assignment set i - business communication

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Cover page

Name || MANISH PATIL

Registration Number || 511125882

Learning Center Name || Halo Technologies - Kalyan

Learning Center Code || 3223-U

Course || MBA - I

Semester || SEM-I

Subject || Business Communication

SET No. || 1

Date of Submission at Learning Center || 10thJune11

Marks Awarded ||

Directorate of Distance LearningSikkim Manipal University

II Floor, Syndicate BuildingManipal 576 104

Signature of the Coordinator Signature of the LC Signature of Evaluator

Halo Technologies and Training Pvt. Ltd. || 65260303 || 9870050750 || academics@halo.co.in

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Q.1 Explain the different types of communication with relevant examples. (10 marks)

A. Communication is the transmission of information, ideas, emotions, skills etc., by the use of symbols,

words, pictures, figures, graphs etc. by two or more persons. Communication process involves sender

creating message, encoding it and sending it via appropriate communication channel to the receiver.

The receiver upon reception of the message will decode it and then process the information and replyaccordingly via the same channel.

Broadly, communication is divided into two areas:

o Verbal Communicationo Non-Verbal Communication

Verbal Communication: is communication by words and provides opportunity for personal contact and

two-way information flow. A large part of human communication occurs in verbal form. Verbal

communication is divided in two areas:

Oral Communication Written Communication

Oral Communication: is defined as a process whereby a speaker interacts verbally with one or more

listeners, in order to influence the latters behavior in some way or other. Oral communication in

business context can take form of meetings, performance review, presentations, and Conference calls

etc.

Example: Manager doing a performance appraisal with an employee for providing improvement points.

Sales manager makes sales plan presentation to his sales team explaining how to achieve new sales

target.

Written Communication: is defined as process whereby a writer interacts verbally with a receiver in

order to influence the latters behavior in some way or other. Written communication in business

context takes forms such as letters, memos, circulars, notices, reports, emails etc.

Example: A manager writing a letter of apology in response to customers compliant regarding poor

service. HR team publishes the Annual promotions list via email.

Non Verbal Communication: is defined as communication without words. It refers to any way of

conveying messages without use of verbal language. Non-verbal communication is generally

unintentional, unlike verbal communication. Gestures, facial expressions, postures and the way we dressare all part of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication has greater impact than verbal

communication and can affect personal and business relations.

Types of Non-verbal communication are:

Kinesics - Body Language Proxemics - Personal space and distance

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Time Language - Meaning attached to time Paralanguage - Tone of Voice Physical Context - Physical Environment

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

body movements of any kind like facial expressions, eye movements, gestures, head movements, bodyshape and postures, physical appearance.

Example: Manager yawning, looking out of window during presentation by his team member indicates

that he is disinterested. Going to an interview dressed in jeans and not sticking to stipulated dress code

may indicate that person is a rebel or non-conformist or casual in nature.

Proxemics: is derived from the word proximity and is the communication term for personal space and

distance. The space and distance one keeps from people is also part of the non-verbal communication.

Intimate space is where one admits only friends and family. Personal space is where one admits other

friends and colleagues or co-workers. These two spaces include informal communication. Social and

public space includes official or workplace relationships and communication is in formal nature. In

business context, fixed space refers to physical environment which is formal in nature while semi-fixed

space refers to certain aspects of environment that are dynamic.

Example: Round table meeting conveys equality since no one is seated at the head of the table as in UN

Security council meetings.

Time Language: refers to the meaning or importance attached to time and varies between different

people. Time language varies across different cultures.

Example: In western cultures, punctuality is important and arriving late for meetings is inexcusable.

Arriving early to work or interviews shows interest, seriousness and involvement.

Paralanguage: Para means like or similar to and therefore Paralanguage means like language.

Paralanguage is closest to verbal communication and refers to tone of voice i.e. how something is said

and not what is said. Tone refers to pitch, pace, emphasis on words and volume.

Example: The statement I practice good business communication with emphasis on letter I would

mean that one alone practices good communication, while emphasis on business means that one

practices communication from business context as compared to general context.

Physical Context: refers to the physical environment within which one communicates and includes

aspects like color and layout and design.

