B.

Voc: (Retail Management) Semester - 1

Paper B. Voc. RA111/RA114

Business Communication and Personality

Development

Dr. Anuradha Pathak Prof. Kulwant Singh Pathania

(Ph.D from H. P. University) Dean Commerce & Management
HOD- Commerce, NLCCM H.P. University, Shimla
Navsari , Gujarat
 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

UNIT-1 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS REPORTS

Learning Objectives
1. To introduce students to business communication.
2. To make students conversant with the concept of Nature, Scope and Factors affecting
communication.
3. To familiarize student with the process of communication.
4. To study the attributes that a sender must possess.

CONTENTS:
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION
1.2 NATURE OF COMMUNICATION
1.3 PROCESS/ STEPS/ ELEMENTS/ COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION
PROCESS
1.4 SCOPE OF COMMUNICATION
1.5 ATTRIBUTES OF SENDER
1.6 FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

1.1 INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION

In every organisation all the managers and supervisors have to set goals through the efforts of
subordinates. For the achievement of those goals, they have to plan their activities, make
decisions and issue orders and instructions for their implementation. Besides, they are
supposed to supervise, guide, motivate and control their subordinates. All these managerial
functions require effective communication for their success.

Communication is a Latin originated word, meaning of which is

sharing. Communication means sharing or exchanging information, news, ideas, etc. with
someone. The most common medium of communication is language though other means of
communication are available to us. Communication is established not only between human
beings but also between non-human beings. Today we find the most advanced and
civilization way of communication, but it was available even during the primitive age of
civilization, definitely in some other from. Actually communication is the process of
transferring information and understanding from one of more people one or more people. In
the most clear from, communication means interaction between two parties.
It is very difficult to define the term ‘Communication` in a simple way. Different scholars
defined communication in different ways.
According to Megginson, “Communication is the process of transmitting meanings, ideas
and understanding of a person or a group to another person or group.”
In the words of Newstrom & Keith Davis, “Communication is the transfer of information
form one person to another. It is a way of reaching others by transmitting ideas, feelings,
thoughts, facts and values.”
According to Theo Haiman, “Communication means the process of passing information and
understanding from one person to another.”

1.2 NATURE OF COMMUNICATION

The nature of communication is discussed below:
1. Communication is related to human activity: Communication is a human process in the
sense the communicator is human being, listener is also a human being and it is used for
changing human behaviour. Looked at from any angle it is a human process.
2. Communication involves two or more parties: At least, two parties are involved in
virtually any communication exchange process. This party exactly who communicates
information is known as sender and the party exactly who is provided with the info is known
as a device. Even so in some instances some sort of sender could send out a message for you
to many receivers.
3. Communication could be one-way or maybe two-way process: Communication is a
two-way process involving the sender and the receiver. The sender develops an idea, decodes
it and sends it to the receiver with the help of suitable medium. Receiver encodes the
message. He sends his feedback to the sender after receiving the message.
4. Success of communication depends on a proper understanding of the parties
involved: Sender has to take care to see that his message has been understood in the same
manner as been decoded by him. If the receiver does not deliver his or her reaction to the
sender, he will not be able to grasp receiver’s views. In this case, communication is said to be
inadequate. As a result, to make communication prosperous the two- senders as well as
receiver must understand their role in communication.
5. Conversation in organization flows in a variety of styles: With organization,
information flows in a variety of recommendations, for example way upward direction, down
way, horizontal way and many others.

1.3 PROCESS/ STEPS/ ELEMENTS/ COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION

PROCESS
It is said that communication is a two-way process comprising of the sender and the receiver.
This process starts with conceptualizing an idea or message by the sender and ends with the
feedback from the receiver. In details, communication process consists of the following eight
steps:

1. Developing idea by the sender: In the first step, the communicator i.e. the sender of
the message plans the subject matter of communication. He develops or conceptualizes
an idea to be sent. This stage is also known as the planning stage since in this stage the
communicator plans the subject matter of communication.
2. Encoding: Encoding means converting or translation the idea into a perceivable form
that can be communicated to others.
3. Developing the message: After encoding the sender has to think about transmitting the
message to the receiver. The message can be oral, written, symbolic or nonverbal. For
example, when people talk, speech is the message; when people write a letter, the words
and sentences are the message. Sometimes, the message may be transmitted through
gestures.
4. Selecting the medium: Medium is the channel or means of transmitting the message to
the receiver. Once the sender has encoded and developed the message, the next step is
to select a suitable medium for transmitting it to the receiver. Medium selected should
help receiver understand the message. The medium of communication can be speaking,
writing, signalling, gesturing etc.
 5. Transmission of message: In this step, the sender actually transmits the message
through chosen medium i.e. the message now passes from sender to receiver. In the
communication cycle, the tasks of the sender end with the transmission of the message.
6. Receiving the message by receiver: This stage simply involves the reception of
sender’s message by the receiver. The message can be received in the form of hearing,
seeing, feeling and so on.
7. Decoding: In this stage, the receiver has to decoding is the the sender’s message. Here
the receiver converts the message into thoughts and tries to analyze and understand it.
Effective communication can occur only when both the sender and the receiver assign
the same or similar meanings to the message.
8. Feedback: The final step of communication process is feedback. Feedback means
receiver’s response to sender’s message. It increases the effectiveness of
communication. The task of sender does not end simply with sending of message. He
has to ensure that the receiver has correctly understood the message. Feedback is the
essence of two-way communication.

