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Master of Business Administration - MBA Semester I MB0039Business Communication- 4 Credits (Book ID: B1128) 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.

ANS: Communication is a process that involves exchange of information, thoughts, ideas and emotions. Communication involves a sender who encodes and sends the message, which is then carried via the communication channel to the receiver where the receiver decodes the message, processes the information and sends an appropriate reply 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 of communication.

Types of Communication Based on Communication Channels

Based on the channels used for communicating, the process of communication can be broadly classified as verbal communication and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication includes written and oral communication whereas the non-verbal communication includes body language, facial expressions and visuals diagrams or pictures 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. Oral communication can either be face-to-face communication or a conversation over the phone or on the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken conversations or dialogs are influenced by voice modulation, pitch, volume and even the speed and clarity of speaking. The other type of verbal communication is written communication. Written communication can be either via snail mail, or email. The effectiveness of written communication depends on the style of writing, vocabulary used, grammar, clarity and precision 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 body movements. The facial expressions also play a major role while communication since the expressions on a persons face say a lot about his/her mood. On the other hand gestures like a handshake, a smile or a hug can independently convey emotions. Non verbal communication can also be in the form of pictorial representations, signboards, or even photographs, sketches and paintings. Types of Communication Based on Style and Purpose Based on the style of communication, there can be two broad categories of communication, which are formal

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and informal communication that have their own set of characteristic features. Formal Communication
Formal communication includes all the instances where communication has to occur in a set formal format. Typically this can include all sorts of business communication or corporate communication. The style of communication in this form is very formal and official. Official conferences, meetings and written memos and corporate letters are used for communication. Formal communications can also occur between two strangers when they meet for the first time. Hence formal communication is straight forward, official and 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 communication requires two people to have a similar wavelength and hence occurs between friends and family. Informal communication does not have any rigid rulesand guidelines. Informal conversations need not necessarily have boundaries of time, place or even subjects for that matter since we all know that friendly chats with our loved ones can simply go on and on Q.2 What are the general principles of writing especially business writing.

ANS: The process of good writing involves three basic steps - preparing, writing, and editing. Practicing the following 16 principles will help you be a more effective writer. 1. Know your objective Think before you write. What's your goal? Make sure you fully understand the assignment. Are you writing a one-paragraph executive summary or a five-page report? Try answering this question: What specifically do I want the reader to know, think, or do? 2. Make a list Write down the ideas or points you want to cover. Why? This helps you get started in identifying the key ideas you want to discuss. If you have trouble getting started, try discussing your ideas with someone else."Kicking an idea around" often helps you clarify your objective and fine-tune what you are trying to accomplish. 3. Organize your ideas Just as it's difficult to find what you want in a messy, disorganized desk drawer, its hard to find important ideas in a poorly organized message. Here are a few ways you can organize your ideas: Importance - Begin with the most important piece of information and then move on to the next most important. Chronological order - Describe what happened first, second, third. Problem-Solution - Define the problem, and then describe possible alternatives or the solution you recommend. Question-Answer - State a question and then provide your answer. Organize your ideas so the reader can easily follow your argument or the point you are trying to get across. 4. Back it up Have an opinion but back it up - support with data. There are a number of ways you can support your ideas, including explanations, examples, facts, personal experiences, stories, statistics, and quotations. It's best to use a combination of approaches to develop and support your ideas. 5. Separate main ideas Each paragraph should have one main point or idea captured in a topic sentence. The topic sentence is normally the first sentence in the paragraph. Each paragraph should be started by an indentation or by skipping a line.

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6. Use bullets or numbers If you are listing or discussing a number of items, use bullets or number your points like I have done in this paper. Here's an example of using bullets. Join the Business Club to: Increase sales Gain new marketing ideas Make new friends Give back to your profession 7. Write complete sentences A sentence is about someone doing something - taking action. The someone maybe a manager, employee, customer, etc. The "doing something - taking action" can include mental processes such as thinking, evaluating, and deciding, or physical actions such as writing and talking. A good rule to practice is to have subjects closely followed by their verbs. 8. Use short sentences Sentences should be a maximum of 12 to 15 words in length. According to the American Press Institute, sentences with 15 or fewer words are understood 90% of the time. Sentences with eight or fewer words are understood 100% of the time. 9. Be precise and accurate . Words like "large," "small," "as soon as possible," "they," "people," "teamwork, and "customer focus" are vague and imprecise. The reader may interpret these words to mean something different than what you intended. Reduce communication breakdowns by being specific and precise. Define terms as needed. The reader may not understand certain acronyms and abbreviations. 10. Use commas appropriately Use a comma to separate the elements in a series of three or more items: His favorite colors are red, white, and blue. Use a comma to set off introductory elements: After coffee and donuts, the meeting will begin. Use a comma to separate adjectives: That tall, distinguished, good-looking professor teaches history. 11. Use the correct word Here are several words that cause confusion. You're is a contraction for "you are" Your means possession, such as "your coat." It's is a contraction for "it is." Its indicates possession. Their means possession/ownership-"their house." There means location. They're is a contraction for "they are. 12. Avoid redundancies It is a redundancy to use multiple words that mean or say the same thing. For example, consider the following:

