BUISNESS COMMUNICATION

Name RATI BHAN

Roll No. 511022630
Program MBA SEM-1
Subject BUISNESS COMM.
[Set 1]
Code MB039
Learning IICM KINGSWAY CAMP
Centre

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Q 1. Describe any situation in your experience where the

communication went wrong. Analyze the situation by pointing out
the type of barrier to communication and suggest how to
overcome this barrier.

Ans. - A situation of communication barrier between executives &

Associate Manager

As an Associate Manager, manager was a sender for a communication and

intended to be received by his Executive. Manager sent the following
communication to all executives through a notice and displayed on the
notice board:- “Coming Second Saturday to complete our targets
for the month a review meeting is arranged and all should attend.
If any executive is not able to attend should find out the contents
of the meeting from their peers without fail”. But his (manager)
communication went wrong and out of 10 executives, only three
executives have attended at 4.00 PM who checked-in by boss the time of
the meeting. Following were the barriers of communication which
stood in the way of his communication: - The “Channel” manager has
chosen did not ensure the receipt of the communication by “Receivers”

1. The communication lacked the “Chronological context” The second

Saturday being a non working day.

2. The communication has created a “Psychological noise” by not

mentioning correct time of the meeting and confusion has been
created.

3. The “social context” also is one of the causes for the failure of the
communication as boss has not taken all executives into confident by
giving any advance information or a intention of the meeting earlier.

Lessons learnt in order to overcome these barriers of

communication:-

 Associate manager communication was unclear by not giving exact

time of meeting. The media he has used is the placing the notice
on the notice board, instead had he circulated to all the Receivers
and obtained their signatures by asking their availability or
feedback his Communication would not have failed.

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 Analyze Manager had chosen a wrong day a holiday though the

task was a routine one.

 Manager could have maintained good relations with his executives

for success of his communication.

Communication:-

Communication is a non-stop process and is a vital ingredient for success,

both within and outside the workplace. It is a part of “soft skills”, as
opposed to domain or technical knowledge, which is a part of “hard skills.”
A formal study of business communication is important, since the average
business executive today spends a good part of his time on the job
communicating in some form or the other. In this unit, we will see how
communication involves certain key elements, no matter in what context
it takes place. We will also examine some of the general problems that
come in the way of smooth communication and ways of overcoming these
problems.

Types of barrier to communication and to overcome the barriers

1. Environmental Barriers – This is the same as physical noise,

which could be in the form of distracting sounds, an overcrowded
room, poor facilities and acoustics, all of which may hinder the
ability to listen to and understand the message.

2. Individual Barriers – A major barrier to interpersonal

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

3. 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

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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.

4. Channel Barriers – In the earlier section, it was pointed out

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

5. Linguistic and Cultural Barriers – When the sender of the

message uses a language that the receiver does not
understand, the communication will not succeed. Either the
sender may be using a different or foreign language, or the
language used may be too highly technical for the receiver to
understand.

6. Semantic Barriers – The word “semantics” refers to the

meaning of words and the way in which they are used. For example,
different words may have different meanings in different cultures.
Failure to take this into consideration could lead to serious blunders.
Example : Saying “ The new product launch went like a
bomb” in British English would mean that the new product launch was
a success. On the other hand, saying “The product launch bombed”
in American English would mean that the new product was a disaster.

7. Non-verbal Barriers – This refers to the non-verbal

communication that goes with a particular message. Non-verbal
communication includes tone of voice, body language such as gestures
and facial expressions, etc.

Overcoming the Barriers to Communication

Certain steps can be taken, both at the organizational level, as well

as at the individual level, to effectively deal with the barriers to
communication, in order to try to minimize them, if not eliminate them
entirely –

Organizational Action
1. Encourage Feedback – Organizations should try to improve

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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.

Individual Action

1. Active Listening – This means listening to the meaning of

the speaker’s words, rather than listening without hearing, or
“passive listening”. Passive listening is a barrier to communication,
whereas real communication takes place when we listen actively, with
understanding. Listening is a skill which can be developed through proper
training.
2. Careful wording of messages – Messages should be worded
clearly and without ambiguity, to make sure that the message that is
received is the same as the message that is sent.

