Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1

MB0039 – Business Communication - 4 Credits

Assignment Set- 1 (60 Marks)

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. Situation where Communication was a failure to me: As an Associate Manager, I was a
sender for a communication and intended to be received by my executives. I have sent the
following communication to my 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 my communication went wrong
and out of 10 executives, only three executives have attended at 4.00 PM who checked-in
with me the time of the meeting. Following were the barriers of communication which stood
in the way of my communication: The “Channel” I have chosen communication by
“Receivers” did not ensure the receipt of the

The communication lacked the “Chronological context” The second Saturday being a non
working day. The communication has created a “Psychological noise” by not mentioning
correct time of the meeting and confusion has been created. The “social context” also is one
of the cause for the failure of the communication as I have not taken all my 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: My communication

was unclear by not giving exact time of meeting. The media I have used is the placing the
notice on the notice board, instead had I circulated to all the receivers and obtained their
signatures by asking their availability or feedback my communication would not have failed. I
have chosen a wrong day a holiday though the task was a routine one.

I could have maintained good relations with my executives for success of my

communication.

Overcome the communication barriers

When you send a message, you intend to communicate meaning, but the message itself
doesn’t contain meaning. The meaning exists in your mind and in the mind of your receiver.
To understand one another, you and your receiver must share similar meanings for words,
gestures, tone of voice, and other symbols.

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1. Differences in perception

The world constantly bombards us with information: sights, sounds, scents, and so on. Our
minds organize this stream of sensation into a mental map that represents our perception or
reality. In no case is the perception of a certain person the same as the world itself, and no
two maps are identical. As you view the world, your mind absorbs your experiences in a
unique and personal way. Because your perceptions are unique, the ideas you want to
express differ from other people’s Even when two people have experienced the same event,
their mental images of that event will not be identical. As senders, we choose the details that
seem important and focus our attention on the most relevant and general, a process known
as selective perception. As receivers, we try to fit new details into our existing pattern. If a
detail doesn’t quite fit, we are inclined to distort the information rather than rearrange the
pattern.

2. Incorrect filtering

Filtering is screening out before a message is passed on to someone else. In business, the
filters between you and your receiver are many; secretaries, assistants, receptionists,
answering machines, etc. Those same gatekeepers may also ‘translate’ your receiver’s
ideas and responses before passing them on to you. To overcome filtering barriers, try to
establish more than one communication channel, eliminate as many intermediaries as
possible, and decrease distortion by condensing message information to the bare essentials.

3. Language problems

When you choose the words for your message, you signal that you are a member of a
particular culture or subculture and that you know the code. The nature of your code
imposes its own barriers on your message. Barriers also exist because words can be
interpreted in more than one way. Language is an arbitrary code that depends on shared
definitions, but there’s a limit to how completely any of us share the same meaning for a
given word. To overcome language barriers, use the most specific and accurate words
possible. Always try to use words your audience will understand. Increase the accuracy of
your messages by using language that describes rather than evaluates and by presenting
observable facts, events, and circumstances.

4. Poor listening

Perhaps the most common barrier to reception is simply a lack of attention on the receiver’s
part. We all let our minds wander now and then, regardless of how hard we try to
concentrate. People are essentially likely to drift off when they are forced to listen to

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information that is difficult to understand or that has little direct bearing on their own lives.
Too few of us simply do not listen well! To overcome barriers, paraphrase what you have
understood, try to view the situation through the eyes of other speakers and resist jumping to
conclusions. Clarify meaning by asking non-threatening questions, and listen without
interrupting.

5. Differing emotional states

Every message contains both a content meaning, which deals with the subject of the
message, and a relationship meaning, which suggests the nature of the interaction between
sender and receiver. Communication can break down when the receiver reacts negatively to
either of these meanings. You may have to deal with people when they are upset or when
you are. An upset person tends to ignore or distort what the other person is saying and is
often unable to present feelings and ideas effectively. This is not to say that you should
avoid all communication when you are emotionally involved, but you should be alert to the
greater potential for misunderstanding that accompanies aroused emotions. To overcome
emotional barriers, be aware of the feelings that arise in your self and in others as you
communicate, and attempt to control them. Most important, be alert to the greater potential
for misunderstanding that accompanies emotional messages.

6. Differing backgrounds

Differences in background can be one of the hardest communication barriers to overcome.

