MB0039 Business Communication

Q.(1) What are the various types of communication? Describe the classification of nonverbal communication.
ANS. Types of Communication:- communication divided into two types, they are:
1.Verbal communication, 2.Non-verbal communication
(1).Verbal communication:- This type of communication occurs with the help of words. It provides the opportunity for
personal contact and twoway flow of information. A large part of our communication, whether at work or outside, is
verbal in nature. Verbal communication may be divided into two types. They are: (a)Oral communication, (b)Written
communication
(2).Non-verbal communication This type of communication may be defined as communication without words. It refers to
any way of conveying meanings without the use of verbal language. The game of dumb charades is a perfect example. Nonverbal communication is generally unintentional, unlike verbal communication. All of us tend to communicate silently and
unknowingly send signals and messages by what we do, apart from what we say. Gestures, facial expressions, posture and the
way we dress, are all part of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication can have a greater impact than verbal
communication, since how you say something is sometimes more important than what you say. Although non-verbal
communication can affect both our personal and business relationships, it is particularly important in the workplace.
Classification of nonverbal communication:Facial expressions Facial expressions can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and sadness. If you meet a
long lost friend and say I am very happy to meet you again, but with a sad facial expression, it conveys the exact
opposite meaning.
Eye movements The eye movements such as wide open pupils express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear.
The importance of eye contact with ones audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye contact is an indication of
intensity and interest, while lack of it can convey feelings of nervousness and guilt. As prolonged eye contact can
intimidate people, it is not a good idea to stare at people. Different cultures perceive eye contact differently. In Asia,
Latin America and Africa people avoid direct eye contact to show respect. Arabs use prolonged eye contact to measure
trustworthiness.
Gestures The gestures such as movement of the hands while giving a lecture or presentation indicates a high level of
involvement in what you are saying. On the other hand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of nervousness and speaking with
ones hands in ones pockets is considered to be casual or even rude.
Head movements The head movements like nodding the head can convey interest, appreciation, agreement or
understanding.
Some main points are given below;
Haptics:- Haptics refers to communication through touch. We can use touch to communicate affection, assurance,
familiarity, comfort, sympathy and other emotions. Touching can also be interpreted as an assault. Hence, we must use
touch as a communication tool carefully.
Proxemics:- Proxemics is derived from the word proximity or closeness and is the communication term for personal
space and distance. The space and distance which we choose to keep from people is also part of non-verbal
communication. Each of us has our own inner and outer circles, which differ for different people.

Chronemics:- Chronemics refers to the study of usage of time. This includes our attitudes towards punctuality and
willingness to wait. It also deals with the manner in which we structure our time and interactions. Perception of
importance of time varies between individuals and cultures.
Q.(2) Describe any situation in your own experience where the communication failed because the listening was
faulty. Identify the barrier to listening in this situation.
ANS.Experience:Once I was goes to market some urgent work. When I was purchasing some goods on the groce shop.
A thief theft the bike of a person. The person running towards him and crying to catch him but nobody listen his voice.
Because, market is very noiseableplace and thief run away. So that is the personal experience about the barriers of
communication.
Identifying and explaining the barrier: Communication fails when the message received is not identical to the
message that is sent. Several factors could interfere with the exchange of messages.
1.Noise barrier:- refers to all these factors that disrupt the communication and can be classified under the following
types:
Physical noise:- Distracting sounds, poor acoustics, or just information overload could interfere with the listening
process.
Physiological noise:- Hearing or other disabilities, fatigue, or physical
speaking and listening.