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Redundant My personal beliefs Beliefs are personal, so just state, My beliefs

Redundant I decided to paint the machine gray in color . Gray is a color, so just state, I decided to paint the machine gray . 13. Numbers When using numbers in the body of your paper, spell out numbers one through nine, such as "Three men decided" When using numbers 10 or above it's proper to write the number, such as "The report indicated 68 customers" 14. Have a conclusion Would you really enjoy watching a movie or sporting event that had no conclusion? No. The conclusion ties your points together. The reader wants to know the final score - the bottom line message. 15. Edit your work Read what you have written several times. On your first read , focus on organization and sentence structure. Shorten long sentences. Cross out unnecessary words and phrases. Reorganize material as needed. Read it again and make sure commas are used appropriately and that there isa punctuation mark at the end of every sentence. Read it a third time and focus onword choice.Are there certain words that are vague or unclear? Replace them with specific words. Read what you have written aloud to yourself or to a friend to see if he or she (and you) can understand it and improve it in any way. A significant part of good writing involves editing. Very few people can sit down and write a perfect paragraph on their first try. It requires multiple rewrites. Summary You don't have to be a great writer to be successful manager/leader. However you must be able to clearly and succinctly explain your thoughts and ideas in writing. Strive to be simple, clear, and brief. Like any skill, "good writing" requires practice, feedback, and ongoing improvement. Q.3 How would you prepare yourself for an oral business presentation? ANS: Delivering a formal presentation can be either fairly stress-free or nerve-wrecking. Your level of comfort can depend on the size of your audience, the critical spectators attending your presentation, or the feedback that you may anticipate. Whatever you may find as a cause for concerns about speaking before a group, never let it be your knowledge about what you will speak. With thorough and effective research about your subject, you will discover that you are already half way prepared to address your listeners. The following steps can complete your preparation. 1 Study your subject. You may have already been provided great information from which you could pull. But if

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there are other sources, such as the Internet or experts, use them to enhance your own insight. Doing so can also help you develop more confidence in your speech. 2 In the comfort of your own study lab (wherever that may be), anticipate all types of responding questions from people in your audience: challenging questions, critical questions, crazy questions, and simple questions (the ones which are so simple that you forgot to prepare an answer for). Equip yourself with facts and insight accordingly. For enlightenment on people's views, I have read several message boards and an even complaint site to help me prepare for the unexpected.If your presentation is non-interactive, do not take that for granted. You can still be approached with questions after your speech or after the event where you gave it. 3 Organize the notes from which you will speak. Whether typed or hand written, you must be able to comprehend them in order to convey them to an audience. So, if you got your notes down on index cards, write legibly. Also, bind the notes - paper or cards - that you plan to use during your presentation. Dropping loose papers or cards during your speech should not distract an attentive listener, but it can certainly distract you, the speaker. Make your task a tad bit easier 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 how you will insert information to be displayed. Don't expect an audience to read lengthy sentences 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 hear your 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. Grab a tape recorder or any recording device to listen to your own speech. 6 As I expressed above, approach the podium with a solid knowledge base about every point your will discuss. 7 Please do not imagine your audience in their underwear. You need to focus. If eye contact 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 of walls and other inanimate objects where you can place your focus until you find yourself comfortable enough to make brief eye contact with a few friendly or neutral faces. 8 Remember that the last row of listeners needs to hear your voice. Unless you have a reliable microphone, be sure to project. 9 Do not overestimate your listeners' attention spans. Keep their interest. Give your tone some range (logical range, that is). And wherever your subject and the points from which you speak will allow, engage your audience with illustrations which they can relate to. 10 Please impose neither overly technical terminologies nor acronyms on your audience. While these expressions of intelligence seem effective, they actually reflect a lazy 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've studied 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 your gut 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 a week. How effectively you would plan and carry out this meeting?