Age, education, gender, social status, economic position, cultural background, temperament,
health, beauty, popularity, religion, political belief, even a passing mood can all separate one
person from another and make understanding difficult. To overcome the barriers associated
with differing backgrounds, avoid projecting your own background or culture onto others.
Clarify your own and understand the background of others, spheres of knowledge,
personalities and perceptions and don’t assume that certain behaviors mean the same thing
to everyone.

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.

Ans. Knowledge of non-verbal communication is important managers who serve as leaders

of organizational "teams," for at least two reasons:

To function effectively as a team leader the manager must interact with the other members

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successfully. Non-verbal cues, when interpreted correctly, provide him with one means to do
so.

The team members project attitudes and feelings through non-verbal communication. Some
personal needs such as approval, growth, achievement, and recognition may be met in
effective teams. The extent to which these needs are met is closely related to how
perceptive the team leader and team members are to non-verbal communication in
themselves and in others on the team.

If the team members show a true awareness to non-verbal cues, the organization will have a
better chance to succeed, for it will be an open, honest, and confronting unit. Argyle and his
associates have been studying the features of nonverbal communication that provide
information to managers and their team members. The following summarizes their findings:

Static Features

Distance.

Distance. The distance one stands from another frequently conveys a non-verbal message.
In some cultures it is a sign of attraction, while in others it may reflect status or the intensity
of the exchange.

Orientation. People may present themselves in various ways: face-to-face, side-to-side, or

even back-to-back. For example, cooperating people are likely to sit side-by-side while
competitors frequently face one another.

Posture. Obviously one can be lying down, seated, or standing. These are not the elements
of posture that convey messages. Are we slouched or erect ? Are our legs crossed or our
arms folded ? Such postures convey a degree of formality and the degree of relaxation in
the communication exchange.

Physical Contact. Shaking hands, touching, holding, embracing, pushing, or patting on the
back all convey messages. They reflect an element of intimacy or a feeling of (or lack of)
attraction.

Dynamic Features

Facial Expressions.

Facial Expressions. A smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn, and sneer all convey information.
Facial expressions continually change during interaction and are monitored constantly by the
recipient. There is evidence that the meaning of these expressions may be similar across

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cultures.

Gestures. One of the most frequently observed, but least understood, cues is a hand
movement. Most people use hand movements regularly when talking. While some gestures
(e.g., a clenched fist) have universal meanings, most of the others are individually learned
and idiosyncratic.

Looking. A major feature of social communication is eye contact. It can convey emotion,
signal when to talk or finish, or aversion. The frequency of contact may suggest either
interest or boredom.

The above list shows that both static features and dynamic features transmit important
information from the sender to the receiver.

Tortoriello, Blott, and DeWine have defined non-verbal communication as:

. . the exchange of messages primarily through non-linguistic means, including: kinesics

(body language), facial expressions and eye contact, tactile communication, space and
territory, environment, paralanguage (vocal but non-linguistic cues), and the use of silence
and time."

Let's review these non-linguistic ways of exchanging messages in more detail.

Kinesics

Lamb believes the best way to access an executive's managerial potential is not to listen to
what he has to say, but to observe what he does when he is saying it. He calls this new
behavioral science "movement analysis." Some of the movements and gestures he has
analyzed follow:

Forward and Backward Movements. If you extend a hand straight forward during an
interview or tend to lean forward, Lamb considers you to be an "operator"- good for an
organization requiring an infusion of energy or dramatic change of course.

Vertical Movements. If you tend to draw yourself up to your tallest during the handshake,
Lamb considers you to be a "presenter." You are a master at selling yourself or the
organization in which you are employed.

Side-to-Side Movements. If you take a lot of space while talking by moving your arms about,
you are a good informer and good listener. You are best suited for an organization seeking a
better sense of direction. Lamb believes there is a relationship between positioning of the
body and movements of the limbs and facial expressions. He has observed harmony

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between the two. On the other hand, if certain gestures are rehearsed, such as those made
to impress others, there is a tendency to separate the posture and the movements. The
harmony disappears.

Studies by Lamb also indicate that communication comes about through our degree of body
flexibility. If you begin a movement with considerable force and then decelerate, you are
considered a "gentle-touch." By contrast, if you are a "pressurizer," you are firm from
beginning to end. The accuracy of Lamb's analyses is not fully known. However, it is
important that corporation executives are becoming so sensitive to the importance of non-
verbal messages that they are hiring consultants, such as Lamb, to analyze non-verbal
communications in their organizations.

