AMITY SCHOOL OF DISTANCE LEARNING
Post Box No. 503, Sector-44
Noida 201303
( Business Communication)
Assignment A
Marks 10
Answer all questions.
1. Explain the process of communication?
Ans
Communication is the process we humans use to achieve
understanding. When you want others to understand what is in your
mind, you choose "words" to form your message to your intended
receiver. The receiver must "read" the message as it comes in if he
or she is to understand the ideas you are trying to get across.
Then the receiver reacts to your ideas, which is called
feedback.
Memory
** Memory is considered the brain's storage bin, for later use
in communicating.
** In addition to storing information and experiences, your
brain also stores the words needed to express these ideas.
** Words are symbols that stand for ideas or experiences.
Reasoning
Reasoning is the ability to put two or more ideas together and
produce a new idea.
Humans have a highly developed reasoning.
Needing to Communicate
Humans need to communicate because we are social creatures by
nature. There is a certain need to communicate.
Choosing Symbols
Once you have decided to communicate with someone, your next
step is to use symbols to encode your ideas. You must then transfer
ideas into a symbol system, or code known to both you and your
receiver, and then hope that the receiver will decode, or translate
the symbols correctly.
You use symbols for a variety of purposes. A symbol can be a
word, gesture, eye contact, dress, or anything that stands for an
idea and is used to communicate.
Language Symbols
Words are language symbols. They are also called verbal symbols.
Language is a medium of exchange for ideas.
Nonverbal Symbols
These include all the ways you encode your ideas without words.
You can smile, nod, or tap your feet. One nonverbal symbol is
kinesics, which is the use of body motions to communicate. Examples
of kinesics is rolling one's eyes, frowning, staring, laughing,
gesturing, crossing one's legs, or any similar body movement.
Proxemics is another nonverbal symbol. Proxemics is the study of
spatial communication to communicate. An example would be good
friends sitting or standing closer to each other rather than a new
acquaintance.
Paralanguage is another category of nonverbal communication. It
consists of the ways in which you says words. This includes volume,
pitch, speaking rate, and voice quality.
** Volume indicates how loudly or softly you are speaking.
** Pitch is how high or low the sounds of your voice are.
** Speaking rate is how fast or slow you are speaking.
** Voice quality is what makes people able to recognize your
voice alone.
Feedback
The signals that a receiver continuously gives to a sender
indicating how well the message is being received are known as
feedback. Feedback is extremely important for senders, since it
allows them to discover such matters as whether they are speaking
too fast, using words that are too complex, or even whether they
are offending or angering their receivers.
Feedback can consist of words, nonverbal symbols, or both.
Feedback makes it possible for speakers to judge how well they are
communicating. For example, in a face-to-face conversation,
interviews, and small group discussion, a good balance of verbal
and nonverbal feedback is possible.
Talking on the phone consists of verbal feedback. In public
speaking, the form of feedback is usually nonverbal. This is
because, if a large number of audience members begin responding
aloud, it would soon be impossible to hear the speaker. Most
audience speakers confine their feedback to kinesic
symbols--smiles, frowns, and nods of their heads. Some paralanguage
symbols such as yawning, occasional boos, or hisses and clapping
may also be used as feedback.
2. Why is recognizing common barriers to effective communication
important? Identify one common barrier from each of the following
three barrier zones.-Barriers by surrounding environment
-Barrier between the people
-Barrier made by words
Ans:
Recognising the most common barriers to effective communications
can help people to prevent them from occurring. These barriers can
take place at any stage during the
communication process.
(a) Barriers by surrounding environment
- Distraction Sending and receiving messages may be difficult in
some environments
because so many other things are competing for attention: noise,
bright colours, sudden
movements, e.g. ringing of the telephone, people rushing in and
out of the office, etc.
Solution : Create an effective environment that enhances
communication; cut down on
noise and other distractions.
- Space and distance The distance between the sender and
receiver affects their
communication. It affects our ability to transmit and receive
messages. For example, a
telephone conversation is less direct and immediate than a
face-to-face conversation.
Solution: Arrange the physical space effectively; always choose
the most direct
communicating tool possible.
- Physical appearance The appearance of a document or person has
a strong impact on a
reader or listener. For example, a poorly typed and mis-spelled
report creates a bad
impression on the reader. Solution: Make sure the written
communications are error-free
as well as neat and easy to read.
