DRIVE

PROGRAM
SEMESTER
SUBJECT CODE &
NAME
CREDIT & MARKS
Name
Roll No.

WINTER 2013
MBA
Semester 1
MB0039- Business Communication
4 Credits, 60 marks
Sourav Biswas
1311005099

Q 1. As a speaker you are addressing a group of people. Explain the

elements involved
in this communication.
A 1. The elements involved in communication are:
Sender or encoder This is the person who transmits a message.
Receiver or decoder The person who notices and decodes, or
attaches some meaning to a message. Decoding may not always be
accurate and a wrong meaning may be attached to a message.
Message This is any signal that triggers the response of a receiver.
Messages may be intentional (as in the example of the sales
presentation by a manager to the sales team) or unintentional (nonverbal signals such as yawns that convey the message of boredom).
Channel This refers to the medium or the method used to deliver the
message. As a business executive, you will often have a choice of
channels.
Feedback Most communication is two-way. Receivers generally
respond to messages. For example, students may ask questions during
a lecture session and an employer may tell an employee that he has to
think about his proposal.
Context This refers to the setting in which the communication takes

place and could sometimes determine the success or failure of the

communication. Context can be classified as follows:
o Physical context This refers to the physical surroundings.
o Social context This refers to the relationship between the sender and
the receiver.
o Chronological context This refers to time related factors that could
influence the communication.

o Cultural context This refers to the similarity of backgrounds between

the sender and the receiver, such as age, language, nationality, religion and
gender.
Q 2. What is the importance of Kinesics and Proxemics in
communication? Explain
with examples.
A 2. 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.
Eye movements The eye movements such as wide open pupils
express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear. The importance
of eye contact with ones audience was pointed out earlier.
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.
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.
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.
Proxemics
Proxemics is derived from the word proximity or closeness and is the
communication term for personal space and distance.
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.
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.
Q 3. How does internal business communication affect the
organization? Discuss the
role of each stakeholder in this.
A 3. Internal business communication
Internal business communication is the exchange of information within a
company. Internal business communication involves interaction with the
internal stakeholders. Business communication reinforces what we discussed
in the very first unit communication is like breathing, it never stops and is a
constant process. Managers have to stay in continuous touch with their
internal stakeholders like their superiors, peers, subordinates, shareholders,
employees and unions. At the same time managers have to communicate
with external stakeholders such as customers, intermediaries (distributors
and retailers), suppliers of materials and components, government, bankers,
society at large and the media. Effective business communication therefore
involves both internal as well as external communication.
Superiors
Every organisation has a formal reporting system. Superiors are the higher
ups in the organisation to whom you report.
Peers
Peers are your co-workers, or people at the same level within an
organisation. For example, a marketing manager and an HR manager are
peers, since they work at the same level within different departments.
Subordinates
Subordinates are people in the organisation who work below you or report
directly to you.
Employees/Unions
The reasons for communication include welfare aspects, disciplinary aspects
and terms of employment. All these should be clearly spelt out and kept on
record.
Shareholders
Shareholders are very important internal stakeholders, since they are the
owners of the company.

Consumers
Organisations need to communicate with consumers to provide information
about:
Their products and services
Special promotional offers
New product developments
Intermediaries
Intermediaries refer to the trade distributors, wholesalers, retailers,
franchisees, etc.
Suppliers
These are suppliers of raw material, components, power, water or other
utilities. Communication with suppliers is essential to give technical
specifications, ensure quality and timely delivery.
Government
Communicating with the government is particularly important in the Indian
context and is a part of public relations.
Society
As pointed out earlier, organisations need to communicate with the
community at large to project themselves as responsible corporate citizens.
Bankers
Like shareholders, organisations need to communicate with bankers both in
good times and bad times.
Q 4. Imagine a new product from food industry. Write a persuasive
letter to customers,
persuading them to buy your companys product.
A 4.
27th February2014,
To
Mr. Anil Das,
23, A.J.C Bose Road,
Kolkata-700025
Sub: Offer of Samples of Chaco Black from Divine Chocolate Collection
Dear Mr. Das,
Everybody loves chocolate!