Example: Black and Grey colors are associated with death, mourning and negative feelings. Yellow and

Green are associated with positive feelings. Layout of furniture in office may indicate status, formality

or informality.

Based on style of communication, there are two broad categories of communication:

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o Formal Communicationo Informal Communication

Formal Communication: includes instances where in the communication is set in formal nature. This

usually includes are business related communications. Formal communication is straight forward,

precise and has a stringent and rigid tone.

Example: Official Meetings, Written memos, corporate letters etc.

Informal Communication: includes instances of free unrestrained communication between people who

share a casual rapport with each other. It does not have any stringent rules or guidelines.

Example: Friendly chat with family or friends.

Q.2 What are the general principles of writing especially business writing? (10 marks)

A. The principles of business writing can be described in the following ways:

1) Knowing the Addressee Good Business Letter should contain the relevant information about the

knowledge of subject and the person to whom it is addressed. It will create maximum influence on the

reader and will benefit in best possible way.

2) Writing Naturally Good Business Letter should have genuineness in expression of thoughts or ideas.

It should be written in soft spoken language and the reader should believe that we are in conversation

with him.

3)Writing clearly and Without Ambiguity

Good Business Letter should be free from any confusion or

ambiguity. It should insured clarity of thoughts with no omission of words, no faulty punctuation and no

disorderly arrangement of facts. There has to be affixation of full stops and commas at right places so

that there is no change in the sense or subject of the matter. Besides this, there has to be proper

specification of numbers and figures to maintain the authenticity of the matter. The faulty punctuations

or faulty words may prove disaster or failure for the business relations.

4) Writing Completely Good Business Letter should have all the relevant facts and complete

information so that there are no unnecessary queries. The letter should be complete in all aspects and

everything should be described or written specifically.

5) Courtesy and Consideration The courtesy in business correspondence is simply not restricted to

obligatory words like Thank you or Please but implies to promptness in attending to the letters. It is

important to acknowledge letters when it is not possible to give immediate replies. There has to be

politeness in declining business proposals or saying no and it has to be done in decent manner. In

business, courtesy begets courtesy, so there has to be congenial and friendly communication with

business associates and parties.

6) Avoiding Jugglery or Jumbling of Words It is important that the language of the letters should be

simple and should not be like essay or article from literary point of view. It has to be written in short

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sentences with simple words. The letter should not have typical or difficult words and it should be

refrained from verbose or prosaic style of writing.

7) Avoiding the use of commercial words/phrases/abbreviations The use of commercial

words/phrases/abbreviations should be avoided as they have become obsolete and out of practice.

There are some important commercial terms that cannot be substituted, yet they should be minimize or

avoided in the letters.

8) Effectiveness Good Business Letter should be concise, precise, relevant, concrete and consistent so

that it is easily understood by the reader and its contents should be fully followed. The letter should be

arranged in the relevant way so that the important facts should be given prime importance. It should be

followed by other important facts in continuation so that the entire letter becomes link chain. The letter

can be divided into small paragraphs and each paragraph should contain specific type of information. It

should be not too short or too lengthy as this may prove monotonous or irrelevant in a business letter to

the reader.

9) Planning the Letter The writer of the letter should have good thinking power and should plan out itscontents before writing the letter. It helps in assorting all relevant facts, figures and places so that the

letter becomes more useful and result oriented. The following steps are to be taken for planning a letter

and they are as follows:

a) Collecting facts or information It refers to collecting all the relevant facts or information to be

included in the letter.

b) Selecting right or accurate style/approach It implies to the initiation of letter and can be done

through three approaches or styles. They are:

1) Direct In this type we can jump into main issue or conclusion before giving any type of preface orintroduction. For example: Enquiries, Quotations, and Orders etc.

2) Indirect It involves making indirect or preface for the main information, issue or subject.

3) Persuasive It should be written in a way that the reader should be motivated and its content should

arouse his interest to create a demand for the business. For example sales executive offering lucrative

offers to sell his products through effective business letter writing.

c) Arranging Facts, Figures and Places The collected information of the relevant facts, figures and

places should be arranged and assorted properly so that the letter becomes link chain and should be

able to satisfy readers.

10) Checking or Revising the Letter The business letter should be revised and checked thoroughly

before signature and dispatch. It is done to assure accuracy, clarity and effectiveness of a business

letter. It should be free from faulty words, faulty punctuation, and incomplete information etc. for

congenial and prosperous business relations.

