost friend and say “I am delighted to meet you”, but in a sad tone of voice, the exact opposite message will be conveyed! Therefore, it is important to avoid giving conflicting signals, through the use of non-verbal communication.

Q. No 2. What is the importance of Kinesics and Proxemics in communication? Explain with examples.

Ans.2- Non-verbal communication plays an important role in business communication.The following lists are the different types of non-verbal communication, with the corresponding communication terminology.

Types of Non-verbal Communication Description

Communication Terminology

Body language Kinesics Touching Haptics Personal space and distance Proxemics Use of time Chronemics Tone of voice Paralanguage Physical environment Physical context

Importance of Kinesics in communication with examples:-

Kinesics 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. The different body movements are:

Facial expressions – Facial expressions can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and sadness. If you meet a long lost friend and say “I am very happy to meet you again”, but with a sad facial expression, it conveys the exact opposite meaning.

Eye movements – The eye movements such as wide open pupils express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear. The importance of eye contact with one’s 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. As prolonged eye contact can intimidate people, it is not a good idea to stare at people. Different cultures perceive eye contact differently. In Asia, Latin America and Africa people avoid direct eye contact to show respect. Arabs use prolonged eye contact to measure trustworthiness.

Gestures – The 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 one’s hands in one’s pockets is considered to be casual or even rude.

Head movements – The head movements like nodding the head can convey interest, appreciation, agreement or understanding.

Posture – Posture, refers to carriage or attitude. Our posture can indicate our feelings. 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. Similarly, crossing your arms and legs can convey that you are defensive and rigid. Uncrossing your arms and legs can indicate that you are willing to listen.

Physical appearance – Our outward appearance, including the way we dress and the jewellery 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.

Importance of Proxemics in communication with examples:-Proxemics is derived from the word ‘proximity’ or closeness and is the communication term for personal space and distance. The space and distance which we choose to keep from people is also part of non-verbal communication. Each of us has our own inner and outer circles, which differ for different people. The different types of spaces are as follows:

Intimate space – Our inner most circle is an ‘intimate space’, into which we generally admit only select people such as family and close friends.

Personal space – A ‘personal space’ might include other friends and colleagues or co-workers. The intimate and personal spaces involve communication of an informal nature.

Social and public space – The ’social and public space’ includes official or workplace relationships, where the communication is of a more formal nature. In a business context, it is more relevant to understand the concept of the following spaces:

Fixed space – Fixed space means that the physical features of the work environment such as furniture, room size and seating arrangement are permanent. This conveys an impression of formality.

Semi-fixed space – Semi-fixed space means that certain elements of the environment can be changed. For example, changing the seating arrangement conveys an impression of informality. Sometimes, use of space at the workplace can determine leadership positions. For example, seating at the head of the table conveys leadership or authority. A round table meeting, however, conveys the idea of equality, since no one can be seated at the head of the table. All points of a circle are the same. That is why when heads of state meet (as in UN Security Council meetings), it is always a round table discussion, since all heads are equal. Space should therefore be used carefully in a work environment, so as to convey the right impressions.

Q. No 3. What are the steps in making oral business presentation?Ans.3- Oral business presentations are a powerful way of presenting your ideas to others and are usually called for when a written memo or report is not sufficient to do the job.Presentations may be made to both internal audiences – superiors, peers and subordinates, as well as to external audiences – consumers, intermediaries, bankers, suppliers etc. Presentations may also be of different types, each with a different purpose.

The following steps are used to develop an effective Oral Business presentation:-

Definition of the purpose of the presentation Before preparing for the presentation, it is important to be clear on the goal of the presentation. A ’statement of purpose’, expressing what you want to achieve through the presentation must be framed, so that it becomes easy to measure whether the goal has been accomplished or not. The purpose of the presentation may be stated in broad or general terms or in more specific terms.

Development of the key idea The ‘key idea’ of a presentation is a statement that expresses the main message to be conveyed to the audience. It is different from a statement of purpose, which is generally meant for the presenter. The key idea is for the audience and it is stated at the beginning of the presentation.

Audience analysisMaking a good presentation alone is not enough. It also has to be tailored to your listeners in such a way that they understand and appreciate it.

Analysis of yourself as a speaker You also need to do a self-analysis to determine your own purpose of making the presentation, your level of knowledge on the subject and your feelings about the subject.

