ASSIGNMENT 01

Name Registration Number Learning Center Learning Center Code Course Subject Semester Module No. Date of submission Marks Awarded

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Supriya M H 511224766 KiPS Institute of Technology and Management 00102 Master of Business Administration Business Communication First
MB0039

Directorate of Distance Education Sikkim Manipal University II Floor, Syndicate House Manipal 576 104

Signature of Coordinator

Signature of Center

Signature of Evaluator

List the importance of effective communication in the workplace Greater Awareness of Organizational Goals and Teamwork When there is open communication between superiors, co-workers and subordinates, there is smooth flow of information regarding the goals of the organization. Coordination between the different departments in particular, leads to greater motivation to work together towards achieving a common organizational goal, rather than working in isolation. Better Employer-employee Relationships By listening to employees, showing empathy and giving them the freedom to express their opinions without fear of being repressed, a manager can create a climate of openness that leads to better work relationships. Employees will then feel more comfortable in approaching their superiors and discussing any matter with them. Problem-solving Effective communication can help resolve conflicts between co-workers, work related and performance related problems. Faceto-face communication is especially suited for achieving this task, since it is one to one and highly personalized in nature. Improved Performance Effective communication by managers at the time of appraising the performance of their employees can point out areas for improvement. A constructive review of performance, through which a manager gives positive feedback and counsels the employee, instead of criticizing him for poor performance, can motivate the employee to perform better. Stronger Link between Managers and the External Environment Apart from internal communication within the organization, effective communication by managers with external audiences such as customers, government, bankers, media and suppliers leads to a better rapport with them. A manager will be able to understand the needs of his customers, be aware of the presence of quality suppliers of material, of government regulations and of the expectations of the community at large, only through proper communication.

2.

Explain the different aspects of non-verbal communication o Non-verbal Communication Cannot Be Avoided Since non-verbal communication is not always intentional, though verbal communication can be avoided by refusing to speak or write, it is not possible to do the same with non-

verbal communication. Sometimes, silence itself may convey a lot of meaning. o Non-verbal Communication is Powerful Non-verbal communication helps us to form first impressions and make judgments of others. First impressions generally tend to be lasting impressions. When a candidate enters a job interview fifteen minutes late and dressed in informal attire, it immediately reflects on the candidates attitude and the impression formed of them is that of a person who takes things casually. When eye contact is avoided, it leaves the impression of being insecure and lacking in knowledge. o Non-verbal Communication is Ambiguous While precise words can be used in verbal communication to ensure that that the message is clearly understood, non-verbal communication is not always clear and easy to understand. For example, sitting back in a relaxed posture may be a signal of boredom or fatigue. Similarly, avoiding eye contact with your audience could mean that either you are nervous or guilty of something! Therefore it is not possible to accurately understand the messages conveyed by non-verbal behavior. o Non-verbal Communication Cannot Express All Messages Non-verbal behavior can only express a persons feelings, attitudes, level of interest, liking or dislike for something. Certain messages about ideas or concepts can only be expressed through the spoken or written word. Consider the following exampleA sales manager wanting to report that sales for the current year has exceeded targets, can only do so through a written report or oral presentation. If he is making an oral presentation, his non-verbal behavior can only indicate how pleased he is about the increase in sales. o Non-verbal Communication Varies Across Cultures While certain types of non-verbal behavior are universal, others may be different in different cultures. For example, there are different rules regarding the appropriateness of the handshake in oriental and western cultures. Generally, in oriental cultures like India, any form of physical contact is not common and is interpreted as being intimate, while it is an accepted thing in western countries. Similarly, a nod of the head means yes in some cultures and no in other cultures. In this age of business communication across cultures, it is important for you to understand these differences, especially when doing business overseas. Failure to do this could lead to costly blunders.

3.

