SEM 1 MB0039 1 Business Communication

Master of Business Administration-MBA Semester 1
MB0039– Business Communication - 4 Credits
(Book ID: B1128)
Assignment Set- 1 (60 Marks)

Note: Each question carries 10 Marks. Answer all the questions.

Q 1. Describe any situation that you experienced where the communication went wrong because the listening was faulty. Analyze the situation by explaining the type of listening barrier. . How could this barrier be overcome? (10 marks).

The following example illustrates an organizational barrier to communication. By the time the message is passed down from the Chief to the lower level Executives, it is distorted completely, so much so that the original message is interpreted differently by each level in the organization.

Memo from CEO to Manager: Today at 11 o’clock there will be a total eclipse of the sun. This is when the sun disappears behind the moon for 2 minutes. As this is something that cannot be seen every day, time will be allowed for employees to view the eclipse in the parking lot. Staff should meet in the lot at ten to eleven, when I will deliver a short speech introducing the eclipse, and giving some background information. Safety goggles will be made available at a small cost.

Memo from Manager to Department Head: Today at ten to eleven, all staff should meet in the car park. This will be followed by a total eclipse of the sun, which will appear for 2 minutes. For a moderate cost, they will be made safe with goggles. The CEO will deliver a short speech beforehand to give us all some information. This is not something that can be seen everyday.

Memo from the Department Head to Floor Manager: The CEO will today deliver a speech to make the sun disappear for 2 minutes in the form of an eclipse. This is something that cannot be seen everyday so staff will meet in the car park at ten or eleven. This will be safe, if you pay a moderate cost.

Memo from Floor Manager to Supervisor: Ten or eleven staff are to go to the car park, where the CEO will eclipse the sun for 2 minutes. This does not happen everyday. It will be safe, and as usual it will cost you.

Memo from Supervisor to Staff: Some staff will go to the car park today to see the CEO disappear. It is a pity this doesn’t happen everyday.

Communication was filtered or misinterpreted because of the following barriers:

Organizational Barriers – In organizations 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.

Another type of organizational barrier is a departmental barrier. This means that each department in an organization functions in isolation and there is no co-ordination or communication between them.

This barrier could be overcome by the following methods:
1. Encourage Feedback – Organizations should try to improve the communication system by getting feedback from the messages already sent. Feedback can tell the managers whether the message has reached the receiver in the intended way or not.

2. Create a Climate of Openness – A climate of trust and openness can go a long way in removing organizational barriers to communication. All subordinates or junior employees should be allowed to air their opinions and differences without fear of being penalized.

3. Use Multiple Channels of Communication – Organizations should encourage the use of multiple channels of communication, in order to make sure that messages reach the intended receivers without fail. This means using a combination of both oral and written channels, as well as formal (official) and informal (unofficial) channels of communication. The types of channels will be discussed in detail later, in a separate unit.

Q 2. Select a business article from any business publication. Evaluate it in terms of : a) Appropriate level of readability b) Use of jargon, slang and metaphors c)
Use of simple vs. complex words. Is it well or poorly written, in your opinion? Attach a copy of the article with your response. (10 marks)

World Markets Rise As Double-Dip Fears Ease: World stock markets advanced modestly Monday as investors rode momentum from Friday, when an upbeat U.S. jobs report eased fears that the global economy could slip back into recession.

With Wall Street closed for a holiday, however, trading was expected to remain light.
Markets took heart after official data last week showed private employers in the U.S. added 67,000 jobs in August, more than analysts expected.

The figure bolstered optimism that the U.S. will maintain a slow but steady recovery from last year's recession and avoid another economic contraction later this year.

By mid-afternoon in Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 index was up 0.3 percent at 5,446.17, Germany's DAX was 0.3 percent higher at 6,153.31 and France's CAC-40 was up 0.3 percent at 3,684.20. Asian indexes closed higher and trading on Wall Street was to remain shut for Labor Day weekend after closing higher on Friday.