Analysis of the circumstancesThis includes taking into consideration any limitations of infrastructure, time and context that might affect your presentation. For example, if you will be speaking in a small room where the lighting and acoustics are insufficient, you may have to overcome the limitations by altering the seating arrangement, using brighter visuals and speaking loudly. If the presentation is to be made after lunch, you can include many attention grabbers in the presentation, to keep the audience alert. If you are making a presentation as part of a team, your style of presentation has to be consistent with that of your team members.

Preparation of outline Once the initial groundwork is done, you must develop an outline of your presentation. Irrespective of the nature and purpose of the presentation, a standard format is generally followed.

Collection of information and material Once the outline of the presentation is developed, you can start gathering the relevant material. This is a time consuming process and requires a fair amount of research.

Organisation of the body The body of the presentation must always be prepared before the introduction. Organising the body consists in identifying the key points that support your main idea and then selecting an organisational plan to develop these key points.

Planning the introduction Since the introduction is where you make the first impression, it must be planned with care. It must take up between 10 and 15 percent of your total speaking time. At the outset, you need to try and establish your credibility, by showing that you are qualified to speak on the subject of the presentation. An attention getting opener must be developed, using techniques such as humour, dramatic questions, an interesting story, a quotation or a startling statement.

Planning the conclusion The conclusion of a presentation must be shorter than the introduction and occupy only 5 percent of the entire presentation. You must never introduce a new topic in the conclusion. Generally, every conclusion must have a review and a closing statement.

Selection of a delivery style Once your presentation is adequately prepared in terms of content, you also need to ensure that it will be delivered effectively, by selecting an appropriate style of delivery.

Q. 4. Imagine a new product from kids’ apparel industry. Write a persuasive letter to customers, persuading them to buy your company’s product.

Ans.4- Business letters may be used for a variety of purposes, including routine correspondence, building good rapport, conveying pleasant or unpleasant news and persuading customers to buy the company’s products. The types of messages conveyed through business letters can be categorised into the following three broad types:

Routine messages or letters Bad news messages or letters Persuasive messages or letters

Persuasive letters The most common type of persuasive letter is a sales letter addressed to customers, persuading them to buy your company’s product. A sales letter is similar to an advertisement and uses the same “AIDA” (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) format. This means taking the consumers through different mental stages in a particular sequence – first getting their attention, creating interest by highlighting unique features of the product, inducing desire by convincing them that the product is better than others and then motivating them to try the product. Sales letters are used to sell industrial products such as machinery, consumer durable products and other high-value items.

The indirect organisational plan or the inductive pattern is also used when writing persuasive letters such as sales letters. In a sales letter, the main idea is asking the customer to buy your company’s product. This cannot be stated right away, since the reader first has to be convinced about the benefits of the product, before he can be asked to buy or try it. Therefore, it is necessary to delay the main idea, or asking for action, until you have presented the reasons. In other words, the reasons will be presented first, then the main idea, followed by a friendly closing.The AIDA format is essentially an indirect organisational plan. It tries to capture the reader’s attention first, and then creates interest in and desire for the product, before asking for purchase of the product.

The indirect organisational plan is used for conveying bad news messages and persuasive messages such as sales letters. It includes the following steps: 1. Present the reasons and explanations first. 2. Tell the main idea. 3. End with a friendly closing.

A persuasive letter such as a sales letter also follows the indirect organisational plan. In this case, the AIDA format is used to first gain attention and convinces the reader about the product’s benefits, before asking for action or purchase of the product. The main idea, which is the call for action is presented at the end.

Begin the letter thanking the distributor for the interest shown. Briefly describe the main principles of your company. Then list the features and benefits of your products. Close the letter on a positive note to build a long-term relationship with the distributor.

Q. 5. You are going to face a job interview for the post of Manager-operations. Which aspects you will keep in mind while facing the interview?

Ans.5:- As a job applicant, you will have to do some groundwork before the interview, prepare to do well during the interview, assess your performance and do some follow up after the interview.Preparation before the interview also involves doing a self-analysis, to assess your own abilities, strengths, weaknesses, interests and preferences. Last, but most important, is planning your personal appearance and attire.

During the job interview:- Once you have gone through the preparation stage, you are ready to face the actual interview. This is the most important stage of the job application process, during which attention should be paid to the following aspects:

Opening formalities – Since it is important to create a good first impression, the way you greet and introduce yourself is important. Using the name of the interviewer correctly, giving a firm handshake, waiting till you are asked to be seated and sitting with an erect posture are common courtesies that should be observed to project a good image.

Non-verbal communication – This was discussed in detail in Unit 2. It was emphasised that in face-to-face communication, non-verbal cues can enhance communication and convey a positive message. Apart from a firm handshake and erect posture, your non-verbal behaviour should indicate that you are confident and attentive to what the interviewer is saying. Direct eye contact, facial gestures and nodding to show that you are listening are all important aspects of non-verbal communication that should be observed during the interview.