1.4 SCOPE OF COMMUNICATION

The scope of communication is so wide that encompasses almost every sphere of our
personal, social, national, international and religious lives. In the following a brief discussion
on scope of communication is given:
1. Communication in personal life: Human life starts with communication.
Communication is closely related with every sphere of human life. From dawn to sleep
at night, a person communicates with others. This reveals that communication is the part
and parcel of human life.
2. Communication in social life: Human beings do not exist in isolation. We live in an
integrated society. In social life, people need to develop social bondage.
Communication helps us in creating and strengthening this social bondage.
3. Communication in the state affairs: Due to revolutionary change in communication
technologies, the whole world has become too small. Communication is also pervaded
in all areas of state affairs. Without communication, state neither can administer its
various wings nor can maintain relationships with the other part of the world.
4. Communication in business: Whether it is sole proprietary firm, or partnership firm, or
a co-operative society or a joint stock company, we cannot think of business without
communication. Communication is the lifeblood of business as it provides necessary
 information in formulating business plans and policies. Besides, effective
communication also ensures effective performance of business activities like
production, distribution, finance, warehousing etc. Thus; ultimate success of the
business depends on successful communication.
5. Communication in management: Efficiency and effectiveness of all managerial
functions including planning, organizing, directing, budgeting, controlling etc depend
on effective communication. In short, every function of management depends on
communication. In fact, without information plans cannot be formulated, activities
cannot be organized, directives cannot be issued and control cannot be ensured.
6. Communication in industrial relations: Congenial industrial relation is a
precondition for business success. On the other hand, free and fair communication is a
pre-requisite for creating good industrial relation. Free flow of information lessens
doubt, confusion and controversies between workers and management. In short, free
and open communication facilitates harmonious relationship in the organization.
7. Communication in international affairs: Businesses, now-a-days, operate across
borders. Countries are exchanging their cultural, economical, social, political,
educational and technological affairs with each other continuously. In order to
facilitate cooperation and communication among countries, various regional and
international bodies namely the United Nations, World Bank, NAFTA, SAFTA,
ASEAN, SAARC, EU etc. have been formed. Through these bodies, counties
communicate various bilateral and multilateral issues among them.
8. Communication in religion: Communication is necessary in spreading religious
theories and principles. Prophets and saints have preached the verses of almighty to
their followers and even now, many religious thinkers are performing the duty of
preaching and circulating religious verses.

1.5 ATTRIBUTES OF SENDER

In the communication process, the sender is the individual who initiates

a message and is often called the communicator or source of communication. The
sender may be a speaker, a writer, or someone who merely gestures. The following
are the major attributes of the sender:
1. Reputation of Sender: The reputation of the sender is important in communication
process in providing credibility and validation to his or her statements and speech.
Besides, attractiveness and friendliness of sender, too, play a role in a receiver's
 interpretation of a sender's message. The sender's role in communication sets not only
the tone but the expectation of the conversation between sender and audience. In
writing, though, the response is delayed and relies more on the sender's reputation
than image.
2. Sensibility: Sender of the message is expected to have reasonable sensibility. He
must understand what his message is, what audience he is sending it to, and how it
will be perceived. He must also weigh-in the circumstances surrounding his
communications, such as situational and cultural context.
3. Clarity: As the source of the message, sender needs to be clear about why he is
communicating, and what he wants to communicate. He also need to be confident that
the information he is communicating is useful and accurate.
4. Correct Information: This is the process of transferring the information the
sender wants to communicate into a form that can be sent and correctly decoded at the
other end. The success of the sender in encoding depends partly on his ability to
convey information clearly and simply, but also on his ability to anticipate and
eliminate sources of confusion (for example,
cultural issues, mistaken assumptions, and missing information.).
5. Knowing Audience: Sender is expected to understand his audience. Failure
to understand who he is communicating with will result in delivering messages that
are misunderstood.
6. Selection of Channel:
Messages are conveyed through channels, with verbal channels including face-to-face
meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written channels including
letters, emails, memos and reports. Different channels have different strengths and
weaknesses. Understand them and accordingly select channel for transmitting
message.