illness could come in the way of both

Psychological noise:- Sometimes emotions within the sender or receiver such as preoccupations, hostility, fear or lack
of interest could interfere the speaking or listening process.
There are many other barriers to communication, an understanding and analysis of which are needed before coming up
with ways to eliminate or minimise them.
2.Environmental barriers An environmental barrier is the same as physical noise, which could be in the form of
distracting sounds, an overcrowded room, poor facilities and acoustics, all of which may hinder the ability to listen to
and understand the message.
3. Individual barriers A major barrier to interpersonal communication is a tendency to judge, evaluate, approve, or
disapprove the views of another person. This happens particularly in situations where we have strong feelings about
something. In such cases, we tend to block out the communication and form our own viewpoints.
4.Organizational barriers In organizations that are too hierarchical, that is, where there are multiple layers,
messages may have to pass through many levels before they finally reach the receiver. Each level may add to, modify or
completely change the message, so much so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver. In
other words, there is likely to be loss of meaning and the message may not reach the receiver in the same way as it was
intended by the sender.
5.Channel barriers In the earlier section, it was pointed out that communication can fail due to any of the different
elements going wrong. Wrong choice of channel is one of the main barriers to communication. Using a wrong medium
of advertising, or conveying a message orally when a written letter would be more appropriate.
6.Linguistic and cultural barriers When the sender of the message uses a language that the receiver does not
understand, the communication will not succeed. Either the sender may be using different or foreign language, or the
language used may be too highly technical for the receiver to understand.

7.Semantic barriers The word semantics refers to the meaning of words and the way in which they are used. For
example, different words may have different meanings in different cultures. Failure to take this into consideration could
lead to serious blunders.
8.Non-verbal barriers This refers to the non-verbal communication that goes with a particular message. Non-verbal
communication includes tone of voice, body language such as gestures and facial expressions, etc.
Q.(3) Describe any 5 types of presentations with examples and their target audience.
ANS.
Type/ Purpose of presentation

Example

Audience

Briefing and Information

New online leave application procedure

Employees

Orientation

Orientation to new joinees

Employees

Training

How to operate a new software

Employees

Reporting Research Findings

Consumer satisfaction survey

Superiors

Reporting Progress

Report of weekly sales

Superiors

Highlighting Companys Achievements

Reporting awards won by the Company

Media

TV and Radio Interviews to describe Company

Viewpoints

Describing companys
environmental issues

Society at large

Introduction

Overview of the company

New employees

Product Presentation

Highlighting features of a new product

Consumers,
intermediaries

Project Proposal

New project undertaken by the company

Bankers

Policy Proposal

New
mobile
phone
reimbursement policy

Superiors

Marking Special Occasions

Presentation at company anniversary

celebrations

position

on

expense

Internal
and
external audiences

Q.(4) Explain the different types of meetings.

ANS. A meeting is any focused conversation that has a specific agenda, especially but not only if it has been set up in
advance. This definition implies that meetings are not aimless discussions, but they require careful planning and
revolve around a specific topic that is decided in advance. Therefore, while meetings may be more or less formal in the
way they are conducted, they need to be planned, irrespective of the nature of the meeting.
There are some types of meetings:1. Task oriented meetings:- As the name suggests, this type of meeting is a special meeting that is called to discuss
and make arrangements for a specific event. For example, the company is opening a new branch or new factory, which
will be inaugurated by a minister on a specific date. All the key people involved may be asked to attend the meeting, to
discuss the arrangements that are being made for the inauguration. Specific tasks are assigned to each of the participants
of the meeting.

