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Master of Business Administration - MBA Semester 1

MB0039 Business Communication - 4 Credits

Assignment Set- 1 (60 Marks)

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

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

Communication is a process that involves exchange of information, thoughts, ideas andemotions. Communication is a process that involves a sender who encodes and sendsthe message, which is then carried via the communication channel to the receiver wherethe receiver decodes the message, processes the information and sends an appropriatereply via the same communication channel.

Types of Communication:Communication can occur via various processes and methods and depending on

the channel used and the style of communication there can be various types ofcommunication.

Types of Communication Based on Communication Channels:

Based on the channels used for communicating, the process of communication can bebroadly classified as verbal communication and non-verbal communication. Verbalcommunication includes written and oral communication whereas the non-verbalcommunication includes body language, facial expressions and visuals diagrams orpictures used for communication.

Verbal Communication:Verbal communication is further divided into written and oral communication.

The oral communication refers to the spoken words in the communication process. Oralcommunication can either be face-to-face communication or a conversation over thephone or on the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken conversations or dialogs areinfluenced by voice modulation, pitch, volume and even the speed and clarity ofspeaking. The other type of verbal communication is written communication. Writtencommunication can be either via snail mail, or email. The effectiveness of writtencommunication depends on the style of writing, vocabulary used, grammar, clarity andprecision of language.

Nonverbal Communication:Non-verbal communication includes the overall body language of the person who

is speaking, which will include the body posture, the hand gestures, and overall bodymovements. The facial expressions also play a major role while communication since theexpressions on a persons face say a lot about his/her mood. On the other hand gestureslike a handshake, a smile or a hug can independently convey emotions. Non verbalcommunication can also be in the form of pictorial representations, signboards, or evenphotographs, sketches and paintings.

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Types of Communication Based on Style and Purpose

Based on the style of communication, there can be two broad categories ofcommunication, which are formal and informal communication that have their own setof characteristic features.

Formal Communication

Formal communication includes all the instances where communication has to occur ina set formal format. Typically this can include all sorts of business communication orcorporate communication. The style of communication in this form is very formal andofficial. Official conferences, meetings and written memos and corporate letters are usedfor communication. Formal communication can also occur between two strangers whenthey meet for the first time. Hence formal communication is straightforward, officialand always precise and has a stringent and rigid tone to it.

Informal Communication:Informal communication includes instances of free unrestrained communication

between people who share a casual rapport with each other. Informal communicationrequires two people to have a similar wavelength and hence occurs between friends andfamily. Informal communication does not have any rigid rules and guidelines. Informalconversations need not necessarily have boundaries of time, place or even subjects forthat matter since we all know that friendly chats with our loved ones can simply go onand on. by kvsudepizzacom.

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

Principles of Business Writing:

The principles of Good Business Letter can be described in the following ways:1) Knowing the Addressee Good Business Letter should contain the relevantinformation about the knowledge of subject and the person to whom it is addressed. Itwill create maximum influence on the reader and will benefit in best possible way.2) Writing Naturally Good Business Letter should have genuineness in expressionof thoughts or ideas. It should be written in soft spoken language and the reader shouldbelieve that we are in conversation with him.3) Writing clearly and Without Ambiguity Good Business Letter should be freefrom any confusion or ambiguity. It should insured clarity of thoughts with no omissionof 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 senseor subject of the matter. Besides this, there has to be proper specification of numbersand figures to maintain the authenticity of the matter. The faulty punctuations or faultywords may prove disaster or failure for the business relations.4) Writing Completely Good Business Letter should have all the relevant facts andcomplete information so that there are no unnecessary queries. The letter should becomplete in all aspects and everything should be described or written specifically.

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5) Courtesy and Consideration The courtesy in business correspondence is simplynot restricted to obligatory words like Thank you or Please but implies topromptness in attending to the letters. It is important to acknowledge letters when it isnot possible to give immediate replies. There has to be politeness in declining businessproposals 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 with business associates andparties.6) Avoiding Jugglery or Jumbling of Words It is important that the language ofthe letters should be simple and should not be like essay or article from literary point ofview. It has to be written in short sentences with simple words. The letter should nothave typical or difficult words and it should be refrained from verbose or prosaic style ofwriting.7) Avoiding the use of commercial words/phrases/abbreviations The use ofcommercial words/phrases/abbreviations should be avoided as they have becomeobsolete and out of practice. There are some important commercial terms that cannot besubstituted, 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 contentsshould be fully followed. The letter should be arranged in the relevant way so that theimportant facts should be given prime importance. It should be followed by otherimportant facts in continuation so that the entire letter becomes link chain. The lettercan be divided into small paragraphs and each paragraph should contain specific type ofinformation. It should be not too short or too lengthy as this may prove monotonous orirrelevant in a business letter to the reader.9) Planning the Letter The writer of the letter should have good thinking powerand should plan out its contents before writing the letter. It helps in assorting allrelevant facts, figures and places so that the letter becomes more useful and resultoriented. 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 orinformation to be included in the letter.b) Selecting right or accurate style/approach It implies to the initiation of letterand 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 anytype of preface or introduction. For example Enquiries, Quotations, Orders etc.2) Indirect It involves making indirect or preface for the main information, issueor 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. Forexample sales executive offering lucrative offers to sell his products through effectivebusiness letter writing.