1.6 FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

An overview of the factors that have contributed to this growing importance of
communication has been presented below:
(i) Big size of organizations:
Modern organizations are gigantic as compared to those of yesteryears. Besides, growth and
expansion are taking place by leaps and bounds. Communication is the only link among the
large number of people in the set-up.
(ii) Growing importance of human relations:
Modern management is all about human resource management. Its importance cannot be
ignored. Working style has changed considerably over the years. It is no longer a
management-decides-and-workers- follow kind of working pattern.
Participative management has become the need of the hour. At times, subordinates have more
knowledge than superiors. Men will not cooperate unless they are treated humanely. This has
only increased the importance of communication in business organizations.
(iii) Public relations:
Just like human beings, organizations cannot function in isolation. Every organisation has
certain social responsibilities. It also has to interact with different segments of society.
Stakeholders are to be taken care of. The responsibilities are towards customers,
shareholders, suppliers, traders, trade unions, media, government and the people in general.
(iv) Advances in behavioural sciences:
Behavioural science has become an important aspect of Modern management and as such, it
lays great stress on the theories like sociology, psychology, philosophy, spiritualism and
transactional analysis. Their growing importance can be judged by the tremendous surge in
the sale of books on these subjects.
The essence of all the writings is that we change the way of looking at human nature.
Improvement in communication skills can do this effectively.
(v) Technological advances:
Technology is changing, rather expanding at tremendous speed than ever before. New ways
and methods are to be taught and learnt. Communication is the only way to meet the
challenge and to strengthen the relationship between superiors and subordinates.
Teleconferencing has become a key link for immediate decision-making and feedback in
large business organizations.
(vi) Growth of trade unions:
The importance and power of trade unions cannot be ignored. The last century has seen a
tremendous increase in the size of the unions of workers. Mutual understanding between the
management and the unions has become inevitable today. Communication, therefore, has a
vital role to play.
(vii) Consumerism (increase in the demand for consumer goods):
New consumers are to be created and new markets are to be tapped in today’s competitive
era. Communication has become an inevitable cycle since the growth of consumerism. In
today’s business scenario, companies are under constant pressure to attract clientele and to
perform. This has led to a tremendous growth in communication.
From pamphlets, brochures and advertisements in the print and the electronic media, to
workshops, demonstrations, contests and attractive schemes, consumerism has spawned a
whole new way of communication.
(viii) Distance education:
The advent of the Open University system has led to an increase in communication. In many
countries, a large segment of population is receiving distance education. In India, IGNOU
(Indira Gandhi National Open University is an example.)
 UNIT2 – FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
Learning Objectives
1. To make students conversant with various forms of communication.
2. To discuss barriers to effective communication and to suggest some actions to
overcome them.

CONTENTS:
2.1 BASIC FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
2.2 BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
2.3 WAYS TO REMOVE COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

2.1 BASIC FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Types of communication based on the communication channels used are:
1. Verbal Communication
2. Nonverbal Communication
Communication can be divided between verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal
communication is communication using speech that is understood by all parties to the
communication. In other words, it is talking. Verbal communications in business take place
over the phone or in person. The medium of the Message is oral. In verbal communication
remember the acronym KISS (keep it short and simple). Normally while talking to others,
the sender assumes that others understand what he is saying but this is not the case every
time. Usually people bring their own attitude, perception, emotions and thoughts about the
topic and hence creates barrier in delivering the right meaning.
So in order to deliver the right message, you must put yourself on the other side of the table
and think from your receiver’s point of view.

Verbal Communication is further divided into:

A. Oral Communication:
B. Written Communication
A. Oral Communication
In oral communication, Spoken words are used. It includes face-to-face conversations,
speech, telephonic conversation, video, radio, television, voice over internet. In oral
communication, communication is influence by pitch, volume, speed and clarity of
speaking.
 Advantages of Oral communication are:
There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is
interpersonal.
1. It is less rigid. There is flexibility for allowing changes in the decisions previously
taken.
2. It brings quick feedback.
3. Oral communication is not only time saving, but it also saves upon money and efforts.
4. Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts, disputes and
many issues/differences can be put to an end by talking them over.
5. In a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expression and body language one
can guess whether he/she should trust what’s being said or not.
6. Oral communication is an essential for teamwork and group energy.
7. Oral communication promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among
organizational employees.
8. Oral communication can be best used to transfer private and confidential
information/matter.

 Disadvantage of oral communication are:

Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient as business communication
is formal and very organized.
1. Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are informal
and not as organized as written communication.
2. Oral communication is time-saving as far as daily interactions are concerned, but in
case of meetings, long speeches consume lot of time and are unproductive at times.
3. Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady.
4. There may be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack
essentials.
5. It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on part of the receivers/audience.
6. Oral communication (such as speeches) is not frequently used as legal records except
in investigation work.
 B. Written Communication
In written communication, written signs or symbols are used to communicate. A written
message may be printed or hand written. In written communication message can be
transmitted via email, letter, report, memo etc. Message, in written communication, is
influenced by the vocabulary & grammar used, writing style, precision and clarity of the
language used.
Written Communication is most common form of communication being used in
business. So, it is considered core among business skills.
Memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and electronic mail are the
types of written communication used for internal communication. For communicating with
external environment in writing, electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, circulars, reports,
proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news
releases are used.
The following guiding principles should be kept in mind while making use of written
communication:
Simplicity
Use simple sentence structure. Be concise and to the point. Complex sentence structure can
complicate the message and be easily misunderstood.
Avoid Jargon
Do not use jargon or language that only a particular group would understand. Technical
language and jargon should only be used when more simplistic language will not suffice.
Specificity
Provide specific details whenever possible. Avoiding writing in ambiguous or unclear details.
Be Conversational
Written communication is different from academic or scholarly writing and should be more
conversational in nature. As a rule of thumb, write in similar fashion as talk. Read your
message aloud to ensure that your writing sounds conversational.
Avoid Gendered Language
Avoid attaching a masculine or feminine pronoun to your writing. To be on the safe side, do
not use a gendered pronoun unless you are sure of the person's gender you are referencing.
Avoid Passive Language
Choose active verbs instead of passive verbs to add interest to your written communication.
 Be Personable
If you know the person you are writing to, acknowledge this relationship. Instead of using
blanket pronouns such as "you," use the person's name. Depending on the relationship you
have with person, begin and end your writing with an appropriate greeting.
Medium Selection
Choose the medium for written communication that is easily accessible to the sender as well
as understandable to the receiver.
Appropriate Humour
Use humour in moderation, and only when appropriate for the situation. If you are unfamiliar
with your reader, avoid making jokes so as not to offend the reader.
Proof Read
No matter how good at writing you may be, it is critical to proof read your written
communication. Check for spelling or grammatical errors in your writing. Make sure that
what you have written effectively communicates the intended message.

Advantages of written communication includes:

Messages can be edited and revised many time before it is actually sent.
Written communication provides record for every message sent and can be saved for later
study.
A written message enables receiver to fully understand it and send appropriate feedback.
Disadvantages of written communication includes:
Unlike oral communication, written communication doesn’t bring instant feedback.
It takes more time in composing a written message as compared to word-of-mouth and
number of people struggles for writing ability.

2. Nonverbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is a bit more complicated. It is sending a message without using
words to convey meaning. What you say is a vital part of any communication. But what
you don’t say can be even more important. Nonverbal communication is the sending or
receiving of wordless messages. We can say that communication other than oral and written,
such as gesture, eye contact, space, clothing, appearance, body language, posture, tone of
voice or facial expressions, is called nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is
all about the body language of speaker.
 Nonverbal communication helps receiver in interpreting the message received. Often,
nonverbal signals reflect the situation more accurately than verbal messages. Sometimes
nonverbal response contradicts verbal communication and hence affects the effectiveness of
message.

Non-verbal communication can include many different elements. Let's look at some:
 Vocal cues, referred to as paralinguistics, is a form of non-verbal communication that
includes such things as pitch, inflection, tone, volume, speed of the speech, quality,
non-word sounds, pronunciation, enunciation and even silence.
 Body movement and gestures are also part of non-verbal communication. For
example, leaning forward may mean interest, while crossing arms is often viewed as a
defensive posture.
 Eyes are most effective/expressed part of the human face. A person who is lying
usually blinks his eyes many times.
 Facial expressions are a common form of non-verbal communication. Examples of
facial expressions include smiling, crying and grimacing.
 Space can also act as a form of non-verbal communication. Space includes the
concept of territoriality and personal space. Territoriality is about making sure others
know your territory. A fence is an example of territoriality. Personal space, on the
other hand, is a three-dimensional space surrounding you that you don't want people
to cross. If they come too close, you get uncomfortable.
 Touch is often considered as positive and reinforcing, such as patting someone on the
back for a job well done.
 Clothing and artifacts can also send a message, including status, conformity or
rebellion. Artifacts include such things as hairstyles, jewellery, cosmetics, watches,
shoes, tattoos and body piercing.
 Silence is also called a method of communication. Silence may be in the form of
punishment. Silence is not a negative absence of speech but a positive withdrawal of
speech. In face to face situation silence may indicate several things.

Types of Communication Based on Purpose and Style

Based on style and purpose, there are two main categories of communication and they both
bears their own characteristics. Communication types based on style and purpose are:
1. Formal Communication
2. Informal Communication
1. Formal Communication
Companies need to communicate effectively. This is especially true of large companies
where personal interaction may not be practical. This is where formal communication comes
into play.
Formal communication involves making use of the formal communication channels of an
organization. In formal communication, certain rules, conventions and principles are
followed while communicating message. Formal communication occurs in formal and
official style. Usually professional settings, corporate meetings, conferences undergoes in
formal pattern. In formal communication, use of slang and foul language is avoided and
correct pronunciation is required. Authority lines are needed to be followed in formal
communication.
Formal communication can move vertically in an organization i.e. it flows from bottom to
top and vice versa. Information is collected and flows up to the top levels of management for
review and decision making, while orders flow down from the top to the place where it will
be implemented. For example, employees may be given a presentation from the human
resources department on new policies and procedures.
Formal communication can also flow horizontally across the organization. Such
communication generally takes place among different departments or branches or among
subsidiaries. In short, horizontal communication occurs between two parts of the
organization at the same level. For example, the vice-presidents of a company may hold a
quarterly meeting to discuss the upcoming quarter.