This is why we're giving you a chance to win the free samples of the new
Chaco Black the recent addition to our Divine Chocolate Collection today for
free!
So complete the experience of having your dinnertime desert with a piece of
our Dark Chocolate made from the finest cocas collected from different parts
of the world. We have been using our own secret process throughout the
years that has guaranteed the amazing taste and highest quality possible.
Moreover, our product is 100% organic and additive-free. It's authentic,
affordable, and healthy!
There are many other brands out there; we know that. But once you have a
taste of Sunny Maple Syrup, we're sure ours is the only one you'll ever buy
from then on.
All you need to do is fill out the form we have enclosed and we'll send you a
box of our Divine Chocolate Collection within 48 hours.
We are absolutely certain that once you try our chocolate you'll be craving
for more. We'll have you hooked in no time.
So, what are you waiting for? Send us your form today! You'll be more than
glad that you did!
Sincerely,
Tinku Bamaniya,
Sales Manager,
Innovative Food Product Private Ltd.
40, M.G Road, Kolkata-700065
Q 5. You are going to face a job interview for the post of Manageroperations. Which
aspects you will keep in mind while facing the interview?
A 5. Interviewees perspective before the job interview
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. Pre-interview planning is similar to
preparing for a sales presentation. You will have to sell yourself to the
prospective employer, by highlighting your unique strengths and by

convincing the employer that you are the right person for the job. It also
involves doing a thorough study of the organisation for which you are
attending the interview. Employers expect applicants to gather information
about the organisation in advance and do not want to waste precious
interview time providing such information. Preparation before the interview
also involves doing a self-analysis, to assess your own abilities, strengths,
weaknesses, interests and preferences. For example, are you a team player,
or do you work better alone? Would you prefer a travelling job or a desk job?
Do you enjoy interacting with people?
During the job interview
Opening formalities Since it is important to create a good first
impression, the way you greet and introduce yourself is important.
Non-verbal communication It was emphasised that in face-to-face
communication, non-verbal cues can enhance communication and
convey a positive message.
Group interviews A group interview is one where a panel of
interviewers interview a single applicant.
Two-way interview Although the applicants task is primarily to
listen and the interviewers job is primarily to ask questions, it is in the
hands of the applicant to make the communication a two-way process.
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.
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.
Salary discussion Any discussion on salary should be initiated by
the interviewer and not by the interviewee, especially during the initial
interview.
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.
After the job interview
This stage involves the third and fourth steps in the interviewing process
evaluating the interview and taking appropriate action. From the applicants
point of view, it is important to do a self-assessment of performance during
the interview. Even if the applicant is not expecting a favourable outcome, it
is important to send a thank-you letter to the interviewer immediately,

expressing gratitude for having been given the opportunity of a face-to-face

meeting.
Q 6. Write short notes on:
a) SQ3R technique of reading
b) Circulars
A 6. A)
Steps of
Expansio Abbrevia
SQ3R
n
tion
Steps
Step 1
Survey
S
Step 2
Question
Q
Step 3
Read
R
Step 4
Recall
R
Step 5
Review
R
1. Survey Survey refers to a quick glance through the title page,
preface and chapter headings of a text. By surveying, you will be able
to gauge the main ideas of the text. Besides, the authors name, date,
place of publication and title page can give you an idea of the general
subject area.
2. Question The second step in the SQ3R technique of reading is
question. A survey of the text will surely raise a few questions in your
mind regarding the text. Some of the questions could be:
Is the book useful or relevant to my study?
Does it provide some guidelines/information on the subject at hand?
3. Reading After surveying and questioning, you begin the actual
reading. You need to develop a critical approach to reading anything
for that matter. Read the text over and over again, each time with a
different question and a different purpose in mind. "I read it once and
understand everything" kind of attitude is nothing but a myth.
4. Recall Recalling or reciting follows reading level. In this level, the
reader recalls or recites the content after reading some portion of text.
This is done by checking and amending notes. This is done because
every reading exercise increases your background knowledge and you
must be able to connect the information gained with the existing
knowledge.
5. Review Reviewing is the process of checking whether we have
followed the earlier stages promptly and efficiently. Have we surveyed
the book, article or magazine properly?
b) Circulars and Notices

Like memos, circulars and 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. For example, if a manager wants to call a meeting of
heads of departments, he will pass around a circular only to the heads,
requesting them to attend that meeting.

A Sample Circular