3. Selection of Appropriate Channels – Individuals should be

competent enough to choose the right communication channel,
depending on the situation. Channels of communication and the criteria
for selection of channels

Q.2 Describe any two aspects of non verbal communication and

give examples of how each of them could be used to convey
positive messages at the workplace

Two aspects of non-verbal communication

Non-verbal communication may be defined as communication

without words. It refers to any way of conveying meanings without the use
of verbal language. Non-verbal communication is generally unintentional,
unlike verbal communication. All of us tend to communicate silently
and unknowingly send signals and messages by what we do, apart from

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what we say. Gestures, facial expressions, posture and the way we dress,
are all part of non-verbal communication.

Non-verbal Communication Varies Across Cultures – While certain

types of non-verbal behavior are universal, others may be different
in different cultures. Examples – There are different rules regarding the
appropriateness of the handshake in oriental and western cultures.
Generally, in oriental cultures like India, any form of physical contact is not
common and is interpreted as being intimate, while it is an accepted thing
in western countries. Similarly, a nod of the head means yes in some
cultures and no in other cultures.

Types of Non-verbal Communication

Description Communication Terminology

Body Language
1. Kinesics
2. Personal Space and Distance Proxemics
3. Meaning Attached to Time Language
4. Tone of Voice
5. Paralanguage
6. Physical Environment Physical Context
Let us now look at each of the above aspects of non-verbal
communication in detail-

1. Kinesics – This 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.

Facial Expressions can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and

sadness. If you meet a long lost friend and say “I’m very happy to meet
you again”, but with a sad facial expression, it conveys the exact opposite
meaning.

Eye Movements, such as wide open pupils express feelings of surprise,

excitement or even fear. The importance of eye contact with one’s
audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye contact is an indication of
intensity and interest, while lack of it can convey feelings of nervousness
and guilt.

Gestures, such as movement of the hands while giving a lecture or

presentation indicates a high level of involvement in what you are
saying. On the other hand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of nervousness
and speaking with one’s hands in one’s pockets is considered to be

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casual or even rude.

Head Movements like nodding the head can convey interest, appreciation,
agreement or understanding.

Body Shape and Posture – Body shape is not within one’s control
but can be stereotyped to convey certain meanings. For example,
someone who is strong and muscular is generally thought to be
athletic, as opposed to a person who is short and fat!

Physical Appearance – Our outward appearance, including the way we

dress and the jewelry and make-up that we wear can convey an
impression of formality or informality. Going to a job interview dressed in
blue jeans or not sticking to a stipulated dress code at the workplace can
convey that you are a rebel, non-conformist or a very casual person.
Therefore, it is important to take care of your appearance, so that you
convey the right meaning to others.

2. Proxemics – Proxemics is derived from the word “proximity”

or closeness and is the communication term for personal space and
distance. The space and distance which we choose to keep from
people is also part of non-verbal communication. Each of us has our
own inner and outer circles, which differ for different people. Our inner
most circle is an “intimate space”, into which we generally admit only
select people such as family and close friends. Next comes a “personal
space” which might include other friends and colleagues or
coworkers. These two spaces involve communication of an informal
nature. Most of us also have a “social and public” space, which
includes official or workplace relationships, where the communication is of
a more formal nature.

3. Time Language – This refers to the meaning or importance attached

to time and varies between different people. One person may value time
more than another. Similarly, time language also varies across cultures.

4. Paralanguage – Para means “like” or “similar to”,

therefore paralanguage means “like language”. Of all the forms
of non-verbal communication, paralanguage is closest to verbal
communication. It refers to the tone of voice with which something is
said. In other words, it is “how” something is said, and not “what” is
said. The tone of voice includes the pitch (high or low pitch), the
pace (slow or fast) the emphasis on words and the volume (soft or
loud) and can convey different moods and emotions, as mentioned
earlier in this unit.

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5. Physical Context – This refers to the physical environment or

surroundings within which we communicate and includes two aspects
– 1) color and layout and 2) design.
Colors are known for their symbolic meaning and have associations
with different feelings. For example, colors like black and grey are
associated with death, mourning and negative feelings. Yellow and green
are associated with more positive feelings. Of course, these can also vary
across cultures. The point to remember is that you can make the right
impressions with use of the right colors.

Teleconferencing is almost as good as face-to-face communication, since

it enables two parties in different locations to see ( if there is video-
conferencing facility) and speak to each other. Today, many large Indian
organizations make use of this technology. While teleconferencing has
the advantage of saving time and costs involved in travel, it cannot
replace face-to-face meetings completely. Some types of interaction
such as brainstorming, negotiation, persuasion and problem solving can
be conducted better through face-to-face meetings.