With most major governments reining in economic stimulus measures and many pushing through austerity spending cuts to reduce deficits, investors worry the global economy would be pushed into a double dip recession, particularly as the U.S. slows down quickly.
Because the U.S. economy is the world's largest and consumer spending there accounts for a fifth of global economic activity, the stronger-than-expected jobs data on Friday helped calm investors' frayed nerves after weeks of worrying indicators.

"The renewed flight to safety we have witnessed over the past month is overdone and risks an equally large reversal when the worries over a double dip subside," analysts from Rabobank said in a report.

"As the unexciting, steady and below-trend global recovery continues, it's important not to confuse it with a double dip recession."

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index climbed 2.1 percent, or 187.19, to 9,301.32 and South Korea's Kospi rose 0.7 percent to 1,792.42.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index added 1.8 percent to 21,355.77. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.8 percent at 4,575.50. Markets in mainland China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Singapore were also higher.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 1.2 percent to close at 10,447.93 on Friday. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 1.3 percent to 1,104.51.

Shares in the U.S. ended the week in the positive, the first time that has happened in a month. The early gains in September mark a stark turnaround from August trade, when shares fell on doubts about the global economic recovery.

The dollar fell to 84.24 yen from 84.27 yen on Friday. The euro was slightly lower at $1.2880 from $1.2895.

Benchmark oil for October delivery was down 40 cents at $74.20 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 42 cents to settle at $74.60 on Friday.

Jargon refers to technical terms or specialized vocabulary. Some of the technical terms mentioned above are “rode momentum, Kospi, FTSE, CAC, DAX, calm investors' frayed nerves, etc.” More complex words and phrases are written in the above article and this reduces the level of readability when read by a common man. The above article is well written, however, the reader of the article should have a certain amount of knowledge in the field of stock trading and world financial markets.

Q 3 List out and briefly explain five “do”s and “don’t’s” for each of participants and chairperson of a meeting. (10 marks).
Before the Meeting

As pointed out earlier, meetings need to be planned in advance, so that they are successful. Before any planning can be done however, a basic question to be asked is whether to hold a meeting at all. The answers to the following questions would help to decide whether a meeting is necessary in the first place –
-Can the matter be decided or discussed over the telephone?
-Can the matter be expressed in writing, in the form of a memo, or an email message?
-Are key people available to attend the meeting and are they prepared?
-Is the time allotted for the meeting sufficient?

If the answers to the first two questions are yes and the answers to the other two questions are no, there is no purpose in calling a meeting.

Once the need for a meeting has been determined, the next step is to start planning the meeting. First of all, the type and number of participants should be decided. A problem solving meeting should include representatives from all departments, since the decision would otherwise be incomplete. Shareholders, who are the owners of the company, should also be included. In terms of numbers, the size of the group could be anywhere between seven and eleven members. An exception to this is an information sharing meeting, where the numbers could be larger, so that a maximum number of people benefit from the information.

The second and most important step in planning a meeting is to indicate the purpose or agenda of the meeting to the participants in advance. An agenda is essentially a list of topics that will be discussed during a meeting. In the words of Adler and Elmhorst, “A meeting without an agenda is like a ship at sea without a destination or compass: no one aboard knows where it is or where it is headed.” An agenda is prepared by the Chairperson of the meeting, or the person who calls the meeting.

During the Meeting:

The task of conducting and moderating the meeting rests with the chairperson. He or she must be well versed with the procedures for opening the meeting, encouraging balanced participation, and solving problems creatively, concluding the meeting and managing time efficiently. We shall discuss each of these procedures in detail.

1. Opening the Meeting – The manner in which the meeting is opened is important, since a good opening will ensure that the rest of the meeting will proceed smoothly. There are different ways of opening a meeting. Generally, it is best to sum up what has been stated in the agenda – including the goals, background information and expectations of the participants. It is also a good idea to provide an outline of how the meeting will proceed, as well as a time budget.