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Q.3 How would you prepare yourself for an oral business presentation? (10 marks)

A. Oral Business presentations are a powerful way of presenting your ideas to others when a written

memo or reports is not sufficient. Oral presentations will command attention and fetch immediate

feedback. Steps in making Oral presentations are:

1. 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 should be framed to ease the measurement of accomplishment of

that goal. Purpose of the presentations may be mentioned in broad or general terms or more specific

terms. A general statement of purpose could be expressed in terms of one of the following:

o To Informo To Persuadeo To Entertain

Although it is useful to define general purpose of presentation, specific statement of purpose isimportant to frame. Presentations goals should be realistic, keeping in mind the time limit, topic and

nature of audience.

2. Development of the Key Idea: The key idea of the presentation is the statement that expresses the

main message to be conveyed to your audience. It is different from Statement of purpose in a way that

purpose is meant for the presenter while key idea is for the audience at the start of the presentation.

Once the key idea is clearly stated, it is easier to develop the rest of the presentation.

3. Audience Analysis: Presentation has to be made keeping in mind your listeners and that they should

understand and appreciate it. Below is the information to be gathered about your audience.

o Job Designations and Areas of Expertise.o Preferred style of presentation.o Demographic Characteristics of the Audience.o Size of the Audience.o The level of knowledge on the subject.o The attitude of the audience.

4. Analysis of yourself as a Speaker: Apart from analyzing the audience, it is important to analyze self

to determine ones own purpose of presentation, level of knowledge of the subject and feelings on the

subject. A clear statement of specific purpose of the presentation is important. One should carry outnecessary research on the subject so that you can analyze your position and answer the queries. One

should be convinced on the idea that is being presented which makes it more effective.

5. Analysis of the Circumstances: This includes taking into consideration any limitations of

infrastructure, time and context that might affect the presentation. Lighting and acoustics of the room

along with sitting arrangement should be considered. If presentation is made post lunch, necessary

actions need to be taken to ensure attention of the audience.

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6. Preparation of Outline: Once the initial groundwork is done, one needs to develop the outline of the

presentation. Irrespective of the nature of presentation, standard format is usually followed including:

o Introductiono Body or Main Sectiono Conclusion

7. Collection of Information and Material: Once the outline of the presentation is prepared, one need

to start gathering the relevant material. This is a time consuming process and needs fair amount of

research. Information can be gathered from various sources such as magazines, newspapers, internet

etc. Sometimes, original research may be required to gather fresh data such as in case of survey for new

product.

8. Organization of the body: The body of the presentation should always be prepared before the

introduction. The activity consists of identifying key points to support the main idea and selecting an

organizational plan to develop these key points. Once the main points have been determined, sub points

can be developed to expand on each of these. Organizational plan is developed to present both main

and sub points in the presentation.

9. Planning the introduction: Introduction makes the first impression and should be prepared with care.

It should be 10 to 15 percent of overall presentation time. One needs to try and establish credibility

regarding the subject. An attention grabbing opener should be developed using humor, dramatic

question, startling statement, a quotation or an interesting story.

10. Planning the conclusion: The conclusion should be shorter than the introduction and should

consume 5 percent of the overall presentation time. Every conclusion should have a review and closing

statement. The review essentially reinforces the key idea and summarizes the main points. The closingstatement should be strong as opening statement so that the audience remembers your presentation.

Same techniques can be used to capture attention of the audience in preparing a closing statement.

11. Selection of a Delivery style: Once the presentation has been prepared, one needs to ensure that it

is delivered effectively by selecting an appropriate style of delivery. Delivery styles available to speakers

are:

o Speaking Impromptuo Speaking Extemporaneouslyo Memorizing the presentationo Reading from Written noteso Speaking from notes

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Q.4 You are a team manager having 15 members in your team. Two of your key team members are

on 3-weeks leave. You have to call for a monthly team meeting within a week. How effectively you

would plan and carry out this meeting? (10 marks)

A. Meetings need to be planned in advance, so that they are successful. Now I have 3 jobs. First plan the

meeting, carry out the meeting, and then conclude the meeting. For these jobs the following stepsshould be followed:

1. Before the meeting Planning: First of all I need to identify the important factors to be considered in

the meeting. Apart from a mist of topics, a comprehensive agenda should also include the following

1. The time, venue and duration of the meeting- The starting time and length of the meetingneeds to be indicated, so that participants know how much to prepare and can plan their other

activities and meetings accordingly

2. A List of participants - it is important to let all members know who will be attending themeeting. So that they know who to expect. Here two of colleagues are absent. So I have to

consider the substitute for them or I have to delegate their responsibility within the restmembers. What those two people do, or what is their responsibility and duty in the company

should be considered. Then who can substitute them should also be planned.