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions usually communicate emotions. The expressions tell the attitudes of the
communicator. Researchers have discovered that certain facial areas reveal our emotional
state better than others. For example, the eyes tend to reveal happiness or sadness, and
even surprise. The lower face also can reveal happiness or surprise; the smile, for example,
can communicate friendliness and cooperation. The lower face, brows, and forehead can
also reveal anger. Mehrabian believes verbal cues provide 7 percent of the meaning of the
message; vocal cues, 38 percent; and facial expressions, 55 percent. This means that, as
the receiver of a message, you can rely heavily on the facial expressions of the sender
because his expressions are a better indicator of the meaning behind the message than his
words.

Eye Contact

Eye contact is a direct and powerful form of non-verbal communication. The superior in the
organization generally maintains eye contact longer than the subordinate. The direct stare of
the sender of the message conveys candor and openness. It elicits a feeling of trust.
Downward glances are generally associated with modesty. Eyes rolled upward are
associated with fatigue.

Tactile Communication

Communication through touch is obviously non-verbal. Used properly it can create a more
direct message than dozens of words; used improperly it can build barriers and cause
mistrust. You can easily invade someone's space through this type of communication. If it is
used reciprocally, it indicates solidarity; if not used reciprocally, it tends to indicate
differences in status. Touch not only facilitates the sending of the message, but the

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emotional impact of the message as well.

Personal Space

Personal space is your "bubble" - the space you place between yourself and others. This
invisible boundary becomes apparent only when someone bumps or tries to enter your
bubble.

How you identify your personal space and use the environment in which you find yourself
influences your ability to send or receive messages. How close do you stand to the one with
whom you are communicating ? Where do you sit in the room ? How do you position
yourself with respect to others at a meeting ? All of these things affect your level of comfort,
and the level of comfort of those receiving your message.

Goldhaber says there are three basic principles that summarize the use of personal space in
an organization: The higher your position (status) in the organization,

(a) the more and better space you will have,

(b) the better protected your territory will be, and

(c) the easier it will be to invade the territory of lower-status personnel.

The impact of use of space on the communication process is related directly to the
environment in which the space is maintained.

Q3. which types of listening would be required the most at the workplace? Explain
with suitable examples.

Ans. Effectively listening in the workplace is a form of non-verbal communication. Clichéd,

as it may sound, silence speaks more than words. When you make a conscious decision to
listen to somebody, you do it with full, undivided attention. Your complete attention and
concentration, towards the speaker's subject, communicates your concern to the speaker. In
this way, effectively listening in the workplace, serves as a non-verbal communication tool.
Corporate organizations are demanding and challenging. Most of us cope up with the
pressures, however, it is always a listening ear, that provides us with motivation, care and
concern to carry on. Read more about employee motivation.

Developing effective listening in the workplace through effective listening activities, is a way
of fortifying emotional intelligence at work. This works with the logic of 'a friend in need, is a
friend indeed'. If your employees can establish strong relations with each other, it's going to

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benefit your organization. Those of you, who think that your employees may conspire if they
mingle too much, then let me tell you, boss, you are wrong!! Hearing out one another,
working together, sharing load, being a helping hand and walking the extra mile, will go a
long way in making your organization successful. Read more on emotional intelligence.

There are many factors to effective listening strategies. However, focusing with clarity is the
important of all. I hope these effects of effective listening in the workplace and effective
listening techniques, help you in building a reliable workforce.

Work days are longer, the pace of life is faster, and there's an endless contest for our
attention. In an environment full of deadlines, cell phones, e-mail and other distractions,
focusing long enough to listen to another human being can be a challenge.

But in a tight labor market, you can't afford to alienate the people you spent so much time
and money to hire. Employees are more willing to share their ideas if they know you're really
listening. Being a good listener not only helps boost morale but also helps you learn more
about what motivates your staff and how you can get the best work from them.

Active listening prevents miscommunication, improves customer service and increases your
effectiveness as a leader. "Bosses, in particular, find power in effective listening," says
Jamie Martindale, a psychology professor with the ITT Tech Institute in Indianapolis. "You
don't need to give in as much on projects, parameters, deadlines and so forth when
employees feel you understand them."

The secret lies in using the Chinese characters that make up the verb "to listen": ears, eyes,
undivided attention and heart.