2. Encouraging Balanced Participation – It is also the responsibility of the chairperson to encourage silent members to contribute to the meeting and to moderate the dominant members, so that they do not “hijack” the meeting. There are several techniques to encourage participation –

· Encourage Participation in the Reverse Order of Seniority – This means getting the junior members to speak or air their opinions first. If the senior people speak first, they may feel suppressed or be afraid to disagree with their superiors.

· Nominal Group Technique – In this method, the meeting participants are encouraged to work and contribute their ideas independently

3. Managing Time – There is no prescribed length for a meeting. The duration of a meeting will depend on the type and purpose of the meeting. Generally, problem-solving meetings will take longer than other routine meetings. In any case, the chairperson should set a time budget for the meeting, depending on the agenda and ensure adherence to the time limit.

4. Keeping the Meeting Focused – Often, a lot of time is wasted during meetings by going off track and by discussing topics that are irrelevant. In such situations, it is the responsibility of the chairperson, or the person moderating the discussion to make sure that the discussion remains focused on the topics mentioned in the agenda.

5. Ensuring “Convergence” – Convergence means hearing the points of view of all the members and then arriving at a decision. It is again the responsibility of the chairperson to bring the meeting to a point where an opinion emerges on each item of the agenda.

6. Summing Up – This means summing up the different points of view, the decisions and the actions to be taken. This should be done by the chairperson, identifying the role of each person on each item of the agenda, along with a specified deadline.

Example – Chris will take the responsibility of contacting the media and sending material for advertisements and press releases by March 13th.

7. Concluding the Meeting – The way a meeting is concluded is as important as the opening, since it will influence the follow-up action taken on decisions made during the meeting. The chairperson should know when and how to conclude the meeting.

The meeting should normally be concluded at the scheduled closing time, unless important issues still remain to be discussed and members are willing to extend the meeting. Sometimes meetings may be concluded before the closing time, when key decision makers are not present, or when important information such as cost figures are not available.

8. Keeping “Minutes” of the Meeting – Since meetings are called to take important decisions concerning the organization, it is important to maintain a permanent written record of the proceedings, which can be referred to at a later stage, or serve as a guide for action. Such a record is known as “minutes” of the meeting and may be done in an informal or formal manner, depending on the type of meeting.

After the Meeting:

A meeting that proceeds smoothly will still not be successful, unless proper follow-up measures are taken to ensure that the goals are fully accomplished. Follow-up may involve the following steps –

1. Plan for the Next meeting – Very few meetings is conclusive and cover all the items in the agenda completely. It is the chairperson’s responsibility to make a note of the items that have not been discussed and to schedule the next meeting, along with a fresh agenda. All participants must be informed that a follow-up meeting is being planned.

2. Check Progress on Follow-up Actions – Members of the meeting may have been assigned different responsibilities and deadlines for completion of tasks. Therefore, it is important to monitor their progress every now and then, after the meeting is over, to ensure that the deadlines are met.

3. Do your own Groundwork – Apart from monitoring the progress of meeting participants, it is also important that you as the chairperson finish any pending work before the next meeting.

Q 4. Evaluate email as a channel of internal communication, explaining its advantages and disadvantages. Suggest five ways in which to overcome some of the problems associated with email messages. (10 marks).

Although e-mail is a tool for external communication, it is also regularly used within an organization, in place of telephone and face-to-face contact. This is because e-mail is instantaneous and allows you to send messages that others can pick up at their convenience. Besides, e-mail also makes it possible to send messages to people anywhere in the world and to people who are otherwise impossible to reach.

While the other forms of written communication are highly formal in nature, e-mail is more informal and spontaneous. It is therefore easier to write an e-mail message than it is to write a business letter or a report, where greater attention has to be paid to the language, style and tone. Since e-mail is quick, easy to use and spontaneous, it can also help to improve personal relationships in the workplace.

The problems associated with email messages could be avoided by the following methods:

Watch the content – E-mail messages are not always confidential and one can never be sure who will read them. The minute an e-mail message is sent, multiple copies are created on your own PC and server and on the recipient’s PC and server. There is no way of ensuring that the message will not be forwarded to others. Sometimes, e-mail messages can even be used as proof in court. Once a message is sent, a permanent record is created. Therefore, it is always wise to avoid writing anything negative or offensive.
It is particularly important to watch the content of official e-mail messages sent using an employer’s equipment. Since the employer has a right to read the message and is legally responsible for its content, it must be carefully worded.