3. Background information- This could be in the form of new information, repetition of facts as areminder, or a brief explanation of the important of the meeting.

4. A clear list of items and goals- These should be included in order to ensure that the meeting hasan outcome. Participants need to have a clear idea of their role in the meeting. Goal should be

stated so that they sound specific, result-oriented and realistic.

5. Advance preparation by participants- A good agenda tells participants how to come preparedfor the meeting- for example, by reading an article, bringing important documents, collecting

facts or jotting down their ideas on a particular issue. In case certain members have to prepare

in a specific way, this can be mentioned on their individual copy of the agenda.

2. During the meeting:

1. The manner in which the meeting is started is important, since a good opening will ensurethat the rest of the meeting will proceed smoothly. The meeting should be started according

to the steps stated in the agenda, including goals, background information and expectation

of the participants.

2. After that I need to ensure a balanced participation. Its my duty to encourage the silentmembers to air their opinions and moderate the dominant members. During discussion Ishould avoid talks which are irrelevant to the meeting. I will drive the meeting to focus only

the topics mentioned in the agenda.

3. Time budget for the meeting should be decided depending on the agenda and need toensure the adherence.

4. Ensure that there is no time wasting during the meeting and moderating the meeting tokeep meeting focused on task at hand.

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5. In the meeting I should ensure convergence. Convergence means hearing the points ofviews of all the members and then arriving at a decision. Though two of my colleagues are

absent I should consider the views of my colleagues regarding to who can substitute them

or their duties. Then I should consider about how the carry out the job before time without

those two persons.

6. After consider all these points its time for summing up the different points of views andaction to be taken. Then I should assign different roles and duties to my colleagues

according to the points discussed in the meeting.

3. Concluding the meeting:

1. The way a meeting is concluded is as important as the opening, since it will influence thefollow-up action to be taken on decision made during the meeting. The meeting should be

concluded at the scheduled time mentioned in the agenda.

2. The participation of the members should be acknowledged. Participants should be thankedfor their participation. Members who have made significant contribution should be thanked

individually.

3. Keeping the minutes of the meeting is important to maintain the permanent record of theproceedings which can be referred at later point. I will ensure that one of the team members

does this activity.

4. After the meeting:

1. Plan for the next meeting2. Check Progress on follow-up actions3. Do your ground work before the next meeting.

Q. 5 Distinguish between circulars and notices along with formats. (10 marks)

A. A circular is a communication meant to convey information of a business firm to customers, business

Mends etc. In the course of business, occasions will arise to send out circular letters. The sender aims

giving certain information to the public. There are also other ways to communicate or advertise in

newspapers or journals.

Generally printed or cyclostyled circular letters have a few advantages such as, less expenses, any

number of letters can be posted in a day, to a certain extent the personal meet of the sales agents can

be substituted, and the recipient, if interested, may call upon the firm or the sales agent, and so the

agent need not wait to have an appointment. The objectives of circular letters are: To obtain publicity

for a merchandise, to impress the readers with the facts about the firm and the products, to make the

readers more interest in their contents, to attain the confidence of the readers and to stimulate sales.

A circular letter is one that carries a communication to a number of addresses. The basic difference

between a circular and a general letter is that, whereas the former is addressed to many persons, the

latter is addressed to only one person. Circular letters are to be read by a large number of people,

whereas general letters arc personal and private in nature.

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Notices are methods used to keep the workforce as a whole up to date with what is going on. There are

impersonal methods of communication i.e. the same communication is sent to all the workers. Notices

may relate to vacant posts, holiday arrangements, union matters or social events and are likely to be

displayed on a notice board. Sometimes important notices are included with wage or salary slips. They

keep workers informed and attempt to make them feel a part of a large company.