Example

Indiana's Chief Deputy Building Commissioner Bill Franklin has a reputation for being an
excellent listener. When the writer for this article contacted the building commissioner's
department, she didn't have a contact name to request, only the description "a manager who
implemented better listening skills." The receptionist immediately said, "You must mean Bill
Franklin. He's the best listener I've ever worked with."

Franklin started developing his listening skills when a manager from the elevator and
amusement safety division came to his office at wit's end. He requested Franklin to facilitate
a team within his division because "they just don't listen to me."

To do this, Franklin decided to become a better listener himself. So he attended an eight-

hour training course that emphasized reflective listening, and returned to his offices to set an

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example.

The results show on several fronts. One noteworthy example: In 1999 after four years of
absorbing an active listening culture, a division team was given 40 days to conduct a plan
review. The employees accomplished the task in seven days.

From Franklin's point of view, understanding employees' latent feelings means his staff now
spends extra time working to understand the core issues before striving to solve problems.
Once they are able to hear each other's positions, they can better formulate solutions that
meet the needs of the team.

Q.4 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. Whatever planning tool an entrepreneur uses, it must as a minimum reflect the way in
which entrepreneurs develop and exploit opportunities (effectual approach). This means that
the planning process should build momentium towards launch and not bog it down in the
details that are more important later in the enterprise development.

Entrepreneurs want a planning tool that helps them create, conceptualize and clarify the
idea for themselves firstly so that they can then passionately communicate it to key
stakeholders. The planning should be less about controlling existing worlds and more about
creating new ones. It needs to accommodate the entrepreneur's ambiguity, sixth-sense and
hunches with a work towards goals and objectives at a much later time in the process. It
must enhance the entrepreneur's win-win story. The plan should be directed to the critical
factors of success and be strategic rather than operational in focus. It should be detailed on
the things that matter (steps to launch & plans to sustainability) whilst applying a broad
brush to most everything else. It must believe that recourses are more likely to follow a great
team with an ordinary idea than a great idea with an ordinary team.

a) A general Statement of Purpose: I want to be research marketing and an academic for

sales industry. I would like to specialize in formal methods and various steps. For these
reasons, I would like to get a MBA in one of these fields. Formal Methods Research
Experience: Because I want to get my MBA in formal verification, I have spent the last two
years doing projects and research, and expanding my knowledge through seminars and
book club meetings on this subject. I carried out this work under the supervision of Prof.

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Sudar Shrivastava, and as a member of his research team. As a result, I have extensive
exposure to and hands-on experience in formal methods.

b) A specific Statement of the purpose: The main specific statement of the purpose
behind this project report is to believe in myself and in what I thought is good for the
company. I will take a pro-active approach with the initiative approach and play a leadership
role in motivating people and executing the project to completion. A good manager is one
who can figure out where the problem lies, deal with it effectively by involving all the
members of the company and improve the overall culture of the company. The fact that I
would be able to pull off this task alone has boosted my confidence in my abilities.

C) The Key Idea: it's difficult to start describing things in a structured, top-to-bottom,
complete way from the beginning, unless it’s a small project or you are a genius. Picasso
once said I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.

I will begin with explanation of general idea, business model, inspirational graphic concept,
description of some behavior requirements, pages of website or interfaces of software
product or even defining some domain-specific entities. The way in which it’s easier to start
depends on the project and information available, or on the way of thinking of people
engaged in the process. In any case the key idea is to begin moving in an easy way without
creating huge, detailed things which are expected to be final from the beginning, but rather
starting with any known elements and reshaping or changing them as the time goes, to
finally get smooth, clear, structured, sufficient and up-to-date documentation.

d) A brief audience analysis: Evaluation of financial results might include a break-even

analysis of each campaign. A market share analysis (before and after) would serve to
document marketing success. Client satisfaction surveys will help in evaluating the quality of
products and services. Input from associates, perhaps through an advisory board, could
provide valuable insight to help improve quality and efficiency. Systems should be
developed to monitor the success of the plan and determine if modifications are necessary.
Such systems include methods of measuring and evaluating results and obtaining feedback
from clients and employees. Too often marketing campaigns are blindly repeated year-after-
year without any idea as to whether or not they have worked. Don't fall into that trap. A
written analysis will help you to clarify your company's situation and develop appropriate
strategies. A good method is a "S.W.O.T." analysis to identify your company's Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The SWOT method can be viewed as a matrix as
shown below. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are
external factors. Obviously, we have more control over internal factors than external factors.