Barriers between people
- Anger, depression, excitement or other emotions can interfere
with the communication
process. For example, after quarrelling with someone, the two
parties may feel angry and
upset. Solutions:
- Try to understand your reader/audience.
- Encourage feedback.
- Consider carefully the best channel through which to send a
message.
Barriers made by words
- Words are imprecise and may have many meanings when said in
different ways and tones.
- This is most evident when the people communicating are from
different geographic areas.
For example, an American talking to an Australian; both speak
English but may have
different meanings for the same word.
- Problems can also become more pronounced when people deal with
non-native speakers.
- More difficulties happen when people try to communicate in a
foreign language.
- Disorganised messages can also confuse a reader or a
listener.
- Too much information overloads a listener or reader.
Solutions:
- Consider carefully the best channel through which to send a
message.
- Choose the words carefully and precisely.
- Organise thoughts and highlight the most important material in
the message.
- Focus on a topic.
- Encourage feedback.
- Improve communication through constant evaluation
3. As you prepare a business presentation for your companys
executive management committee, how will you know whether you need
visual aids? What kinds of visual aids can be used?Ans:Visual aids
help your presentation make things happen. Visual aids help you
reach your objectives by providing emphasis to whatever is being
said. Clear pictures multiply the audience's level of understanding
of the material presented, and they should be used to reinforce
your message, clarify points, and create excitement.Visual aids
involve your audience and require a change from one activity to
another: from hearing to seeing. When you use visual aids, their
use tends to encourage gestures and movement on your part. This
extra movement reinforces the control that you, the speaker, need
over the presentation. The use of visual aids, then, are mutually
beneficial to the audienceandyou.Visual aids add impact and
interest to a presentation. They enable you to appeal to more than
one sense at the same time, thereby increasing the audience's
understanding and retention level. With pictures, the concepts or
ideas you present are no longer simply words - but words plus
images. The chart below cites the effectiveness of visual aids on
audience retention.Types of Visual AidsOverhead projector
slides/transparenciesOverhead projector slides/transparencies are
displayed on the overhead projector (OHP) - a very useful tool
found in most lecture and seminar rooms. The OHP projects and
enlarges your slides onto a screen or wall without requiring the
lights to be dimmed. You can produce your slides in three ways:
pre-prepared slides : these can be words or images either hand
written/drawn or produced on a computer;
spontaneously produced slides: these can be written as you speak
to illustrate your points or to record comments from the
audience;
a mixture of each: try adding to pre-prepared slides when making
your presentation to show movement, highlight change or signal
detailed interrelationships.
Make sure that the text on your slides is large enough to be
read from the back of the room. A useful rule of thumb is to use 18
point text if you are producing slides with text on a computer.
This should also help reduce the amount of information on each
slide. Avoid giving your audience too much text or overly
complicated diagrams to read as this limits their ability to
listen. Try to avoid lists of abstract words as these can be
misleading or uninformative.
White or black boardWhite or black boards can be very useful to
help explain the sequence of ideas or routines, particularly in the
sciences. Use them to clarify your title or to record your key
points as you introduce your presentation (this will give you a
fixed list to help you recap as you go along). Rather than
expecting the audience to follow your spoken description of an
experiment or process, write each stage on the board, including any
complex terminology or precise references to help your audience
take accurate notes.
Paper handoutsHandouts are incredibly useful. Use a handout if
your information is too detailed to fit on a slide or if you want
your audience to have a full record of your findings. Consider the
merits of passing round your handouts at the beginning, middle and
end of a presentation. Given too early and they may prove a
distraction. Given too late and your audience may have taken too
many unnecessary notes. Given out in the middle and your audience
will inevitably read rather than listen. One powerful way of
avoiding these pitfalls is to give out incomplete handouts at key
stages during your presentation. You can then highlight the missing
details vocally, encouraging your audience to fill in the gaps.
Flip chartA flip chart is a large pad of paper on a stand. It is
a very useful and flexible way of recording information during your
presentation - you can even use pre-prepared sheets for key points.
Record information as you go along, keeping one main idea to each
sheet. Flip back through the pad to help you recap your main
points. Use the turning of a page to show progression from point to
point. Remember to make your writing clear and readable and your
diagrams as simple as possible.