Telephone communication has the advantage of being able to contact

people who would be impossible to reach in person. It is also relatively
inexpensive, compared to face-to-face communication. The disadvantage
is that it is hard to hold the listener’s attention for too long.

Email is another two-way, but not face-to-face channel that allows senders
and receivers to send and respond to one another’s messages almost
instantaneously. Within an office, email is used as an alternative to
telephone communication and personal meetings and is called the”
intranet.” Email has the advantage of low cost, speed and the ability to
send messages to several people anywhere in the world. The
disadvantages are its impersonal nature and the lack of confidentiality,
since the messages can be stored or passed on to others.

3. One-way, not face-to-face channels – All forms of written

communication mentioned earlier – letters, reports, memos, notices,
etc. may be classified under this type of channel. Written communication
is largely one-way communication, since there is usually no instantaneous
feedback between the sender and the receiver. It is also purely verbal,
since non-verbal communication is not possible, in the absence of face-to-
face contact. It lacks the personal quality of face-to-face communication,
although it could be personalized to an extent in some forms such as
letters.

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Q.3 Which types of listening would be required the most at the

workplace? Explain with suitable examples.
Ans. Type of listening required most at the workplace.

Listening is hard work and is more than just sitting passively and
absorbing a speaker’s words. According to Lund Steen, “Listening is a
highly complex process by which spoken language is converted to
meaning in the mind”. Listening has been identified by
Stephen Covey as one of the “seven habits of highly effective
people”, in his book with the same title. This definition implies that
listening is a skill which can be cultivated and developed, just like
speaking, reading or writing. Listening is often thought to be synonymous
with hearing. The difference is that while hearing is a passive process,
listening is active. It means being alert to and understanding the
meaning behind the speaker’s words. While listening, one is engaged in
processing the information, reconstructing the information and also giving
meaning to the information.

Types of Listening

1. Discriminative Listening

This is the most basic type of listening, whereby the

difference between the sounds is identified. Unless the differences
between the sounds are identified, the meaning expressed by such
differences cannot be grasped. Once we learn to distinguish between
sounds in our own language, we are able to do the same in other
languages. One reason why people belonging to one country find it
difficult to speak the language of another country is that they find the
sounds similar and cannot understand the subtle differences.

2. Comprehension Listening

Once we have learnt to discriminate between the different sounds,

the next step is to try to comprehend the meaning of these sounds. In
order to do this, we require a dictionary of words, along with the rules of
grammar and syntax. Apart from the verbal communication, we also
need to understand the meaning conveyed by the speaker’s nonverbal
behavior. This can be achieved by closely observing various aspects

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of the speaker’s body language and tone of voice.

3. Evaluative Listening

This kind of listening involves making judgments about what the

speaker is saying. We listen critically and try to assess what is being said
as good, bad, worthy or unworthy. We generally resort to this kind of
listening when the other person is trying to persuade us, change our
behavior or convictions. The tendency then is to question what the
speaker is trying to say.

4. Appreciative Listening

This kind of listening could be in the form of paying selective

attention to certain kinds of information which might be relevant to us, or
which helps to meet our needs and goals. The tendency is to appreciate
such information better. Appreciative listening is also used when listening
to good music, poetry or a powerful speech.

5. Empathetic Listening

In this type of listening, we try to put ourselves in the other person’s

place and understand the moods, beliefs, goals and feelings behind
the speaker’s words. It requires excellent discrimination and paying
attention to the nuances of emotional signals. It also requires a high
degree of sensitivity and tactful probing on the part of the listener.
Empathetic listening is most often needed at the workplace, when dealing
with customer complaints, employee feedback and problems. A manager
doing a performance appraisal with an employee for example, should
listen to the employee’s point of view and understand the real reasons for
lack of performance.

6. Therapeutic Listening

In this type of listening, the listener goes beyond merely

empathizing with the speaker and tries to help him to change or
develop in some way. In other words, he plays the role of a therapist, by
diagnosing the problem at hand and offering a remedy or solution. This
type of listening is common in social situations, where family and personal
problems are resolved through counseling. It is also important in job
situations, where managers try to solve the problems of employees.
Taking the same example of a manager doing a performance

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appraisal, the manager should not only understand the employee’s

problems, but should also “counsel” him, by suggesting what
measures he could take to improve his performance in future.