Q. 5 Distinguish between circulars and notices along with formats. ANS: Notice - A message / information's bringing to all which will be put up in common place Circular- A message / information's bringing to certain group of people belonging to the information's. Like memos, circulars and notices are also written forms of communication within the organization.

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The difference between a circular and a notice is that circulars are announcements that are distributed to small or selective groups of people within the organization, whereas notices are meant for a larger group of people. 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. On the other hand, notices generally contain information or announcements that are meant for all the employees of an organization Example A list of declared holidays for a calendar year is a notice, since the information is relevant to all employees. A notice is therefore a legal document that has to be put up on an official notice or bulletin board. Let us examine another example of a circular and a notice. Imagine that you are the President of the Student Committee in a management college and wish to hold a meeting to plan for the Annual Management Fest of the college. You will have to send some information to those whom you want to involve in organizing the Fest. You may not want all the students to be involved initially, since it may take a lot of time and there may be too many suggestions. Instead, you may choose to invite only the committee members to discuss details such as the date, venue, duration, how to get sponsors and so on. For this purpose, you may send a circular only to the student committee members, requesting them to attend the meeting. During the meeting, the date and venue may be finalized and various smaller committees may be formed, such as a reception committee, stage committee and so on. You may also decide to get each student to contribute a nominal amount for the Fest. Q. 6 You are a sales manager for a particular brand of mixer and blender. Frame a sample bad news letter telling a customer about that her claim for the product replacement is rejected on the grounds that the product didnt have any defect during the sale.

Master of Business Administration - MBA Semester I MB0039 Business Communication - 4 Credits (Book ID: B1128) 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 your shareholders about the companys expansion plans? ANS: Commitment 2014 is a firm and confident ambition and it stands for profitable organic growth. Our ambition for 2014 is to become the European benchmark in Universal Customer-focused Banking. We intend to enhance our leadership based on an effective product range and high-quality service, forgingclose links between retail banking and related specialized businesses. AMBITIOUS TARGETS By 2014, we target ambitious profitability levels underpinned by sound fundamentals: Net banking income of more than 25 billion (20.1 billion in 2010)and net income, Group share of 6 billion to 7 billion (1.3 billion in 2010). Our objective is also to have a cost to income ratio of less than 60% and a return on equity ratio of 10% to 12%. These targets take into account the new Basel III regulatory environment, as it is currently understood. In terms of capital adequacy, Credit Agricole S.A. will meet the Basel III requirements and Crdit Agricole Group ranking among the strongest banks is confirmed. 2011-2014 STRATEGY Our actions in the period 2011-2014 will be based on three principles. First, we shall stimulate organic growth. To achieve this, we shall enhance growth in retail banking, both in France and elsewhere in Europe; speed up growth in the savings management businesses, one of our undisputed strengths; and finally, focus on growth in investment banking and credit businesses. These businesses will continue to grow, but selectively, because of their heavy capital consumption. The second principle behind our strategy is that we shall enhance the Group effect by strengthening ties between our business lines. The third principle is that we shall act as a committed and responsible Group in dealing with stakeholders, and in particular our shareholders.

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OUR SHAREHOLDERS Crdit Agricole S.A. has set up a comprehensive shareholder information and communication framework. The new layout of the ShareholdersClub Newsletter, En direct you discover today, is aimed at strengthening this direct link between you and us, and is part of a broader attempt to make full and transparent information available to you. Our dividend policy targets a payout rate of 35%from 2011 (paid in 2012), in cash. Through Commitment 2014, we want to thank our shareholders for their loyalty by paying an increased dividend. Q.2 ABC Ltd. wants to communicate about its corporate image to all its stakeholders and also to the general public. As an advisor, how do you recommend them to do it?