Video (DVD or VHS)Video gives you a chance to show stimulating
visual information. Use video to bring movement, pictures and sound
into your presentation. Always make sure that the clip is directly
relevant to your content. Tell your audience what to look for.
Avoid showing any more film than you need.
Artefacts or propsSometimes it can be very useful to use
artefacts or props when making a presentation (think of the safety
routine on an aeroplane when the steward shows you how to use the
safety equipment). If you bring an artefact with you, make sure
that the object can be seen and be prepared to pass it round a
small group or move to different areas of a large room to help your
audience view it in detail. Remember that this will take time and
that when an audience is immersed in looking at an object, they
will find it hard to listen to your talk. Conceal large props until
you need them; they might distract your audience's attention.
4. How important is body language while appearing for an
interview? Elaborate giving suitable examples.Ans:
Indeed, body language experts would agree that actions speak
louder than words. In an interview situation, this is an important
factor to bear in mind. You may be saying all the right things, but
your body language may be saying something different.
For example, you might be telling the employer that you are keen
and sharp, but if you are lying back in your chair with your arms
crossed, you will come across as lazy and dismissive and thats the
impression that the employer will be left with.
Whether you are going for IT jobs, marketing jobs orlegal jobs,
you need to take care of your body language in interviews. Try the
following tips.
DO Shake hands with the employer on arriving and leaving. Make
your shake firm, and look your employer in the eye and smile as you
do so.
Smile gently and look directly at the employer when they are
speaking to you. Nod your head to indicate that you are listening
if they speak for a while.
Establish a decent amount of personal space between you and the
employer. When they ask you to sit down, sit a couple of seats away
rather than right next to them.
DONT Cross your legs or your arms. Many people read these as
defensive gestures.
Rub your head, neck or nose. You might appear disinterested or
distracted.
Slouch in your chair. Sit upright to appear alert and
engaged.
5. Write short note on any three of the following.
a) Abbreviations( Give examples)Anabbreviation(fromLatinbrevis,
meaningshort) is a shortened form of a word orphrase. Usually, but
not always, it consists of aletteror group of letters taken from
the word or phrase. For example, the wordabbreviationcan itself be
represented by the abbreviationabbr.,abbrv.orabbrev
ExampleCategoryShort form
DoctorContractionDr
ProfessorAbbreviationProf.
TheReverendAbbreviationRev.
TheReverendContractionRevd
The Right HonourableContraction and AbbreviationRt Hon.
b) Synonyms & Antonyms(Give examples)Synonymsare words with
the same or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to
besynonymous, and the state of being a synonym is calledsynonymy.
The word comes fromAncient Greeksyn() ("with") andonoma() ("name").
An example of synonyms are the wordsbeginandcommence. Likewise, if
we talk about along timeor anextended time,longandextendedbecome
synonyms. In the figurative sense, two words are often said to be
synonymous if they have the same connotation:
"a widespread impression that... Hollywood was synonymous with
immorality" (Doris Kearns Goodwin)
Synonyms can be anypart of speech(such
asnouns,verbs,adjectives,adverbsorprepositions), as long as both
words are the same part of speech. Here are more examples of
English synonyms:
verb
"buy" and "purchase"
adjective
"big" and "large"
adverb
"quickly" and "speedily"
preposition
"on" and "upon"
The term antonym (and the related antonymy) is commonly taken to
be synonymous with opposite, but antonym also has other more
restricted meanings. Graded (or gradable) antonyms are word pairs
whose meanings are opposite and which lie on a continuous spectrum
(hot, cold). Complementary antonyms are word pairs whose meanings
are opposite but whose meanings do not lie on a continuous spectrum
(push, pull). Relational antonyms are word pairs where opposite
makes sense only in the context of the relationship between the two
meanings (teacher, pupil). These more restricted meanings may not
apply in all scholarly contexts, with Lyons (1968, 1977) defining
antonym to mean gradable antonyms, and Crystal (2003) warns that
antonymy and antonym should be regarded with care.
c) Non Verbal communication( Give examples)Nonverbal
communicationis usually understood as the process
ofcommunicationthrough sending and receiving wordless
(mostlyvisual) cues between people.