2. Informal Communication

Not all communication in the organization is formal. Informal communication is done using
channels that are in contrast with formal communication channels. It is just a casual talk. It is
established for societal affiliations of members in an organization and face-to-face
discussions. It happens among friends and family. In informal communication use of slang
words, foul language is not restricted. Usually, informal communication is done orally and
using gestures.
Informal communication, unlike formal communication, doesn’t follow authority lines.
In an organization, it helps in finding out staff grievances as people express more when
talking informally. Informal communication helps in building relationships.
2.2 BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
If the sender’s message does not reach the receiver as it is meant to, then there must be some

barrier or hindrance. For convenience of analysis, we may classify the barriers into five
types:

I. Mechanical barriers
II. Physical barriers
III. Psychological barriers
IV. Semantic and language barriers
V. Status barriers
i. Mechanical barriers: Faulty mechanism:
At times, mechanical issues create problems in effective communication. For example, if a
letter has been typed in a higher version and has been send to a person whose PC has a lower
version, he won’t be able to decode the message. Similarly, if the mirror image of a letter is
sent by some mechanical fault, it will be hard to decipher.
ii. Physical barriers: noise, space, time:
Loud, continuous, distracting background noise creates problems in communication, whether
in a face-to-face meeting or at either end of the telephone, reduces the audibility of the
spoken word. Also, if the listener is too far from the speaker, he may not be able to hear him,
in which case distance is the barrier. Similarly, the time taken for the message to reach its
destination can become a barrier, e.g. a telegram delivered too late.

iii. Psychological barriers:

These are numerous and require greater effort to overcome:
(a) A person of weak hearing or eyesight cannot always receive the communication in full.
(b) The age of the listener puts its own limitations on his ability to receive messages. One
may be too young or too old to understand certain things.
(c) A person’s educational level governs his understanding. Some background knowledge is
required to understand certain messages.
(d) Generally, boys understand technical issues fast while girls tend to take a major interest in
housework. A boy who is told to do a “girl’s” job may put up a psychological barrier.
(e) A wandering mind cannot fully gather the inputs given to it. Besides, in case of too
lengthy conversation, concentration is likely to get distracted after some time.
(f) If a person has inclination to a particular political ideology or religious belief, he may be
inattentive to the ideas counter to his ideology.
(g) One who is loyal to a certain brand may not be receptive to a rival product’s add. One
may not be receptive to the praises of an organisation other than one’s own, a team other than
one’s countries, and so on.
(h)If someone is in a fit of anger, he /she may not listen to reason.
(i) One’s prejudices act as a hindrance to reason.
(j) Personality limitations, too, put a barrier. These are similar to ideological barriers, as some
personalities are naturally attracted to certain ideologies.
(k) Fixed images about other people stand as barriers to see them in a new role. A comedian
coming in as a hero of a film may not be acceptable to an audience which sees him typed in
comedy roles.
(l) Poor retention power is a barrier. If one fails to take timely notes when instructions are
given, hoping to remember them all, one has perhaps given away a part of the
communication.
iv. Semantic and language barriers:
Some words generate different meanings in different minds, according to their previous
associations and language levels.
Semantic barriers arise when:
(a) The sender’s experience with words differs from the receiver’s.
(b) Words from one environment are taken out and put into an environment where they don’t
fit.
(c) Opinions are given as facts. “XYZ bike is the most reliable.”
(d) Complex phrases and long constructions are used.
(e)Speakers with different accents find it hard to understand each other. Inadequate
vocabulary in a new language is a handicap to communication.
(f) Symbols (non-verbal) create the same problems as languages. The swastik is revered by
Hindus but the reverse swastik was a Nazi symbol.
(g) Poor organisation of one’s speech and a harsh voice may also act as barriers. In writing,
long paragraphs are out of fashion. They are hard to read. Clusters of big words put a
barricade to speed reading.
v. Status barriers:
This again is a kind of psychological barrier where the higher or lower social status of the
other party disables one from expressing one’s meaning to the fullest extent. A modest
farmer, asked to express his problems to a high-ranking official or politician, may feel
nervous or ill at ease.
Cultural barriers are a special case of collective psychological barriers. A culture brings its
own habits, modes of dressing, greeting, eating, food preferences etc. Most people have an
element of xenophobia (fear or aversion of foreigners).
Resistance to the written word exists as a barrier. The written word demands a commitment.
However, People prefer to listen (if possible in their regional language) and act. Letters
remain unreplied while personal visits or telephone calls server the purpose.