7. Dialogic Listening

This type of listening involves listening and learning through

dialogue. This implies that listening is a two-way, rather than a one-way
process. It involves interchange of ideas and information between the
speaker and the listener. This type of listening is active listening,
whereby the listener continuously seeks clarifications, gives feedback
and engages in conversation with the speaker. Another name for this
is “relational” listening , since a relationship is established through
the exchange of ideas.

Q4. Imagine that you have to make a presentation on your MBA

project to a group of your professors and industry experts.
Prepare the following – a) A general statement of purpose b) A
specific statement of purpose c) The key idea d) A brief audience
analysis e) Delivery style.

Ans. Statement of Purpose: The main aim of this presentation is to

inform new students of SMU MBA program with Edunxt web portal
recently launched by Sikkim Manipal University.
Introduce students about the flexibility of Edunxt portal, by high lighting
the salient features of this portal that it is an online class room for the
students from which they can access to a wide variety of activities like e-
boos, SLMs, Quizzes etc anytime anywhere by just simply logging in.

Key Idea: Sikkim Manipal University has launched first time in the
History of Distance Education in India, the virtual classroom through
Edunxt. Within the Edunxt portal, after logging in, a student can access
study materials in the form of an e-workbook with value-added
components, attempt quizzes related to his study curriculum interactively,
ask questions in the Discussion groups related to his subject of study and
will get the reply also either from the LC faculties or the SMU core faculties
just sitting in the comfort of his own drawing room. The portal is for
bridging the gap between the students and the SMU Head-quarter
faculties, for transferring the knowledge of the core-faculties directly to all

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students, for increasing the interaction between the LC faculties as well as

core-faculties and above all for imparting quality education in a more
productive way.

Audience Analysis:

Making a good presentation alone is not enough. It also has to be

tailored to your listeners, in such a way that they understand and
appreciate it. The group size of the students is 45 and nearly 50% of the
students are new to internet. So the presentation should be more focused
towards those persons in educating them about the advantages of
Edunxt and how to use it without any difficulty. Explain the user
friendliness of the web portal. As the group size is large more time can be
devoted for question and answers for making it more interactive. Also
nearly 10 participants are not very good at English; hence the
presentation could be had at a slower speed so that they can understand
the point of discussion. There are around 5 participants who have used
the Edunxt portal for the first time. We could take an opportunity to
request them to share their opinion on this portal.

Delivery Style: The delivery style of the presentation could be Speaking

from Notes – because this is generally the most effective style of
delivery. I write down the main ideas in point form on index cards and
then referring to these cards merely as a trigger while speaking, I can
deliver the presentation. If the main ideas are put down briefly on the
cards, I can elaborate on these ideas in my own words and speak for any
length of time. The presentation is likely to be more effective, since it
comes across as natural and permits eye contact with the audience.

Q 5. In your opinion, does the success of a meeting depend more

on the chairperson or the participants? Justify your answer.
Ans. Success of meeting

People spend so much time in meetings that turning meeting time

into sustained results is a priority for successful organizations. Actions that
make meetings successful require management before, during, and after
the meeting.

If you neglect any one of these meeting management opportunities,

your meetings will not bear the fruit you desire from the time you invest in

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meeting. Take these twelve meeting management actions to guide

meeting attendees to achieve expected, positive, and constructive
outcomes.

Before the Meeting to Ensure Effective Meetings

Actions before the meeting establish the groundwork for accomplishing

meeting results. You can do all of the needed follow-up, but without an
effective meeting plan to start, your results will disappoint you.

Plan the Meeting

Effective meetings that produce results, begin with meeting planning.

First, identify whether other employees are needed to help you plan the
meeting. Then, decide what you hope to accomplish by holding the
meeting. Establish doable goals for your meeting. The goals you set will
establish the framework for an effective meeting plan. As Stephen Covey
says in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, "Begin with the end in
mind." Your meeting purpose will determine the meeting focus, the
meeting agenda, and the meeting participants.

Make Sure You Need a Meeting

Once you’ve developed your meeting plan, ensure that a meeting is

the appropriate vehicle for accomplishing the set goals. To schedule and
hold a meeting is expensive when you account for the time of the people
attending. So, make efforts to determine that a meeting is the best
opportunity to solve the problem, improve the process, or make an
ongoing plan.

You may find that you can accomplish the meeting goals with an
email discussion or by distributing and requesting information through the
company newsletter. Make sure the meeting is needed and not just
convenient for you – you’ll get better results from attendees.