* Pay attention to the tone – The very nature of e-mail communication can make the message sound negative, abrupt and rude. For one thing, e-mail lacks the personal quality of face-to-face communication, where body language and other non-verbal cues may be used to make the communication more positive. Secondly, e-mail messages have to be brief, using short words, sentences and lack of salutations. Brief messages may be interpreted as being rude and unfriendly. Therefore, you must pay close attention to the tone of the message and ensure that you sound friendly and courteous. Avoid using humor and sarcasm which might be misunderstood, or sending messages when you are angry or annoyed.

* Include a specific subject line – Your e-mail message should always include a subject line that clearly mentions the topic of the e-mail. Since business executives receive several e-mails 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 e-mail 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.

* Explain attachments in the body of the e-mail – Attachments take time to download and should be sent along with an explanation in the body of the e-mail, as to what they are all about. This will make it easier for the recipient of the message to decide whether they should be opened or not. Otherwise it will lead to unnecessary waste of time.

* Use the “to” and “cc” button carefully – The “to” box should be used only to send messages to people who are responsible for doing something. The “cc” button is used when sending multiple copies of the same e-mail message to other recipients, who need to be kept informed on a specific issue. This should be used with care, making sure that the message is sent only to the right persons. It is important to respect privacy, since not everyone likes having their e-mail address displayed to others. Besides, sending a long list of e-mail addresses can interfere with the reading of the main message.

* Pay attention to brevity, emphasis and white space – The look, appearance and language used in the e-mail message can influence the readability of the message. Some techniques for enhancing readability of e-mail messages include short paragraphs ( six lines maximum), spacing between paragraphs, use of bullet points and numbers for lists, use of paragraph captions, highlighting main points in bold type and use of white space.

* Use the “WIFM” rule – WIFM stands for “What’s In It For Me?” and means that the benefits of your message to the reader should be emphasized. This involves use of the second person pronoun, “you”, rather than the first person pronouns “I” or “me”. Stressing on the “you” attitude rather than the “me” attitude was discussed in an earlier unit.

* Tidy up your mail box – E-mail traffic can lead to your inbox becoming cluttered, with more messages than you can handle. It then becomes difficult to retrieve important messages when you need them. It is therefore a good idea to clean up your mailbox regularly, by deleting unimportant messages. The important messages that you want to refer to later should be put into separate topic folders. Every now and then, any outdated messages in the topic folders should also be deleted.

* Proofread your e-mail message – Just as it is important to proofread business reports, letters and memos, e-mail messages should also be checked for spelling and grammar mistakes, so as to avoid any embarrassment.

* Set aside time to check e-mail – E-mail should not become a substitute for face-to-face interaction at the workplace, or cut into valuable time spent on other important jobs. It is a good idea to determine a time during the work day when you check and respond to e-mail messages.

Q 5. Write an unsolicited job application letter addressed to the HR Manager of a company of your choice, seeking a position in your area of specialization, along with a one page profile about yourself. (10 marks).

Pavan.N
S/O Navanitha Rao
#154 3’E’ cross 2nd main
Kasturinagar , East of NGEF layout
Bangalore 560016
E-mail: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

Date: 24/09/2010

Usha.S
Real Estate Bank India(REBI)pvt ltd,
203 1st floor Oxford House

Old Airport Road
Bangalore 560038

Dear Sir/ Madam,

REBI enjoys the reputation of being one of the most sought after employers in India. After the company has revealed its expansion plans in southern India to cater to its growing clientele, I expect you will need technically skilled employees to manage and lead the R&D team.
My skills include:
1) Creating website using GRAILS technology.
2) Managing the database of the company through MYSQL or RDBMS.
3) Additional technologies include JAVA , HTML , PHP.
4) Have undergone training in hardware repair and assembly.
5) Have worked at core level by way of handling client mails, phone calls, resolving issues with respect to technical problems, etc., and have good communications skills.