2.3 WAYS TO REMOVE COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

A proper understanding of the nature of barriers helps us to arrive at a solution. All the same,
good communicators have to form a new set of general habits and recognize the potential
barriers in order to overcome them:
(i) Good listening:
Deep and comprehensive listening helps to overcome barriers. One has to listen to the words
as well as the tone. Communication may prove to be less effective if the receiver does not pay
proper attention or listens to it half heartedly or else he do not take it seriously.
(ii) Practice in simplifying and clarifying one’s message:
Writers are known to rewrite their text several times to achieve clarity, precision and beauty.
Hence regular writing is advisable. The art of writing, says an expert, is the art of rewriting.
(iii) Obtain feedback, analyze it and respond:
It is a good idea to obtain feedback from the receiver, analyze it repeatedly and respond to it
positively for better communication next time.
(iv) Repetition:
Repetition of a message through multiple channels helps to remove barriers which may exist
at the first appearance of an idea. Thus, one removes the resistance to the new.
(v) Ambience:
Find the receiver in a receptive mood and ambience. If the audience is, for instance, given
more comfortable chairs, it may digest a speech better.
(vi) Actions speak louder than words:
If the communicator’s sincerity is shown through his actions, people go out to listen to him.
(vii) Cross-cultural get-togethers:
A systematic effort to bring together people of different cultures goes to increase receptivity.
Also, respect for their cultural icons makes the message welcome.
(viii) Informality is useful:
If the rank and file in an organisation are in awe of the superior (due to his position,
education, dress, quality of visitors, excellence in speech, etc.) such a manager may step out
of his cabin and go out to the juniors.
UNIT-3 FOCUS ON ENGLISH SKILLS
Learning Objectives
1. To emphasize on importance of vocabulary, grammar and phonetics in business
communication.

CONTENTS:
3.1 VOCABULARY
3.2 GRAMMAR AND PHONETICS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO RETAIL
INDUSTRY

3.1 VOCABULARY
Here are three key reasons why increasing and evolving your vocabulary is well worth the
effort:
1. Vocabulary is the key to communication
For a large majority of learners, the ultimate goal of studying vocabulary is to be able to
communicate in a new language. If a person does not wish to lean completely on non-verbal
skills, mastering vocabulary is not just important, but crucial in a foreign language
environment.
There prevail certain myths about vocabulary. The very first of these myths is that
“Vocabulary is not as important in learning a foreign language as Grammar or other areas”.
This is not true.
There is a reason people tend to travel with a dictionary, not a grammar book. As the British
linguist David A. Wilkins puts it: “without grammar, very little can be conveyed; without
vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”.
2. Strong vocabulary allows a person develop his other communication skills
Vocabulary is fundamental but its other dimensions are equally important. Improving
vocabulary has a direct, positive impact on a person’s capacity to build up his language
proficiency as a whole. A leading linguist researcher Paul Nation notes: “Vocabulary is not
an end in itself. A rich vocabulary makes the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and
writing easier to perform.” When a person’s working memory is not loaded with hesitation
about the correct spelling, pronunciation and contextual use of the words, he can concentrate
fully on higher level aspects of language such as using precise sentence structures and
appropriate expressions for the type of conversation that is going on.
All in all, instead of contrasting vocabulary with the rest of the language skills, it would be
more useful to consider it as solid bedrock upon which the overall language proficiency can
be built up.
3. The more words you know, the more you will learn
Vocabulary is learned through focused, conscious study, but even more commonly in an
indirect manner through listening and reading, using context clues to figure out the meaning.
A person must have a significant vocabulary to be able to learn new words from the context
in which they appear. This obviously constitutes a clear disadvantage for learners with less
vocabulary, but also means that “learners who know more words are able to use those known
words to learn even more”.
In short, whenever a person is trying to improve his vocabulary, he is , in fact, improving his
capacity to learn more. This hard work will pay him off later in the form of more efficient
and effortless vocabulary learning.

3.2 GRAMMAR AND PHONETICS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO RETAIL

INDUSTRY

Phonetics
When we speak we produce certain sounds. Phonetics is the science and systematic study of
these speech sounds. Phonetics studies how these speech sounds are produced, hoe they differ
from one another, and how they combine with one another to form larger units. Every
language uses only a limited numbers of sounds that the human speech organs are capable of
producing. Phonetics is concerned with organization, description and classification of all
human sounds found in all spoken languages in the world. The classification and description
of such sounds are based on the manner of their production by the organs of speeches well as
the manner of reception by the auditory organs, the ears.

The Phoneme
Phoneme is the smallest unit of speech-sound in a language which can distinguish two words
from each other. Phonemes are of two kinds, consonant and vowel. There are 24 consonants
in English and twenty vowels (which comprises 7 short vowels, 5 long vowel and
diphthongs). A phoneme is written between two slashes, as /p/,/e/, /æ/ etc.
The consonants of RP (Received Pronunciation) English
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) Examples Symbols
/p/ plate, project
/b/ blade, basket, brief
/t/ tale, toss, teach
/d/ den, dare, draw
/k/ crisp, kit, quite
/g/ get, gain, grow
/f/ fresh, phone, frame
/v/ vain, variety
/ Ɵ/ thin, thank, thirst
/ ð/ this, then, that
/s/ sip, speak, sorrow
/z/ zoo, zenith, zero
/ʃ/ shine, share, shape
/ Ʒ/ treasure, measure, pleasure
/h/ height, hinder, hollow
/m/ marshal, mistake, monsoon
/l/ lethargic, loud, lustrous
/n/ night, narrow, namesake
/ ŋ/ king, sing, ring
/r/ rise, repeat, rare
/ ȷ/ yes, yield, yoke
/w/ wet, want, wisdom
/ ʤ/ jester join, just
/ ʧ/ chair, chips, church