Messages can be communicated throughgesturesand touch, bybody
languageor posture, byfacial expressionandeye contact, which are
all considered types of nonverbal communication. Speech contains
nonverbal elements known asparalanguage, includingvoice quality,
rate, pitch,volume, and speaking style, as wellprosodicfeatures
such asrhythm,intonation, andstress. Likewise, written texts have
nonverbal elements such as handwriting style, spatial arrangement
of words, or the physical layout of a page. However, much of the
study of nonverbal communication has focused on face-to-face
interaction, where it can be classified into three principal
areas:environmentalconditions where communication takes place,
physical characteristics of the communicators, and behaviors of
communicators during interaction.
There are many different types of posture, including slouching,
towering, legs spread, jaw thrust, shoulders forward, and arm
crossing. Posture or a person's bodily stance communicates a
variety of messages. Posture can be used to determine a
participant's degree of attention or involvement, the difference in
status between communicators, and the level of fondness a person
has for the other communicator, depending on body
"openness".[4]Studies investigating the impact of posture on
interpersonal relationships suggest that mirror-image congruent
postures, where one person's left side is parallel to the other
person's right side, leads to favorable perception of communicators
and positivespeech; a person who displays a forward lean or
decreases a backward lean also signifies positive sentiment during
communication
(Business Communication)Assignment B
Marks 10
Answer all questions.
1. Draft a circular for the office staff mentioning the changes
in timings of the office?Ans
Dear ColleguesThis is to inform you that our office timings has
been changedwith effect from 11.8.2008.The timings are:9.00a.m to
6.00p.mLunch Break:1.00p.m to 1.30p.mExpecting all your joining
hands to keep our punctuality in office timings.
2. Design the promotional material for a management event. It
should include brochures, invites and programs.
Program Details: See what we do and be a part of it
Date:15 Aug 2012
Location: Online
Charges 1500 rs
3. You are the office manager for Smart System, Inc, a startup
IT firm in Udyog Vihar Gurgaon. Recently you bought 10 modems from
Precision Supplies, a computer hardware supplier located in New
Delhi (L2 Block Connaught Palace New Delhi). After two weeks of
installation of modems, you found that two of the modems are not
functioning properly. Since you have paid the full amount against
the purchase of modems you are entitled to enjoy two years of
warrantee including free replacement for any product within one
month. You called their customer service department to ask for
replacement last Friday that replacement would be delivered on
following Monday. It is now Friday and you havent heard anything
from the supplier company. You need the two modems immediately as
your company is working on a major project and dead line is
approaching fast. This is the first time you have ordered from
Precision Suppliers and may be last.
Write a letter of complaint to demand for immediate replacement
or full refund.
Ans:
Smart SystemUdyog ViharGurgaon
304566
12.12.2012To,ManagerPrecision Supplies[Department: Customer
Services][L2 Block Connaught Palace New Delhi]
Dear Customer Care Manager,
We bought 10 modems from Precision Supplies. After two weeks of
installation of modems, we found that two of the modems are not
functioning properly. Since you have paid the full amount against
the purchase of modems we are entitled to enjoy two years of
warrantee including free replacement for any product within one
month.
We called your customer service department to ask for
replacement last Friday that replacement would be delivered on
following Monday.
It is now Friday and we havent heard anything from your company.
We need the two modems immediately as company is working on a major
project and dead line is approaching fast. This is the first time
we have ordered from Precision Suppliers and may be last.
We demand for immediate replacement or full refund.
I look forward to hearing from you and to a resolution of this
problem. I will wait for 1 week before seeking help from lawyer.
Please contact me at the above address
Yours sincerely
XYS
1. Read the case study given below and answer the questions
given at the end
Case Study
Charisma CorporationCharisma Corporation (CC) has recently
embarked on a new kind of training. The corporation is teaching
many of its employees, especially those in the marketing and sales
to make decisions on the basis of non verbal communication cues.
For Malini Varma, VP of CC, focusing on non verbal communications
has become an important part of her inter personal dealings.
Several years ago, Varma became interested in how body movements
and mannerism truly reflect what an individual is saying.
Continuously reading in this area of study, Varma has been able to
take decisions about potential employees and potential customers by
reading them. Varma believes that body language can give a person
competitive advantage. It can make difference while closing a deal
or, as in CCs case, while hiring employees. For example, during
interviews, Malini pays constant attention to the candidates eye
movements and mannerism. She believes that she can correctly
predict if the candidate will be aggressive sales person while
simultaneously being personable and friendly. How does she do it?