The advantages of this method are:

o It can contain diagrams as well as written information.o A written record of the message is kept.o They can be created in such a way as to attract attention.o Employees tend to look at notice boards in their breaks.

Circulars and notices are written forms of communication within the organization.

The difference between a circular and a notice is circulars are announcements those are distributed to

small or selective groups of people within an organization, whereas notices are meant for a larger group

of people.

In simple term, a notice is a mention in writing, a sign or placard conveying some information or

intelligence, while a circular is a letter or advert, of which many copies have been made, addressed and

distributed to a circle of people, customer.

Basically, they both convey information to a predetermined group or circle. The only difference is that

while the former is strategically placed in known locations, the latter is forwarded directly to the

intended recipients.

Circular like memo is brief and to the point. It has a caption that indicates the message to be conveyed

like a memo, there is no formal salutation or close. Notice has reference number, date and subject like a

memo. Notices may cover different issues related to one subject and need to be worded precisely and

clearly to avoid any ambiguity. Notice should be brief and to the point and tone should be firm but not

offensive. Depending on the type of notice, duration of display of notice is specified.

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MANIPAL UNIVERSAL LEARNING March 11 th , 2008

Manipal Towers, Bangalore REF: ADM/N/4499

NOTICE

Sub: Manipal Family Day Celebrations

This is to inform all employees of MUL that a Manipal Family Day celebration will be held at Manipal

County on Friday March 14 th , between 10 am and 7 pm. A pickup and drop back facility is being

organized for all employees and their family members. In view of the celebrations, this will be a

holiday. Instead, Saturday, March 15 th will be a working day to compensate for this holiday. All are

encouraged to attend and make the event a success..

SENIOR MANAGER, HR

TO : All Departmental Heads

CIRCULAR

Safety Aspects in Science Laboratories

The purpose of this circular is to emphasize the importance of safety in research laboratories.

All laboratory supervisors are responsible for the safety of research scientists in their charge. It is theirduty to draw their attention to any safety hazard that pertains to a particular activity. In this context,

supervisors should be familiar with relevant guidelines on laboratory safety and they should be

careful at all times to observe standard safety procedures, when practical activities are being

conducted in the laboratory.

Please bring this circular to the notice of the supervisors concerned and to the notice of the

representatives as appropriate, for transmission to individual research less space scientists.

General Manager HR

March 04th, 2011

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Q. 6 You are a sales manager for a particular brand of mixer and blender. Frame a sample bad news

letter telling a customer about that her claim for the product replacement is rejected on the grounds

that the product didnt have any defect during the sale. (10 marks)

A.

Blendtec Electronics

68 lake Itasca Boulevard. Hannover; MN 55341

May 23 2011

Mrs. Sandra Wofford

849 Cedar St.

Lake Elmo, MN 55042

Dear Mrs. Wofford:

Thank you for your letter about the rotor and the blade quality on your 2011 Blendtec HP3A

Blender. Blendtec Electronics believes, as you do, that electronics equipments should be built to

the last. Thats why we stand behind our products with a 90 -day warranty.

Please note that before reaching the market our products goes through 3 level of quality test. So

your product cant be replaced as it didnt have any defect at the time of sale.

Even though your Blendtec HP3A Blender is showing slow rotation, we can still help. Please

package your Blender carefully and ship it to our store in Hannover. Include your complete

name, address, phone number and brief description of the malfunction, along with a check for $35 for an initial examination. After assessing the units, we will give you a written estimate of the

needed labor and parts. Then just let us know whether you want us to make the repairs either

by phone or by filling out the prepaid card well send you with the estimate.

If you choose to repair the units, the $35 will be applied towards your bill, the balance of which

is payable by check or credit card. Blendtec also has service centers available in your area. If you

would prefer to take the unit to one of them, please see the enclosed list

Thanks again for inquiring about our service. Ive also enclosed a catalog of our latest blenders

and mixers and accessories, in which youll find information about Blendtecs Trade-Up

Special. If you are ready to move up to one of the newest blender, Blendtec will offer a

generous tradein-allowance on your current model.

Sincerely,

Walter Bordie

Sales Manager