c) Arranging Facts, Figures and Places The collected information of the relevantfacts, figures and places should be arranged and assorted properly so that the letterbecomes link chain and should be able to satisfy readers.

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10) Checking or Revising the Letter The business letter should be revised andchecked thoroughly before signature and dispatch. It is done to assure accuracy, clarityand effectiveness of a business letter. It should be free from faulty words, faultypunctuation, and incomplete information etc for congenial and prosperous businessrelations.

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

Delivering a formal presentation can be either fairly stress-free or nerve-wrecking. Yourlevel of comfort can depend on the size of your audience, the critical spectatorsattending your presentation, or the feedback that you may anticipate. Whatever you mayfind as a cause for concerns about speaking before a group, never let it be yourknowledge about what you will speak. With thorough and effective research about yoursubject, you will discover that you are already halfway prepared to address yourlisteners. The following steps can complete your preparation.

Instructions:1. Study your subject. You may have already been provided great information fromwhich you could pull. But if there are other sources, such as the Internet or experts, usethem to enhance your own insight. Doing so can also help you develop more confidencein your speech.2. In the comfort of your own study lab (wherever that may be), anticipate all types ofresponding questions from people in your audience: challenging questions, criticalquestions, crazy questions, and simple questions (the ones which are so simple that youforgot to prepare an answer for). Equip yourself with facts and insight accordingly. Forenlightenment on people's views, I have read several message boards and evencomplaint sites to help me prepare for the unexpected.

3. Organize the notes from which you will speak. Whether typed or handwritten, youmust be able to comprehend them in order to convey them to an audience. So, if you jotyour notes down on index cards, write legibly.

Also, bind the notes - paper or cards - that you plan to use during yourpresentation. Dropping loose papers or cards during your speech should not distract anattentive listener, but it can certainly distract you, the speaker. Make your task a tad biteasier on yourself alleviating the possibility of that problem.

4. If you decide to speak with the aid of a Power Point presentation, bear in mind howyou will insert information to be displayed. Don't expect an audience to read lengthysentences or any paragraph - no matter how much time they are given.

By all means, do not prepare yourself to read every word written on that PowerPoint. The audience does not need to see the back of your head. They don't need to hearyour voice drift into a state of monotony, which is what can happen if you read word-for-word from your notes.

5. Practice your presentation in private and be willing to be your own biggest critic. Graba tape recorder or any recording device to listen to your own speech.

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6. As I expressed above, approach the podium with a solid knowledge base about everypoint your will discuss.

7. Please do not imagine your audience in their underwear. You need to focus. If eyecontact with any of those listeners intimidates you, then look just past the last row of

people to land your sight on either some empty seats or the wall. There are corners ofwalls and other inanimate objects where you can place your focus until you find yourselfcomfortable enough to make brief eye contact with a few friendly or neutral faces.

8. Remember that the last row of listeners need to hear your voice. Unless you have areliable microphone, be sure to project.

9. Do not overestimate your listeners' attention spans. Keep their interest. Give yourtone some range (logical range, that is). And wherever your subject and the points fromwhich you speak will allow, engage your audience with illustrations which they canrelate to.

10. Please impose neither overly technical terminologies nor acronyms on youraudience. While these expressions of intelligence seem effective, they actually reflect alazy effort to communicate detailed and comprehensible information to listeners.

11. Remember that, at this point, there should be no reason to lose confidence. If you'vestudied your subject, grasped a clear understanding of it, and followed the tips above,you have the tools to conquer any sharp sensation that you may feel in the pit of yourgut going before any group.