2. Progress meetings:- These are periodic meetings that are called to review the progress being made on a particular
front. For example, weekly meetings may be held to review sales progress or if a new project has been initiated,
periodic meetings may be held to review the progress of different stages of the project.
3. Information sharing meetings:- In some organisations these types of meetings may be called regularly for the main
purpose of exchanging information on a topic of relevance to the organisation. Such meetings may take place among coworkers or may also involve top management. For example:- The Managing Director of a company may call his senior
managers to share information about the companys joint ventures, overseas collaborations or plans for acquisition. A
weekly meeting of top executives may be held to discuss the activities of the companys international divisions. The
members of the Research and Development (R & D) department may meet regularly to compare notes on the results of
their research efforts.
4. Problem solving or decision making meetings:- This type of meeting is the most challenging, as it involves taking
some kindof action, making major decisions or changing the existing policies and procedures. Therefore, all interests
and departments of the organisation are represented at such meetings. They also tend to be time consuming. For
example, the marketing strategy of the company may need to be revised, as sales are on the decline or a new product is
to be launched and a meeting may be called to discuss the launch strategy. As problem solving meetings are the most
complicated type of meetings, the guidelines offered in this unit are more relevant to these meetings.
Q.(5) You are going to face a job interview for the post of Manager-operations. Which aspects you will keep in
mind while facing the interview?
ANS. Aspects to be kept in mind during job interview:Opening formalities- Since it is important to create a good first impression, the way you great and introduce yourself is
important. Using the name of the interviewer correctly, giving a firm handshake, waiting till you are asked to be seated
and sitting with an erect posture are common courtesies that should be observed to project a good image.
Non-verbal communication- It was emphasized that in face to face communication; non verbal cues can enhance
communication and convey a positive message. Apart from a firm handshake and erect posture, your non-verbal
behavior should indicate that you are confident & attentive to what the interviewer is saying. Direct eye contact, facial
gestures and nodding to show that you are listening are all important aspects of non-verbal communication that should
be observed during the interview.
Group interview- A group interview is one where a panel of interviewers interviews a single applicant. The group may
comprise people from different functional areas in the organization, such as HR, Marketing and Finance. When asked a
question by one of the group members, it is common courtesy to make eye contact with and address your responses to
all the interviewers.
Two-way interview- Although the applicants task is primarily to listen and the interviewers job is primarily to ask
question, it is in the hands of the applicant to make the communication a two way process. Apart from answering
questing, the interviewee should show interest in the job and the company by asking relevant question, wherever
possible.
Honesty and humility- It is important to be honest and to avoid giving vague answers or beating around the bush, if
you do not know the answer to a particular question. Employers appreciate honesty, rather than over-smart answers.
Humility is equally important. For example, when asked about your weakness, do not state that you have no weakness.
Another point to remember is to avoid exaggeration.
Positive answers- Do not speak ill of your previous employers. If asked about your previous experiences, you may give
honest feedback, but you should do so tactfully. Your answers should always end on a positive note.
Salary discussion- Any discussion on salary should be initiated by the interviewer and not by the interviewee,
especially during the initial interview. When asked about your salary expectations, you should indicate a range, rather

than a specific figure. Therefore, you should have found out the general salary range for candidate with your
qualifications and experience, before the interview. Only then can you give a reasonable response to the question.
Closing the interview- How you close the interview is as important as how you open it. Normally, the interviewer gives
a signal when the interview is over, either through body language, or by making a comment on the next step for action.
At this point, you must thank the interviewer, give another firm handshake and say that you look forward to hearing
from the company soon.
Q.(6) Write short notes on:a) Internet b) Intranet
ANS. (a) Internet:- The Internet is a worldwide network of computers connecting thousands and thousands of
computers across the globe. It is formed by the joining of many smaller networks around the world to form the largest
network in the world. The computers of the Internet are connected through telephone lines, satellite links, modemand
through many other means. The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the
standard Internet protocol suite to link several billion devices worldwide. It is an international network of networks that
consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government packet switched networks, linked by a broad
array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries an extensive range of information
resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and applications of the World Wide Web,
the infrastructure to support email, and peer-to-peer networks for file sharing and telephony. The origins of the Internet
date back to research commissioned by the United States government. The Internet has no centralized governance in
either technological implementation or policies for access and usage; each constituent network sets its own policies.
Only the overreaching definitions of the two principal name spaces in the Internet, the Internet Protocol address space
and the Domain Name System, are directed by a maintainer organization, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers. The technical underpinning and standardization of the core protocols is an activity of the Internet
Engineering Task Force, a non-profit organization of loosely affiliated international participants that anyone may
associate with by contributing technical expertise.
(b) Intranet:- An intranet is a communication network that operates on an internal network that is exclusive to a
particular organisation. This means that only the employees of an organisation have the authority to access it. This is as
opposed to an extranet, which is also an internal or private website, but where access privileges are also extended to
external stakeholders of the company, such as customers, suppliers, partners and others. Although the intranet is better
suited for large organisations where distributing information is an enormous task, a number of smaller companies today
are also using this form of internal communication. Simply defined, the intranet is a tool for distributing and sharing
information of different types within the company. For example, weekly reports, goals, human resources related
information such as employee benefits and declared holidays, interactive forms, vacation requests, supply orders,
company policies and even memos and notices can be posted on the intranet. Apart from large organisations, the intranet
is particularly suited for virtual companies that have only an online presence, as well as companies with frequently
travelling employees and off-site workers, as communicating with such employees becomes a challenge.