Write short notes on (a) Upward communication (b) Downward communication (c) Horizontal communication o Upward Communication Upward Communication may be defined as information that flows from subordinates to superiors. Some of the reasons for upward communication include discussing work related problems, giving suggestions for improvement and sharing feelings about the job and co-workers. Benefits Problem-solving - Once a subordinate has brought a problem to his superiors notice, chances are that the problem will not recur, since the subordinate learns from his superior how to tackle it the next time. Thus, his ability to solve new problems and therefore his managerial ability, improves. Another benefit that could arise is that valuable ideas and suggestions may sometimes come from lower level employees. Therefore organizations should encourage this kind of communication. Employees learn to accept the decisions of management and thereby work as a team. Disadvantages It may lead to handing down of decisions by superiors. When subordinates frequently seek the superiors guidance, the latter may adopt an authoritarian approach and merely give instructions, disregarding the subordinates opinion completely. o Downward Communication This may be defined as information that flows from superiors to subordinates. The most common reasons for downward communication are for giving job instructions, explaining company rules, policies and procedures and giving feedback regarding job performance. A number of studies have indicated that regular downward communication in the form of feedback given to employees is the most important factor affecting job satisfaction. Therefore organizations today are trying to encourage more of this type of communication. Benefits Downward communication that provides regular feedback will be beneficial if the feedback or review of performance is constructive. A

constructive review is one where a manager counsels an employee, or advises him on how to improve his performance. Regular downward communication also creates a climate of transparency or openness, where information is passed on through official channels, rather than through rumors. The communication boosts employee morale, since it indicates that management is involved in their progress. Disadvantages The problems with this type of communication are the danger of doing destructive reviews which can destroy employee morale and confidence. Message overload - This means that superiors many sometimes burden their subordinates with too many instructions, leading to confusion. o Horizontal Communication Also known as lateral communication, may be defined as communication that takes place between co-workers in the same department, or in different departments, with different areas of responsibility. For example, Sales Managers and Advertising Managers in the Marketing department, or Marketing Managers and Finance Managers. The reasons for this type of communication are for coordination of tasks, sharing of information regarding goals of the organization, resolving interpersonal or work related problems and building rapport. Benefits The biggest potential benefit of horizontal communication is the sense of teamwork that is created. Regular communication of this type ensures that all co-workers work together towards achieving a common goal in the overall interest of the organization. Disadvantages The biggest potential problem is that conflicts such as ego clashes are bound to arise, when co-workers at the same level communicate on a regular basis. In spite of these problems, horizontal or lateral communication has become more important in todays business scenario than upward or downward communication. This is because the organizational pyramid indicating the different hierarchies or levels in

an organization has flattened. 4. Explain the different barriers to listening .List the differences between discriminative listening and comprehension listening Both within and outside the workplace there are a number of obstacles that stand in the way of effective listening, These barriers may be categorized as Physiological Barriers Physical Barriers Attitudinal Barriers Wrong Assumptions Cultural Barriers Gender Barriers Lack of Training Bad Listening Habits

Physiological Barriers Some people may have genuine hearing problems or deficiencies that prevent them from listening properly. Once detected, they can generally be treated. Other people may have difficulty in processing information, or memory related problems which make them poor listeners. Another physiological barrier is rapid thought. Listeners have the ability to process information at the rate of approximately 500 words per minute, whereas speakers talk at around 125 words per minute. Since listeners are left with a lot of spare time, their attention may not be focused on what the speaker is saying, but may wander elsewhere. Physical Barriers Distractions in the environment such as the sound of an air conditioner, cigarette smoke, or an overheated room, which interfere with the listening process. They could also be in the form of information overload. Attitudinal Barriers Pre-occupation with personal or work related problems can make it difficult to focus ones attention completely on what a speaker is saying, even if what is being said is of prime importance. Egocentrism, or the belief that you are more knowledgeable than the speaker and that you have nothing new to learn from his ideas. People with this kind of closed