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 aweek. How effectively you would plan and carry out this meeting? (10 marks)

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

A circular is a communication meant to convey information of a business firm tocustomers, business Mends etc. In the course of business, occasions will arise to sendout circular letters. The sender aims giving certain information to the public. There arealso other ways to communicate or advertise in newspapers or journals.Generally printed or cyclostyled circular letters have a few advantages such as, lessexpenses, any number of letters can be posted in a day, to a certain extent the personalmeet 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 impressthe readers with the facts about the firm and the products, to make the readers moreinterest 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 basicdifference between a circular and a general letter is that, whereas the former isaddressed to many persons, the latter is addressed to only one person. Circular letters

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are to be read by a large number of people, whereas general letters arc personal andprivate in nature.

Notices are methods used to keep the workforce as a whole up to date with what is goingon. 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, unionmatters or social events and are likely to be displayed on a notice board. Sometimesimportant notices are included with wage or salary slips. They keep workers informedand attempt to make them feel a part of a large company.

The advantages of this method are:It can contain diagrams as well as written information.A written record of the message is kept.They can be created in such a way as to attract attention.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 areDistributed to small or selective groups of people within an organization, whereasnotices are meant for a larger group of people.

In simple term, a notice is a mention in writing, a sign or placard conveying someinformation or intelligence. while a circular is a letter or advert, of which many copieshave been made, addressed and distributed to a circle of people, customer.

Basically, they both convey info. to a predetermined group or circle. The only diff is thatwhile the former is strategically placed in known locations, the latter is forwardeddirectly to the intended recipients. by kvsudepizzacom.

Q. 6 You are a sales manager for a particular brand of mixer and blender. Frame a samplebad news letter telling a customer about that her claim for the product replacement isrejected on the grounds that the product didnt have any defect during the sale. (10marks)

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Master of Business Administration - MBA Semester 1

MB0039 Business Communication - 4 Credits

Assignment Set- 2 (60 Marks)

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

Q.1 As a part of top management team, how would you communicate to yourshareholders about the companys expansion plans? (10 marks)

Q.2 ABC Ltd. wants to communicate about its corporate image to all its stakeholders andalso to the general public. As an advisor, how do you recommend them to do it? (10marks)

Q.3 what is oral business communication? Explain its benefits to the organisation and tothe individual employee. (10 marks)

According to a 2005 study published in the Journal of Employment Counseling, oralcommunication skills are being increasingly sought after by employers. When surveyingover 100 successful businesses, researchers found that more and more employers areemphasizing the development of good speaking skills in their employees. With this inmind, the concept of oral communication is an important idea to study and understand

in the context of business.

Presentations:One form of oral communication in a business setting is a presentation. Presentationsare usually an organized conveyance of information to a group of people. Stylistically,they tend to be far more formal than informal, and rely more heavily on data and factsthan they do analysis. Presentations are sometimes more persuasive in nature, like apitch for an ad campaign, but tend to be informative more often, such as an employeebriefing or a report on quarterly earnings. Presentations may include some dialog afterthe sender of the message has finished their speech, but they are, by and large, muchmore monologue reliant. This makes it important for the speaker to anticipate possible

objections to the message and address them in the actual speech.

Client InteractionAnother form of oral communication in business encompasses interaction with clients.Depending on the level of connection between the employee and the client, thecommunication in these interactions can range from incredibly formal to informal andcasual. These interactions usually include a combination of data and analysis, and willbe more persuasive than informative in nature, as the employee is trying to encourage

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continued and expanded business with the client. Because of the nature of theseinteractions, the communication is definitely a dialog, making listening skills incrediblyimportant.

Interoffice Interaction

Oral communication in the office can be referred to as interoffice interaction. This iscomprised of conversations with superiors, subordinates and co-workers. Depending onthe levels of power separation between the individuals engaging in conversation, thecommunication will fluctuate between formal and informal, though it should alwaysremain professional. Conversations in this context may reference data, but will be muchmore analysis heavy, and will be a dialog by nature.

BenefitsOral communication in business provides a variety of benefits. First, oralcommunication is accompanied by nonverbal signifiers, which provides context that canenhance understanding in the communication process. Posture, facial expressions, andhabitual movements may provide clues as to an individuals feelings about the ideasbeing discussed. Even in telephone conversations, pitch, rate, volume and tone of therespective speakers can help in understanding sentiments.

Oral communication also provides a springboard for relational development. Unlikewith email, memos and chat functions, which tend to take a task-oriented approach tocommunication, the immediacy involved in oral communication allows for instantfeedback and a more relational approach. This is important, as strong relationships inbusiness often lead to more profitable and productive cooperation.