Group interviews – A group interview is one where a panel of interviewers interview a single applicant. The group may comprise people from different functional areas in the organisation, such as HR, Marketing and Finance. When asked a question by one of the group members, it is common courtesy to make eye contact with and address your responses to all the interviewers.

Two-way interview – Although the applicant’s task is primarily to listen and the interviewer’s job is primarily to ask questions, it is in the hands of the applicant to make the communication a two-way process. Apart from answering questions, the interviewee should show interest in the job and the company by asking relevant questions, wherever possible.

Honesty and humility – It is important to be honest and to avoid giving vague answers or beating around the bush, if you do not know the answer to a particular question. Employers appreciate honesty, rather than over-smart answers. Humility is equally important. For example, when asked about your weaknesses, do not state that you have no weaknesses. Another point to remember is to avoid exaggeration. For example, if you are being interviewed by a top executive of the company, do not suggest that you can turn the company around.

Positive answers – Do not speak ill of your previous employers. If asked about your previous experiences, you may give honest feedback, but you should do so tactfully. Your answers should always end on a positive note.

Salary discussion – Any discussion on salary should be initiated by the interviewer and not by the interviewee, especially during the initial interview. When asked about your salary expectations, you should indicate a range, rather than a specific figure. Therefore, you should have found out the general salary range for candidates with your qualifications and experience, before the interview. Only then can you give a reasonable response to the question. You also need to assess your own experience, qualifications and whether you have other job offers, before responding to a question on salary expectations.

Closing the interview – How you close the interview is as important as how you open it. Normally, the interviewer gives a signal when the interview is over, either through body language, or by making a comment on the next step for action. At this point, you must thank the interviewer, give another firm handshake and say that you look forward to hearing from the company soon. Sometimes, the interviewer may conclude by inviting you to ask questions. In this case, you should only ask questions that are relevant to the job or the organisation and avoid asking questions related to your performance in the interview. It would be a good idea to prepare a list of questions to ask and to reserve some of these questions for the end of the interview.

Q. 6. Write short notes on the following:a) Skimming b) NoticesAns.6- Reading can be classified into following types: Skimming, Scanning, Extensive reading, Intensive reading and Loud and silent reading.

Meaning and role of skimming Skimming may be defined as “looking over a text/book quickly, in order to get a general or superficial idea of the content”. Skimming is usually done to grasp main ideas and to review the material by skipping the details.Let us say that you are a student of management and as suggested by your professor, you need to buy a reference text book for writing a paper on Investment Management or Quality Management. You go to a book store and see a rack full of books, with the same title, but different authors. You do not have time to read the pages before deciding on buying the book. Therefore, you quickly go through the contents, title page and the blurb. By now, you have decided to buy one book. This type of reading that you do in the book store is known as ’skimming’.

Meaning and role of Notices :-In an organisation a large amount of information is communicated via the written medium. Written communications include memos, notices, circulars, organisation periodicals, etc. communicated via e-mails, bulletin boards, etc. Written communication is preferred over other forms of communication as it provides a tangible and verifiable record of the information that was exchanged. The record can be stored for an indefinite period and hence, in-case of any concern on the communicated message, it is physically available for verification. This is very useful for communication that involves complex and lengthy information.

Notices are also written forms of communication within the organisation. The basic difference between a circular and notice is that circulars are announcements that are distributed to small or selective groups of people within the organisation, whereas notices are meant for a larger group of people. Another way to differentiate a circular and notice is that circular are circulated to respective individuals, whereas notices are put up on notice boards.

On the other hand, notices generally contain information or announcements that are meant for all the employees of an organisation. For example, a list of declared holidays for a calendar year is a notice, as the information is relevant to all employees.

The common purposes of using a Notice in business communication are to: Invite for a meeting Inform a new rule/regulation to be initiated or formulated Inform about an event to be held Inform the deadline for submitting any paperwork

A notice is therefore a legal document that has to be put up on an official notice or bulletin board.It has a reference number, date and a subject, similar to a memo. The signature, name and designation of the issuer of the notice appear at the bottom on the left hand side.

Notices are read by a large number of people and can also be used as evidence in court cases. Therefore, care must be taken when writing them. They have to be worded very precisely and clearly, to make sure that there is no ambiguity. They must also be brief and to the point. The tone must be firm, but not offensive and arrogant. Depending on the type of notice, the duration of display of a notice is specified under various legal provisions.