The Vowels
IPA Examples
Symbols
Short vowel
/i/ sit, bit, script
/e/ ten, men, pen
/ æ/ map, mat
/^/ cup, hut, nut
/ ɒ/ got, not, fought
/ ʊ/ put, wood, good
/ǝ ago, other, father

Long Vowel
/i:/ see, knee
/a/ father, rather
/ᴐ/ core, shore, more
/u:/ too, pool, shoe
/ɜ:/ fir, word, bird Diphthongs
/ei/ say, hay, whey
/ai/ my, try, fly
/ᴐi/ boy, voice, noise
/aʊ/ out, now, scout
/i ə/ near, dear
/eə/ hair, share
/ʊə/ poor, sure, pure
Production of Consonant Sounds
Categorization of consonant sounds in English:
1) Voicing
2) The place of articulation
3) The manner of articulation

1) Voicing: When we breathe out we push some air put of our lungs through the trachea at
the tap of which there is larynx. The larynx consist that we call voice box which in turn
contain two vocal cords. If the vocal cords are held loosely together, there is a vibration as
the air passes through them. This vibration can be felt by putting a finger on the Adam’s
apple then uttering a speech sound like /b/, /d/, /g/. the consonants which cause vibration as
they are spoken are called voiced consonants e.g. /b/, /d/, /g/. The consonants which are
uttered without causing any vibration in the vocal cord are called voiceless consonants e.g./p/,
/t/,/s/.
2) The place of articulation: Consonants are also classified according to the place in mouth
from where they are articulated.
a) Bilabial: When we use both lips to utter a consonant, the consonant is called bilabial e.g.
/p, b, m, w/
b) Labio-dental: When we use lower lip and upper teeth to utter a sound, the consonant is
called labio-dental e.g./v, f/
c) Dental: Consonants which are spoken by using the tip of the tongue and the upper teeth are
called dental e.g./ ð, θ/
d) Alveolar: Consonants spoken by using tip or by blade of the tongue and alveolar ridge e.g.
/t, d, s, z, n, l/
e) Post alveolar: Post alveolar sounds are spoken by raising the tongue and tapping with it the
region between the hard palate and the alveolar ridge e.g./ ʧ, ʃ, Ʒ/.
f) Palatal: A phoneme that is uttered with the help of the tongue and the palate is called
palatal e.g./j/
g) Velar: Sounds which are uttered by using the back of the tongue and the velum (soft
palate) e.g./k, g, ŋ/
h) Glottal: When the two vocal cords move closer leading to a narrowing of the air passage in
the throat e.g./h/

3) The manner of articulation: It shows the manner the way we utter speech sound.
1) Plosives: Consonants which are uttered by causing a total closure of the articulators at
some point or place in the vocal tract are called plosives e.g. /p, b, d, k/. a) Bilabial plosives-
/p, b/ b) Alveolar plosives-/t, d/ c) Velar plosive-/k, g/
2) Affricates: /ʧ, ʤ / are called affricates because during their articulation there is a complete
closure of the air in the oral passage and then the realizing of the air with friction.
3) Fricatives: Fricatives are those English consonants during the articulation which the air
passage is so narrowed that the air is released with an audible friction. These are /f, v, s, z, h,
ð, θ, ʃ, Ʒ/.
4) The nasals: Consonants /m, n, ŋ/ are called nasals because when we utter then the oral
passage is blocked by the tongue and lets the air passes through the nasal cavity.
5) Lateral consonants: The consonant/l/ is called lateral consonant because during its
articulation our tongue touches the alveolar ridge, thereby blocking the central passage of the
oral cavity.
6) The approximants: The consonants /j/ and /w/ are called approximants because when we
articulate them our tongue and lips approach a passive articulator but do not actually touch
them.

Production of vowel
The British Pronunciation has twenty vowels. Twelve of them are monopthongs and eight are
diphthongs.
1) Monopthongs: it is a pure vowel because it consist of one vowel e.g. /I, u:/
2) Diphthongs: it consist of two vowels but treated as one e.g./ai/, /a/

Word accent and word stress Stress is the additional and the strongest force given to a
syllable while pronouncing a word e.g. When we utter the word distance we put so much
emphasis on the first syllable that if we have to represent graphically, we may write it as
Distance similarly when we say about, we make it sound as About. The reason is that in
distance the first syllable dis is more prominent than the second. But in about the second
syllable bout is more prominent than the first.
1) Primary stress: primary is stronger than the secondary. Primary stress is marked with a
small vertical bar at the top and just before the beginning of the stressed syllable.
2) Secondary syllable: it is marked with a similar bar at the bottom and just before the
beginning of the syllable which receives secondary stress.  Primary stress: a’ bout, a’bove,
pho’tography  Secondary stress: advantageous, democratic