minded attitude make very poor listeners. Wrong Assumptions It is wrong to assume that communication is the sole responsibility of the sender or the speaker and that listeners have no role to play. Such an assumption can be a big barrier to listening. Listeners have as much responsibility as speakers to make the communication successful, by paying attention, seeking clarifications and giving feedback. Another wrong assumption is to think that listening is a passive activity, in which a listener merely absorbs the thoughts of the speaker. On the contrary, real listening or active listening is hard work it requires speaking sometimes to ask questions, agree or disagree with the speaker, give feedback, etc. Yet another barrier of this type is to assume that speakers are more powerful than listeners. Speakers are seen as being in command of things, whereas listeners are seen to be weak and lacking authority. According to communication experts however, the reverse is true. Listeners are as important and as powerful as speakers. In fact David J. Schwartz, writer and management professor, emphasizes the importance of listening by saying Big people monopolize t he listening. Small people monopolize the talking. Cultural Barriers Accents can be barriers to listening, since they interfere with the ability to understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently. The problem of different accents arises not only between cultures, but also within a culture. For example, in a country like India where there is enormous cultural diversity, accents may differ even between different regions and states. Differing cultural values. The importance attached to listening and speaking differs in western and oriental cultures. Generally, Orientals regard listening and silence as almost a virtue, whereas Westerners attach greater importance to speaking. Therefore this would interfere with the listening process, when two people from these two different cultures communicate. Gender Barriers Communication research has shown that gender can be a barrier to listening. Studies have revealed that men and women listen very differently and for different purposes. Women are more likely to listen for the emotions behind a

speakers words, while men listen more for the facts and the content. Example A salesperson giving a demonstration of a new type of office equipment may be asked by two colleagues if the equipment will work without any problems and respond by saying Sure. A male user may take his answer at face value, whereas a female user may detect some hesitation in his voice. This is because the male user listens for the content of the message, whereas the female user listens for the tone of the message. Lack of Training Listening is not an inborn skill. People are not born good listeners. They have to develop the art of listening through practice and training. Lack of training in listening skills is an important barrier to listening, especially in the Indian context. Bad Listening Habits Most people are very average listeners who have developed poor listening habits that are hard to shed and that act as barriers to listening. For example, some people have the habit of faking attention or trying to look like a listener, in order to impress the speaker and to assure him that they are paying attention. Others may tend to listen to each and every fact and, as a result, miss out on the main point. Yet another habit is to avoid difficult listening and to tune off deliberately, if the subject is too technical or difficult to understand. Sometimes, the subject itself may be dismissed as uninteresting, because the listener does not want to listen. Discriminative Listening This is the most basic type of listening, whereby the difference between the sounds is identified. Unless the differences between the sounds are identified, the meaning expressed by such differences cannot be grasped. Once we learn to distinguish between sounds in our own language, we are able to do the same in other languages. One reason why people belonging to one country find it difficult to speak the language of another country is that they find the sounds similar and cannot understand the subtle differences. Comprehension Listening Once discrimination between the different sounds is done, the next step is to try to comprehend the meaning of these sounds. In order to do this, a dictionary of words,