ANS: Our communications and engagement strategy needs to be simple because we are working in a complex environment otherwise our actions become confusing to the people we work with. The strategy therefore highlights just 20 key steps we will take to communicate and engage with people effectively. It also explains our simplified approach to outreach work, including events and festivals. Recommendation that: you agree the strategy and its associated annexes. 2 BACKGROUND 2.1 We have significantly improved the way we communicate and engage with people over the last few years. This has been recognized through anecdotal evidence and the recent Customer Service Excellence award. However, we need a strategy to coordinate our activities and guide future business planning. We also need to be able to measure our success more effectively. ABC our communications and engagement strategy(Annex 1) aims to do this. 3 POLICY CONTEXT 3.1 The adoption of a Communications and Engagement Strategy is action 3.2 in the Business Plan July 2006March 2009 (revised October 2007).3.2 The strategy supports the delivery of our Business Plan in its entirety. The messages within it explain that we must be excellent communicators, promoting learning and inspiring people about the National Park in all that we do. 4 OPTIONS 4.1 Option 1: You agree the recommendation Option 2: You agree the recommendation with further development of some steps Option 3: You do not agree the recommendation. 5 PROPOSALS 5.1 The Communications and Engagement Task and Finish Group were established to develop this strategy. It includes staff from the Communications and Learning Team and members. They undertook a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and agreed the simple approach recommended. They commented on the 20 key steps ensuring that they were strategic and not too detailed. Option 1 is recommended for approval and it is hoped that members will be involved in the delivery and review of the strategy as it progresses. 6 BEST VALUE IMPLICATIONS 6.1 The statutory duty of best value requires organizations to consult service users and other stakeholders about services and priorities. The duty was revised in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill in May 2007 to engage more with hard-to-reach groups and to secure participation of communities in delivery of local public services. This strategy supports the delivery of this function by focusing on engagement with partners and local people, particularly through two of our four key Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item: 9Authority: 22 May 2008requirements for effective communications - listening and interpreting demands; unraveling complex issues. 7 FINANCE CONSIDERATIONS

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7.1 There are financial implications in the delivery of the strategy. You have already agreed revenue growth bids (totaling 45,000) to support step 9 in the strategy and development of Level One events and festivals which we sponsor(Annex B). You have also agreed existing budgets to support ongoing work led by the Communications and Learning Team. Agreement of any additional budgetary requirements to deliver all steps in the strategy will form part of the corporate planning and performance cycle 8 RISK 8.1 Each step in the strategy has a different degree of risk which will be managed through respective service plans. Overall, if we do not develop our communications and engagement activities, there is a significant risk that we lose our Customer Service Excellence standard. 9 LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS 9.1 Effective communication is key to performance of our statutory objectives. The proposed strategy will assist with good governance by improving communication within the Authority and will help clarify relationships with partners. 10 HUMAN RESOURCES 10.1 The Communications and Learning Team, including its Outreach Unit, are part of the established structure and will take a clear coordinating role in delivering the strategy. The strategy also makes it clear that new approaches to communications and engagement should be a part of existing roles across the organization. This will be dealt with through Service Planning and Personal Development Reviews. 11 DIVERSITY IMPLICATIONS 11.1 This strategy is of high importance to diversity. In the past, our approach to targeting groups may have had an adverse impact on particular groups already using our services. The strategy explains that we will now base our actions on the needs of different groups and clear evidence. Annex A (Reaching Out) explains how we will not target people, but work with focus groups to identify needs overtime. We want to reach out to everyone and use the National Park to build links between different cultures. 12 SUSTAINABILITY 12.1 The strategy will contribute to the promotion of learning and inspiring people about all aspects of sustainability which is at the heart of the Vision for the National Park.Author/Post Bob Sutcliffe, Head of Plans and Communications Date Written 2 May 2008. Q.3 What is oral business communication? Explain its benefits to the organization and to the individual employee. ANS: According to a 2005 study published in the Journal of Employment Counseling, oral communication skills are being increasingly sought after by employers. When surveying over 100 successful businesses, researchers found that more and more employers are emphasizing the development of good speaking skills in their employees. With this in mind, 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. Presentations are 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 facts than they do analysis. Presentations are sometimes more persuasive in nature, like a pitch for an ad campaign, but tend to be informative more often, such as an employee briefing or are port on quarterly earnings. Presentations may include some dialog after the sender of the message has finished their speech, but they are, by and large, much more monologue reliant. This makes it important for the speaker to anticipate possible objections to the message and address them in the actual speech. Client Interaction: Another form of oral communication in business encompasses interaction with clients. Depending on the level of connection between the employee and the client, the communication in these interactions can range from incredibly formal to informal and casual. These interactions usually include a combination of data and analysis,

