ASSIGNMENTS- MBA Semester I

Subject code : MB0023

(3 credits)
Set 1
Marks 60
Subject Name : Business Communication

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

Q.1. Describe any situation in your experience where the communication was a
failure. Analyze the barrier(s) which stood in the way of successful communication.
Explain how you would overcome the barrier(s). (10 Marks).

Q.2. Select an article of around 200 words from any business publication. Analyze
the readability of the article using the “Fog Index”. Is the reading level appropriate for
the reader of the publication? (10 Marks).

Q.3.Imagine that you are the Chairperson of the Board of Studies of the Department
of Management & Commerce of Sikkim Manipal University Department of Distance
Education. You have been asked to call a meeting of the members of the Board to
discuss the launch of new management programs and new specializations in the
existing management program. What kind of meeting would be required? Prepare a
comprehensive agenda for the participants of the meeting. (10 Marks)

Q.4 Select a corporate ad of your choice from any publication. Analyze the ad in
terms of its specific objectives and type of corporate advertising. Is it effective? Why
or why not? (10 Marks)

Q.5 Write an unsolicited job application letter to a company that you would like to
work for in a specific position. Include a one page profile about yourself. (10 Marks)

Q.6 Case Study (10 Marks)

The Power of Nonverbal Communication
Soon after I graduated from engineering college, I accepted a position with the
Sundaram Foundry, a medium-sized firm located in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It
was a good position, since I was the assistant to Mr. Vishwanath, the General
Manager and president of this family owned company, Although there were many
technical problems, the work was extremely interesting and I soon learnt all about
the foundry business.

The foundry workers were mostly older men and were a closely knit team. Many of
them were related and had been in the foundry for several years. Therefore, they felt
that they knew the business in and out and that a technical education had no value.
In fact, Mr. Vishwanath had mentioned to me even at the time of my joining, that I
was the only engineer ever to be employed in the foundry. He also let me know that
the foundry workers, although a good group, were very clannish, since they had
been working together for several years. Therefore, it would probably take them
some time to accept me.

I introduced myself to the group of foundry workers, a few days after my joining. As I
went around in turn, I felt them eyeing me coldly. As I went down the main aisle of
the foundry, I heard them talking to each other in low voices and laughing. I found
their behavior to be very childish and felt that it was best to ignore these signs of
hostility. I thought that if I ignored them, they would automatically stop these antics.

A few weeks after this incident, I happened to visit the enamel shop. As I entered, I
noticed a worker cleaning the floor with a hose, from which water flowed at high
pressure. I was aware that it was the practice to clean the shop at least once a week.
I turned my back on the worker and was busy near a dipping tank, when I suddenly
felt the force of a stream of water hitting me. I was almost knocked down by the
pressure and slipped on the wet floor. When I turned around, the worker looked
away in the other direction, as if he had not noticed this happening. However, I was
pretty sure that he had intentionally turned the hose on me.

Questions

1. How could the engineer, the foundry workers and Mr. Vishwanath be more
effective, both verbally and nonverbally?
2. What do you suggest that the engineer should do, after the hosing incident?
 ASSIGNMENTS- MBA Semester I
Subject code : MB0023

(3 credits)
Set 2
Marks 60
Subject Name : Business Communication

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

Q 1. Describe three specific situations at the workplace where positive non verbal
communication could be used effectively to enhance verbal communication. (10
Marks).

Q 2. Lateral or horizontal communication is more important today than vertical

communication. Do you agree or disagree? Justify your answer. (10 Marks).

Q 3. Imagine that you have to make an oral presentation on the features of the
EduNext portal to new students of the SMU MBA program. Prepare an outline of the
presentation and specify the following – a) Purpose of the presentation b) Key idea
c) Audience analysis d) Delivery style. (10 Marks).

Q 4. Write a letter to your distributor, conveying the bad news of one of your product
lines being phased out or discontinued, offering some form of compensation in
return. (10 Marks).

Q 5. As a Sales Manager, prepare a one page report in memo format addressed to

the VP Marketing, providing sales updates for a newly launched FMCG product. (10
Marks).

Q 6. Case Study (10 Marks)

Problems with Email communication

StratAssemble, leading developer of web-based project and detail management

services that improve communication and increase productivity, has released a white
paper chronicling the growing problems associated with email--"Can Your Business
Survive Email?"

The paper recounts the history of email, its changing role in business, and the
emergence of new Web 2.0 collaboration tools, such as StratAssemble's PlanDone,
that offer new and better ways for companies to manage their workflow.

Email usage drains workplace resources and hinders the timely completion of
projects of all types. Given today's fast pace of business, communication in real-time
and keeping staff on the same page are crucial to staying ahead. Yet delays caused
by using email to coordinate business-critical data between individuals, departments,
and remote locations actually slow productivity.

Top 10 critical email problems:

1. Lack of security

2. Attachment problems

3. Reliability problems

4. Spam clutter

5. Document version confusion

6. Scattered data

7. Unclear project direction

8. Project status confusion

9. Next step priority uncertainty

10. Lack of accountability

"Email has become a barrier to effective communication and productivity.

StratAssemble's PlanDone encourages participation from everyone involved with a
project's outcome and is available anytime and anywhere," said StratAssemble
founder AJ Wacaser. "As email problems escalate, the PlanDone solution will
become the method of choice for managing day-to-day operations of companies
everywhere."

Transferring project and task functions from email to PlanDone's interactive platform
helps teams build on each other's work. Ideas and opinions are shared,
documented, and refined in constructive ways. Two powerful tools--priority ranking
and deadline analysis--help staff focus precisely on first things first each day,
ensuring last-minute changes and course corrections don't turn into unmanageable
business fires. Unlike most other software, PlanDone supports both individual styles
and team methods rather than forcing everyone to conform to one rigid system.

StratAssemble's motto is "Work smarter. Live happier!" We believe in team creativity

and sharing ideas, and are passionate about the collaborative process. Our purpose
is to enable and inspire our customers to better manage their knowledgebase and
workforces by providing a simple, open platform where every staff member can
assemble, participate and contribute--revolutionizing corporate communications and
strategic planning.

Questions
1.Evaluate email communication as a tool for internal communication, based on the
facts mentioned in the case.

2.How will you adapt email communication to overcome some of the problems
mentioned in this case?