along with the rules of grammar and syntax is required. Apart from the verbal communication, we also need to understand the meaning conveyed by the speakers nonverbal behavior. This can be achieved by closely observing various aspects of the speakers body language and tone of voice. 5. Discuss the principles of business writing The language, style and tone of business writing is very different from general writing. Tone Tone is important in conveying written messages, particularly business related messages. Like in the case of spoken words, however perfect, can convey a negative message, if the tone of voice is not consistent with what is said. In written communication, tone refers to the way a statement sounds, which in turn, depends on the choice of words. A sentence or statement may be grammatically perfect, but may convey a negative message, if the choice of words is wrong. Even a negative idea can be expressed in positive language through the use of appropriate words. The tone of business communication should also be confident. A language that makes a person sound unsure of themselves should be avoided and while it is important to be self-assured, avoid sounding over confident and pompous. The tone should sound courteous and sincere. This builds goodwill and good relations and increases the likelihood of a message achieving its objectives. Sincerity also means avoiding exaggeration and flattery, especially when communicating with customers. The tone of business writing should be non-discriminatory, ie should not be offensive, irrespective of gender, religion or race. Emphasis and Subordination An important principle of business writing is to emphasize important ideas and to downplay unimportant ideas, so as to make the reader is made to understand what is considered to be significant. Generally, pleasant and important thoughts are emphasized, while unpleasant and insignificant thoughts are subordinated or de-emphasized. An idea can be placed in the first paragraph or in the last paragraph, in order to get attention and a word to be emphasized can be put first or last in the sentence. Active voice can be used to emphasize the doer of the action and the passive voice to emphasize the receiver of the action. Repetition can be a way of giving emphasis and ideas should be numbered so as to rank them in the order of importance. Visual elements such as bold type, capital letters, bigger font size and underlined words can be used to emphasize key ideas. Another point to be

remembered regarding emphasis in business writing is to stress what is the benefits to the reader, understanding his situation and answering his unspoken question of the relevance to him. Write at an Appropriate Level of Readability A third very important rule of business writing is to tailor your writing to your audience and to make it simple enough for even a layperson to read and understand. Readability is determined by the length of words and sentences. Robert Gunning developed what is known as the Fog Index or a readability formula to measure the readability of a piece of writing. According to this formula, the appropriate reading level in business writing should be between 8 and 11. Calculation of the Fog Index involves the following steps Select a written passage of approximately 100 words. Calculate the average length of a sentence by dividing the total number of words in the passage by the number of sentences. Find the number of difficult words. A word may be defined as difficult if it contains three or more syllables (e.g. communication).Determine the number of difficult words per hundred, by dividing the total number of words in the passage into the number of difficult words, then by multiplying this figure by 100. Add the number of difficult words per hundred and the average sentence length. Multiply the figure obtained in step 4 by 0.4, to calculate the reading grade level for which the passage was written, or the Fog Index. Ideally, the Fog Index should be between 8 and 11 for most business writing, indicating that a reader between the eighth grade and the eleventh grade should be able to understand it without difficulty. 6. Explain the advantages of oral communication with the help of suitable example Oral communication has some advantages compared to written communication which include its personal quality, high interactivity, possibility of making immediate contact, instantaneous feedback and control over the receivers attention. Oral communication was also classified into oral face-to-face communication (meetings and presentations) and oral non face-to-face communication (teleconferencing, telephone and voice mail).While face-to-face meetings are more effective than non-face-to-face

communication in most ways, they are expensive and impractical sometimes, due to the

distance factor. Because of advances in technology, meetings today can still take place without being face-to-face, through teleconferencing. Teleconferencing allows participants at distant locations to speak and sometimes to see each other. Apart from the high cost and the difficulty in setting it up, teleconferencing has the same advantages as oral face-to-face communication. In spite of its advantages, teleconferencing will not replace face-to-face meetings completely, since it is unsuitable for certain types of communication that involve brainstorming, negotiations, persuasion and problem solving. Telephone communication, another form of non-face-to-face communication, has the biggest advantage of being able to contact a receiver who would be impossible to reach in person. Today, mobile phones have made it even easier to contact people who are on the move. Telephone communication also has a personal quality and permits the use of some non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, to enhance the communication. Voice mail is a type of telephone communication and is similar to an answering machine. Although it is generally inferior to speaking in person to the other party, it has some advantages. When you leave a recorded message, you can make your point felt and save time that might be wasted in exchanging pleasantries. Invitations can also be declined without having to give an explanation or reason, or having the other person talk back. Thus, there is greater control over how the message is composed and delivered. Besides, voice mail also makes it possible to keep a permanent record of the communication, unlike other types of oral communication. In spite of these advantages however, voice mail has not caught on in India.