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and will be more persuasive than informative in nature, as the employee is trying to encourage continued and expanded business with the client. Because of the nature of these interactions, the communication is definitely a dialog, making listening skills incredibly important. Interoffice Interaction: Oral communication in the office can be referred to as interoffice interaction. This is comprised of conversations with superiors, subordinates and co-workers. Depending on the levels of power separation between the individuals engaging in conversation, the communication will fluctuate between formal and informal, though it should always remain professional. Conversations in this context may reference data, but will be much more analysis heavy, and will be a dialog by nature. Benefits: Oral communication in business provides a variety of benefits. First, oral communication is accompanied by nonverbal signifiers, which provides context that can enhance understanding in the communication process. Posture, facial expressions, and habitual movements may provide clues as to an individuals feelings about the ideas being discussed. Even in telephone conversations, pitch, rate, volume and tone of the respective speakers can help in understanding sentiments. Oral communication also provides a springboard for relational development. Unlike with email, memos and chat functions, which tend to take a task-oriented approach to communication, the immediacy involved in oral communication allows for instant feedback and a more relational approach. This is important, as strong relationships in business often lead to more profitable and productive cooperation. Q.4 Give short notes on communication network in the organization.

ANS: Networks are another aspect of direction and flow of communication.Bavelas has shown that communication patterns, or networks, influence groups in several important ways. Communication networks may affect the group's completion of the assigned task on time, the position of the de facto leader in the group, or they may affect the group members' satisfaction from occupying certain positions in the network. Although these findings are based on laboratory experiments, they have important implications for the dynamics 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 characterizes strictly formal information flow, "from the top down," in military and some types of business organizations. The Wheel can be compared with a typical autocratic organization, meaning one man rule and limited employee participation. The Star is similar to the basic formal structure of many organizations. The All-Channel network, 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 involved in group decision processes. The All-Channel network may also be compared to some of the 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 the number of messages they handle and the degree to which they exercise control over the flow 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 the edges of the pattern handle fewer messages and have little or no control over the flow of information.These"peripheral" individuals can communicate with only one or two other persons and must depend entirely on others to relay their messages if they wish to extend their range. In reporting the results of experiments involving the Circle, Wheel, and Star configurations, Bavelas came to the following tentative conclusions. In patterns with positions located centrally, such as the Wheel and the Star, an organization quickly develops around the people occupying these central positions. In such patterns, the organization is more stable and errors in performance are lower than in patterns having a lower degree of centrality, such as the Circle. However, he also found that the morale of members in high centrality patterns is relatively low. Bavelas speculated that this lower 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,"Bavelas suggested that the ability to evaluate partial results, to look at alternatives, and to restructure problems fell off rapidly when one person was able to assume amore central (that is, more controlling) position in the information flow. For example, insight into a problem requiring change would be less in the Wheel and the Star than in the Circle or the 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

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influence on the accuracy of decisions, the speed with which they can be reached, and the satisfaction of the people involved. Consequently, in networks in which the responsibility for initiating and passing along messages is shared more evenly among the members, the better the group's morale in the long run. Q. 5 What are the different types of business letters? Explain with example. ANS: Business letter is an old form of official correspondence. A business letter is written by an individual to an organization or an organization to another organization. Business letters are written for various purposes. One writes a letter to enquire information, apply for 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 get different types of business letters. The various types of business letters are used by different people to serve their purpose of sending the message across. Let's take look at the most common types of business letters: Acknowledgement Letter : This type of letter is written when you want to acknowledge someone for his help or support when you were in trouble. The letter can be used to just say thanks for something you have received from someone, 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 and asks for an opportunity to improve in this type of letter. Appreciation Letter : An appreciation letter is written to appreciate some ones work in the organization. This type of letter is written by a superior to his junior. An organization can also write an appreciation letter to other organization, thanking the client for doing business with them. Complaint Letter : A complaint letter is written to show one that an error has occurred and that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. The letter can be used as a document that was used for warning the reader. Inquiry Letter : The letter of inquiry is written to inquire about a product or service. If you have ordered a product and yet not received it then you can write a letter to inquire when you will be receiving it. Order Letter: This letter is as the name suggests is used for ordering products. This letter can be used as a legal document to show the transaction between the customer and vendor. Letter of Recommendation: This type of letter is written to recommend a person for a job position. The letter states the positive aspects of the applicants personality and how he/she would be an asset for the organization. Letter of recommendation is even used for 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 organization where you want to apply and the position to be applied for.