I have attached my detailed CV with this cover letter, for your reference. It would be my pleasure to discuss the details in a personal meeting with you. Perhaps I may call you next week to seek an appointment.

Thank you
Pavan.N

RESUME
Pavan.N
S/O Navanitha Rao
#154 3’E’ cross 2nd main
Kasturinagar , East of NGEF layout
Bangalore 560016

E-mail: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

Objective:

Intend to build a career with leading corporate of hi-tech environment with committed & dedicated people, which will help me to explore myself fully and realize my potential. Willing to work as a key player in challenging & creative environment.

Education:

B.E: Passed in first class from Vemana Institute of Technology College in 2010.

PUC: Passed in second class from St. Joseph's College in 2006.

SSLC Passed in Distinction from Cauvery High School in 2004.

SOFTWARE SKILLS:

Operating Systems: MS-DOS, Windows 9X/2000/XP
Packages: MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
Languages: C, C++, Java, HTML, XML, JavaScript
Additional Technologies: Groovy on Rails (grails), My SQL

PERSONAL DETAILS:
Father’s Name: N. Navaneetha Rao.
Mother’s Name: B shobha.
Date of Birth: 7th April 1988.
Gender: Male.
Nationality: Indian.
Marital Status: Single
Languages known: English, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada

Declaration:

I consider myself familiar with client supporting skills and I am also confident of my ability to work in a team.

I hereby declare that the information furnished above is true to the best of my knowledge.

Date: 24/09/2010
Place: Bangalore Pavan.N

Q 6. Case Study (10 marks)
The Informal Communication Network
In Secunderabad, a maintenance employee of the A to Z Construction Company asked for three months’ leave of absence for personal reasons. The request was granted because it was in keeping with the Company and Union policy. A few weeks later, Mr.Subbaya, the Industrial Relations Manager of A to Z, heard through the “grapevine” that Mr. Reddy, the maintenance employee, had actually taken this leave to work on a construction project in another part of the state. The rumor was that Reddy needed some extra money and had taken up this job since the wages were nearly twice what he earned in his regular maintenance job.
The act of taking leave for personal reasons with the hidden purpose of working for another employer was contrary to the labor contract and the penalty for this could be dismissal. After investigation to determine that the grapevine probably was correct, Mr.Subbaya prepared a “Notice of hearing concerning dismissal action” to be mailed to Reddy at his local address. The letter of notice was dictated by Subbaya to his secretary on Monday morning.
The same night, Mr.Subbaya received a call from Reddy at his home, saying that he had heard that the notice was being prepared and that he felt that there was a misunderstanding. Reddy said that he thought that his action was acceptable under the contract, but if it was not acceptable, he was willing to return immediately, since he did not want to give up his permanent job.
When Subbaya asked him how he knew about his pending dismissal notice, Reddy said that his wife had called him that evening, telling him that at the local supermarket, the mother of their son’s friend had told her about the pending dismissal order.

Q Assume that grapevine facts are as follows –
Subbaya’s secretary told a fringe benefit clerk about the dismissal notice. The clerk, not realizing that the information might be confidential, told someone else. If you were Subbaya, would you try to suppress grapevine leaks of this type? How?
Answer: I would not try to suppress grapevine leaks of this type, but would investigate it thoroughly to find out if Mr. Reddy indeed violated the company’s contract. I would summon Mr. Reddy and have a face-to-face meeting with him. I will extract the real reason for taking 3 months’ leave and would ask him to provide necessary proof if the reasons provided by him are satisfactory.

After Reddy’s telephone calls, what action should Subbaya take? Discuss.
Answer: Subbya should hold a face-to-face meeting with his personal secretary and have a strong word with him and advise him to maintain confidentiality when there are matters discussed with him pertaining to company affairs. Besides this, he should use other channels of communication to maintain confidentiality and this will avoid future recurrence of problem like this.