She does this by looking at their eyes and the way they present
themselves. In one case hiring decision came down to two people.
The first person was animated and made constant eye contact. The
second candidate never looked in the eyes of Malini. , leaned back
in his/her chair, and crossed both his legs and arms. The first
candidate demonstrated the communication skills that Varma thought
aligned with successful performance in her organization. Malini
Varma is convinced that communication skills play a significant
role in helping her organization achieve its annual sales goals.
Personally, she has found that it has helped her quality customers.
For instance even when a potential customer says, yes with his/her
arms and legs crossed emphatically, it means, No! Understanding
this, Varma is in a better position to probe further into the
possible objections the customer has. She has found that, in many
cases, she is able to steer the conversation in a direction that
ultimately leads to successfully closing a sale. And that is a
major competitive advantage.
Questions 1. What problems Varma encounter by her heavy reliance
on non verbal communication?
Ans:
Following are the problem Varma may face by her heavy reliance
on non-verbal communication are:1) Difficult to You can not have
long conversation.2) Cannot discuss the particulars of your
message/Actions3) Difficult to understand and requires a lot of
repetitions.4) Can not be used as a public tool for
communication.6) Less influential and can not be used everywhere.7)
Not everybody prefers to communicate through non-verbal
communication.8) Can not create an impression upon
people/listeners.
2. What communication guidance would you give to Varma and
individuals like her who place an inordinately high value on body
language? Explain your position.
Ans:
I would give the following guidance to Varma and individuals
like her:
1. monitor your nonverbal communication
2. Be tentative interpreting others nonverbal communication
3. Self-awareness
being aware of the ways in which you communicate, and realizing
different people have different ways of using nonverbal comm.1.
monitor behavior, take note of your posture, movements, and
objects2. ask friends for feedback3. videotape yourself in a
conversation or speech4. Expand your repertoire of nonverbal
activities
5. by expanding your own vocabulary for sending messages, you
will expand your ability to decode the messages of others
6. Remember that good communication focuses on the receiver of
the message7. You can send appropriate signals to amplify or
intensify your verbal messages
(Business Communication)
Assignment C
Marks 10
Answer all questions.