Ensure Appropriate Participation at the Meeting

If a meeting is the appropriate means to accomplish your goals,

check with the participants who must attend for the meeting to succeed.
The needed attendees must be available to attend the meeting. Postpone
the meeting rather than holding a meeting without critical staff members.
If a delegate attends in the place of a crucial decision maker, make sure
the designated staff member has the authority to make decisions – or
postpone the meeting.

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Distribute and Review Pre-work Prior to the Meeting

How many meetings have you attended that started out with the
meeting facilitator passing out a ream of handouts or projecting a
Microsoft PowerPoint slide for discussion? Frustrating? You bet. The
meeting becomes a group read-in, hardly productive for goal
accomplishment. You can make meetings most productive and ensure
results by providing necessary pre-work in advance of the actual meeting.
Providing pre-work, charts, graphs, and reading material 48 hours before a
meeting affects meeting success. The more preparation time you allot, the
better prepared people will be for your meeting.

Documentation that will help you achieve the meeting goals can
include reports; data and charts such as competitive information, sales
month-to-date, and production plans; Microsoft PowerPoint slides that
illustrate key discussion points; and minutes, notes and follow-up from
earlier or related meetings and projects. Pre-work distributed in a timely
manner, with the serious expectation that attendees will read the pre-
work before the meeting, helps ensure meeting success.

Q6. How do memos differ from other written communication

channels? Give examples of two business situations that would
require either an informational or a persuasive memo.

Ans. A memo, which is a short form for “memorandum”, is also referred

to as an “inter office memo”, since its purpose is to communicate to
peers, superiors and subordinates within the organization. A memo is a
condensed form of a report and can be used to pass on information, give
instructions and make decisions. Writing a memo is similar to précis
writing, or condensing an article to one fourth its length.

The principles of précis writing also apply to memo writing. These

principles are referred to as the three “C’s”, namely -

• Condensation or reduction of the original article.

• Comprehension or retention of the essence of the original article
• Coverage or inclusion of all the main ideas.

A précis may be written in a memo format. Business executives often

summarize business articles and send them in memo format to their
superiors, to help them to keep up with their business reading.

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A memo should be a maximum of two pages in length and include the

following standard components –

• Header with “To, From, Date and Subject” lines

• Body with main points
• A call for action, in the case of a persuasive memo.

Memos are generally of two types – informational memos and persuasive

memos. A memo may be written in one of two formats – 1) Direct
organizational plan or deductive organization and 2) Indirect
organizational plan or inductive organization.

a) Direct Organizational Plan – This format is used when a memo

is purely informational, as in the example shown above. Since the
purpose is only to convey information, the purpose is mentioned
right at the outset and all the details are presented right away. It
is also used sometimes when the purpose of the memo is to
persuade. This is appropriate when you are sure that your
proposal or request will be accepted without any resistance. In
this case, the writer will make the request right at the beginning
and then list out the reasons.

An example of a persuasive memo that is written following the

direct organizational plan or deductive organization is shown on
the page –

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In the above example, the sales manager is confident that his

request for strengthening the sales force will be granted, since it
has obvious benefits. Therefore, the request is made right at the
outset, followed by the reasons.

b) Indirect Organizational Plan or Inductive Organization – This

type of memo format is appropriate when the purpose of the
memo is to persuade, but when the writer feels that the reader
might object to the request or the proposal. Therefore, the writer
will try to convince the reader by presenting the reasons first and
then make the request or recommendation right at the end. An
example of a memo written using this format is given on the page
–

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Note that in the above memo, the writer delays his request or
proposal to the end and justifies the need for a bigger advertising
budget first, by listing out the reasons. Since he is suggesting
that the budget be doubled, he is not sure if the request will be
granted. That is why the indirect organizational plan is used
instead of the direct plan. Unlike the direct plan, the subject line
does not reveal the real purpose of the memo, which is a request
for

A memo whose main purpose is to inform, is written following the direct

organizational plan. Sometimes, a persuasive memo is also written in this
format, when the writer is confident that his request will be granted. On

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the other hand, a persuasive memo where the writer feels that his request
may not be accepted easily should be written following the indirect
organizational plan. In this case, the reasons or justification for the
request are stated first, followed by the actual request.

Circulars are sent to small or selective groups within the organization.

They are written in the same way as memos and must be brief and to the
point. Notices are displayed on official notice boards and are meant for
larger groups, usually all employees of the organization. Occasionally,
notices may be sent to individual employees in the form of “Show Cause
Notices”, asking for an explanation for misconduct and mentioning the
action that could be taken.

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