Q.4. Give short notes on communication network in the organisation. (10 marks)

Networks are another aspect of direction and flow of communication. Bavelas hasshown that communication patterns, or networks, influence groups in several importantways. Communication networks may affect the group's completion of the assigned taskon time, the position of the de facto leader in the group, or they may affect the groupmembers' satisfaction from occupying certain positions in the network. Although thesefindings are based on laboratory experiments, they have important implications for thedynamics of communication in formal organizations.There are several patterns of communication:"Chain","Wheel",

"Star","All-Channel" network,"Circle".The Chain can readily be seen to represent the hierarchical pattern that characterizesstrictly formal information flow, "from the top down," in military and some types ofbusiness organizations. The Wheel can be compared with a typical autocraticorganization, meaning one-man rule and limited employee participation. The Star issimilar to the basic formal structure of many organizations. The All-Channel network,

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which is an elaboration of Bavelas's Circle used by Guetzkow, is analogous to the free-flow of communication in a group that encourages all of its members to become involvedin group decision processes. The All-Channel network may also be compared to some ofthe informal communication networks.If it's assumed that messages may move in both directions between stations in the

networks, it is easy to see that some individuals occupy key positions with regard to thenumber of messages they handle and the degree to which they exercise control over theflow of information. For example, the person represented by the central dot in the "Star"handles all messages in the group. In contrast, individuals who occupy stations at theedges of the pattern handle fewer messages and have little or no control over the flow ofinformation.These "peripheral" individuals can communicate with only one or two otherpersons and must depend entirely on others to relay their messages if they wish toextend their range.In reporting the results of experiments involving the Circle, Wheel, and Starconfigurations, Bavelas came to the following tentative conclusions. In patterns withpositions located centrally, such as the Wheel and the Star, an organization quicklydevelops around the people occupying these central positions. In such patterns, theorganization is more stable and errors in performance are lower than in patterns havinga lower degree of centrality, such as the Circle. However, he also found that the moraleof members in high centrality patterns is relatively low. Bavelas speculated that thislower morale could, in the long run, lower the accuracy and speed of such networks.In problem solving requiring the pooling of data and judgments, or "insight," Bavelassuggested that the ability to evaluate partial results, to look at alternatives, and torestructure problems fell off rapidly when one person was able to assume a more central(that is, more controlling) position in the information flow. For example, insight into aproblem requiring change would be less in the Wheel and the Star than in the Circle orthe Chain because of the "bottlenecking" effect of data control by central members.It may be concluded from these laboratory results that the structure of communications

within an organization will have a significant influence on the accuracy of decisions, thespeed with which they can be reached, and the satisfaction of the people involved.Consequently, in networks in which the responsibility for initiating and passing alongmessages is shared more evenly among the members, the better the group's morale inthe long run.

Q. 5 what are the different types of business letters? Explain with example. (10 marks)

Business letter is an old form of official correspondence. A business letter is written byan individual to an organization or an organization to another organization. Business

letters are written for various purposes. One writes a letter to enquire information, applyfor a job, acknowledge someone's work, and appreciate one's job done, etc.As the motive of writing the letter is different, the style of the letter changes and you getdifferent types of business letters. The various types of business letters are used bydifferent people to serve their purpose of sending the message across.

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Let's take look at the most common types of business letters:

Acknowledgement Letter: This type of letter is written when you want to acknowledgesome one for his help or support when you were in trouble. The letter can be used to justsay thanks for something you have received from some one, which is of great help to

you.Apology Letter: An apology letter is written for a failure in delivering the desired results.If the person has taken up a task and he fails to meet the target then he apologizes andasks for an opportunity to improve in this type of letter.Appreciation Letter: An appreciation letter is written to appreciate some one's work inthe organization. This type of letter is written by a superior to his junior. Anorganization can also write an appreciation letter to other organization, thanking theclient for doing business with them.Complaint Letter: A complaint letter is written to show one that an error has occurredand that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. The letter can be used as a documentthat was used for warning the reader.Inquiry Letter: The letter of inquiry is written to inquire about a product or service. Ifyou have ordered a product and yet not received it then you can write a letter to inquirewhen you will be receiving it.Order Letter: This letter is as the name suggests is used for ordering products. Thisletter can be used as a legal document to show the transaction between the customerand vendor.Letter of Recommendation: This type of letter is written to recommend a person for ajob position. The letter states the positive aspects of the applicant's personality and howhe/she would be an asset for the organization. Letter of recommendation is even usedfor promoting a person in the organization.

Q. 6 prepare your resume highlighting your personal achievements, job experience if any

and educational background. Also prepare a cover letter to the organisation where youwant to apply and the position to be applied for. (10 marks)