Tick mark () the most appropriate answer
1. Example of external Communication--a) Letter from supplierb)
Meeting of employees in purchase departmentc) Conversation between
a manager and his assistantd) Telephone call from area manager to
branch manager2. A manager would give message about social events
to employees using--a) Faxb) Report
c) Agenda
d) Notice
3. Which size of business is most likely to use informal
communication more regularly--a) Largeb) Medium
c) International
d) Small
4. Which of these are record of a meeting?a) Agendab)
Minutes
c) Plans
d) Presentation
5. What type of meeting is AGM?a) Annual General Meetingb)
Asking Group Meeting
c) Altogether Group Meeting
d) Answering General Meeting
6. Which of these is a disadvantage of e-mail as a form of
Business Communication?a) Lack of possible detailsb) Limited number
of recipients
c) Speed
d) Difficult for receiver to determine the tone
7. What do the letters ENC or ENCs at the end of a business
letter mean?a) Enclosureb) Encircle
c) Encore
d) Encase
8. A cover letter is--a) Courteous and helpfulb) Unnecessary
c) Considered to be in poor taste
d) Always mailed separately
9. Inquiry letters are letters that--a) Ask for more
informationb) Ask for credit
c) Try to reactivate the business
d) Ask for adjustments
10. Which of the following is NOT a component in the
Communication Model?a) Senderb) Messenger
c) Encoding
d) Receiver
11. What kind of information should be included in a resume?1.
Work experience
2. Education
3. Affiliation & Membership
4. Letter of recommendation
a) All except 1b) All except 2
c) All except 3
d) All except 4
12. What are the common barriers that impede communication?1.
Barriers with people
2. Barriers with words
3. Barriers made by cultural differences
4. Barriers made distance
a) All of aboveb) All except 2
c) All except 3
d) All except 4
13. Which of the following information should be included in
minutes?1. Date & venue of the meeting
2. Decisions made at the meeting
3. Comments from members
4. Action to be taken by the members
a) All of aboveb) All except 2
c) All except 3
d) All except 4
14. When preparing to write for business purposes , the 4 Ps
include1. Personal
2. Position
3. Polite
4. Professional
a) All except 1b) All except 2
c) All except 3
d) All except 4
15. Which of the following is NOT a problem when calling for a
meeting?a) Personal Agendab) Team spirit
c) Interpersonal conflicts
d) Cultural differences
16. What type of software would a writer uses to produce a slide
show for a meeting?a) Database applicationb) Presentation
application
c) Spreadsheet application
d) Personal information application
17. Which of the following is not a component in Communication
model?1. Sender
2. Messanger
3. Encoding
4. Receiver
a) All of the aboveb) All except 1
c) All except 2
d) All except 3
18. Which of the following is NOT a problem when calling for a
meeting?a) Personal Agendab) Team Spirit
c) Interpersonal Conflicts
d) Cultural Differences
19. Which of the following is not an external business written
communication?a) Complaint Letterb) Curriculum Vitae
c) Memo
d) Enquires letter
20. Effective communication can only be achieved when1. The
audience is understood
2. Feedback is encouraged
3. Thoughts are organized
a) All of the aboveb) All except 1
c) All except 2
d) All except 3
21. Although spell checks are useful for identifying misspelled
words, it cannot distinguish--a) Words that are spelled correctly
but used incorrectlyb) Troublesome words that are misspelled
c) Homonyms that are misspelled
d) Synonyms that are misspelled
22. What should be avoided when engaging in business
correspondences?1. Choppy sentences
2. Passive sentences
3. Bias free language
4. Cliches
a) All except 1b) All except 2
c) All except 3
d) All except 4
23. I invited a friend to come to a street market by my house
where they served some real good Japanese food. My friends mom
wanted to pay for her daughters meal, but I insisted on paying for
both for meals myself, her mom finally said, OK, as long as we go
Dutch next time. What does it means?a) I pay for your mealb) You
take me with you
c) You let me drive you there
d) We divide the costs
24. I went to a real nice restaurant yesterday. The food wasnt
costly and helping were generous. I asked for a doggy bag as I
couldnt eat the entire food.a) Package to pack leftover foodb) Dog
bowl that you can give the left over to your dog
c) A special order where you get smaller mealsd) Special order
where you get larger meals
25. Fabian was a doormat. No wonder his class mates were always
giving him a hard time.a) Snobb) Geek
c) Coward
d) Chubby boy
26. When superior provides directions to his subordinates, it is
known as---------------- communication.a) Upwardb) Downward
c) Horizontal
d) Lateral
27. If a person taps his feet, it is an indication of--a)
Impatienceb) Anger
c) Frustration
d) Confidence
28. Active listening can be demonstrated verbally through--a)
Clarificationsb) Questions
c) Feedback/Suggestions
d) All of the above
29. Paying more attention to the way speaker is dressed, is an
example of focusing on-------rather than -----------.a) Deliver,
Contentb) Content, Delivery
c) Looks, Message
d) None of above
30. The most valuable ideas come from-------- communication.a)
Upwardb) Downward
c) Horizontal
d) none
31. Kinesics means--a) Personal space and distanceb) Body
language
c) Physical environment
d) None of the above
32. Eye contact conveys--a) Intensity and interestb)
Nervousness
c) Interest
d) Anger
33. Barriers to listening--a) Psychological Barriersb) Physical
Barriers
c) Attitudinal Barriers
d) All of above
34. Some common mistakes made with regard to English Language
usage are--a) Redundanciesb) Clichs
c) Frequent use of similar sounding words
d) All of above
35. Power Point slides should not be-- a) Clutteredb)
Colorful
c) Decorative
d) None of above36. Meetings are effective when-----------are
not madea) Inputsb) Decisions
c) Communication
d) None of above
37. The common purpose of notices and circulars is
to-----------rather than--------------.a) Persuade, Informb)
Inform, Persuade
c) None of above
d) Both of above
38. Effective communication with shareholders means
being--------with them.a) Openb) Transparent
c) Truthful
d) All of above
39. A---------is an opening statement in a bad news letter.a)
Ideab) Subject
c) Buffer
d) None of above
40. Audience analysis helps to determine the-------and------of
the report.a) Tone & Complexityb) Language &ideas
c) None
d) Both