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Yet we must be aware of the external factors in order to develop effective strategies. A
sample outline of a situational analysis for a tax preparation firm appears below. Strengths
can usually be translated into opportunities. Opportunities to eliminate or counter
weaknesses also exist. Weaknesses and threats can sometimes be turned into
opportunities. Each item listed should be explained in writing for the benefit of all interested
parties.

e) Delivery Style: An oral presentation consisting of 15-20 PowerPoints that details the new
venture's business model - i.e the opportunity and the plans to exploite it. An entrepreneurial
prospectus that provides the key details relating to the venture - including sections on
preliminaries, the opportunity, the concept outline, the business model, an executive
summary, launch action plans with an accompanying deal sheet if required. 20+ start-point
worksheeets that analyise, clarify and inform the two presentations detailed above. These
worksheets should follow the entrepreneurial development thinking being - Need - Idea -
Opportunity - Business Concept - Business Model - Entrepreneurial Strategic Action Plan.
These worksheets are only for internal use but will prove handy as external stakeholders
probe for analysis and answers. (interrogate)

Q5. In your opinion, does the success of a meeting depend more on the chairperson
or the participants? Justify your answer.

Ans. The success of every meeting depends on the co-operation and support the
chairperson receives from the participants. The chairperson should thus be fully aware of
people's attitudes to meetings. Meetings are an everyday occurrence at schools. List the
reasons why you think some people regard meetings as a waste of time. The Chairperson is
responsible for ensuring that meetings are run effectively and efficiently. The chair must
consider both the task functions of the group, i.e., the actions and decisions that are critical
to achieve, and the maintenance functions – the relationships, welfare and harmony of the
group. Both functions are important and will affect the organization’s success. The chair has
the lead role in planning, preparing, implementing and evaluating meetings and is
responsible for starting and ending on time and involving members in the decisions and
discussions

Amongst the many reasons people have for not liking meetings, the following have been
found to be the most common:

Poor leadership: The leader does not keep the discussion on the subject and so fails to keep

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things moving in the appropriate direction and to engage in those aspects of the discussion
that are stimulating and motivating to the members.

Goals are unclear: Members are not really sure what they are trying to accomplish.

Lack of commitment: Assignments are not taken seriously by committee members.

No clear focus: For example, 'What are we supposed to be doing today?'

Recommendations ignored: Management needs to be responsive to the recommendations

of a committee.

Inconclusive discussion: Problems are discussed but no conclusions are reached or

decisions made.

Lack of follow-through: Members are not given assignments.

Domination: Often one person or clique dominates a meeting, talking and pushing for their
positions while others wonder why they are there.

Lack of preparation: The agenda is not prepared and materials that really need to be there
are not available. Someone has not done his or her homework.

Hidden agendas: Some participants may have personal axes to grind, promoting
discussions that only they think are important.

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 is for inner communication. You would send a memo to your work colegues or
fellow students/professors from the same school. A memorandum or memo is a document or
other communication that aids the memory by recording events or observations on a topic,
such as may be used in a business office. The plural form is either memoranda or
memorandums. A memorandum may have any format, or it may have a format specific to an
office or institution. In law specifically, a memorandum is a record of the terms of a
transaction or contract, such as a policy memo, memorandum of understanding,
memorandum of agreement, or memorandum of association. Alternative formats include
memos, briefing notes, reports, letters or binders. They could be one page long or many. If
the user is a cabinet minister or a senior executive, the format might be rigidly defined and
limited to one or two pages. If the user is a colleague, the format is usually much more

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flexible. At its most basic level, a memorandum can be a handwritten note to one's
supervisor.

As the communication mechanism of the policy analysis process, the briefing note should
provide a coherent synopsis of a policy problem, identify different policy options for
addressing the problem, articulate opposing perspectives and advocate a recommended
option. The typical structure for a briefing note includes: a description of the proposed policy;
relevant background information; a discussion of key considerations (including
implementation concerns, financial considerations, stakeholder impacts, and possible
unanticipated consequences), a summary of arguments for and against the policy and a
recommended decision. There is no universal standard for a briefing note, but it is generally
understood to be a concise, coherent summary of a public policy problem with a clearly
articulated logic for following a recommended course of action. ”Next to a political nose, and
a logical brain, the most important skill of the good treasury [person] resides in [their] fine
drafting hand. The concise, coherent and penetrating note is the final expression of all other
talents.”

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