Intonation
Intonation is the melody of the speech which is created by the variation in the pitch of our
voice. We never speak at the same pitch throughout our speech. When we speak a sentence,
our voice undergoes frequent fluctuations from low to high and from high to low. In case of
longer sentences we take a pause at an appropriate place in the sentence for the very simple
reason.
that we may otherwise run out of breath. All these factors account for variation in the pitch of
our voice. These patterns of variations in the pitch of our voice are called tones e.g. yes
1) ‘yes – when we say yes using a falling tone this is the normal way to express our
affirmative answer e.g.
Question-did you answer the question?
 Answer- ‘yes.
2) ‘yes- but when we use raising tone yes implies a question.
A- Excuse me sir?
B- Yes. (What do you want to say?) The Falling tone( ՝ )-The falling tone also called
the glide down. When we use this tone we begin with a higher level of the pitch and
then gradually came down to a lower level.
e.g. 1) Who is she ՝talking to?
2) Why are you late to ՝day? The raising tone ( ̗ )- It is the opposite of the falling tone.
When we use this tone we begin at a lower level of pitch and then go on to a higher
level.
e.g. 1) I am so̗ sorry for this.
2) Will you take some more ̗ tea
UNIT-4 COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Learning Objectives
1. To make students aware about presentation skills, meetings and interviews.

CONTENTS:
4.1 COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES BY RETAILERS
4.2 PRESENTATIONS
4.3 SPEECHES
4.4 MEETINGS
4.5 INTERVIEW

4.1 COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES BY RETAILERS

Retailers' communication strategies evolve as consumer media changes. Traditionally,
retailers run advertisements and promotions to attract customers to the store. The growth of
social media and mobile communications is opening up new channels to interact with
customers and make timely offers when they are close to your store.
1. Awareness: The most important communications strategy is to make potential
customers aware of the retail store and the products offered therein. By advertising in
local newspapers and printed directories, like the telephone book, the retailer can
make it easy for customers to locate his store. The online version of a traditional
directory, as well as online consumer review sites and city-based business guides,
provides local information for consumers who prefer to search online. Setting up of
website with details of the location, opening times and product range to communicate
with Internet users may help increase consumers’ awareness.
2. Relationships: One of the strategies to improve customer base and to increase repeat
sales, loyalty programs are conducted. Major retail groups operate programs that
utilize loyalty cards. Customers swipe their cards at the checkout and earn reward
points to use against future purchases. The cards also enable retailers to capture data
on individual customer's purchasing preferences and make personalized offers on
products that the customer buys regularly, encouraging their repeat business. At times,
customers are offered vouchers or discounts to inculcate the practice of loyalty in
them.
 3. Mobile: With increasing numbers of consumers using mobile phones to get
information on stores, products and local deals, retailers can develop mobile
merchandising strategy to communicate with consumers in their area. By participating
in a service such as Foursquare, you can attract and reward customers by offering
mobile coupons, prizes or discounts when they check in at your store using a mobile
phone to register their identity. According to the Foursquare website, an offer like a 5
percent discount on their next purchase will encourage Foursquare members to shop
with him again in future. Discount programs, including Groupon and LivingSocial,
also have mobile applications to attract on-the-go customers into their business with a
special offer.
4. Social: A social media communication strategy can help retailers increase dialogue
with their customers and get valuable feedback on their products and standards of
customer service. He can set up a forum or comments page on his website where
customers can share their views. He can also use techniques such as blogs to provide
customers with news about his store and its products. "PR Week USA" described how
a major entertainment retailer provides customers with a special newsroom where
they can find news about entertainment, events at the store or recommendations on
entertainment products.
5. Employees: A retailer should never forget to include employees in his
communications strategy. By keeping them informed on developments in the store,
special customer offers and other product news, he can be confident that they are
communicating the right messages to his customers. According to Chetochine
Consulting Group an electronic newsletter keeps employees up to date, while an
employee forum on your website encourages employees to share views and tips on
improving customer service.

4.2 PRESENTATIONS
Tips to Improve Presentation Skills
Here are some tips to improve your presentation skills.
1. Practice: A presenter has to rehearse his presentation multiple times. While it can be
difficult for those with packed schedules to spare time to practice, it is essential if the
presenter wants to present a rousing presentation. In order to sound great, it is necessary to
write out the speech rather than taking chances winging it. A script may serve as a friend
in case if a presenter gets nervous or forgets his speech. Try to practice at the place where
presentation has to be made. Some acting strategists suggest rehearsing lines in various
positions – standing up, sitting down, with arms open wide, on one leg, while sitting on the
toilet, etc.
2. Transform Nervous Energy Into Enthusiasm.
Studies have shown that an enthusiastic speech can win out over an eloquent one, and it is
always advisable for a presenter to be as enthusiastic and energetic as possible before
going on stage. This can be done by listening to some soft music and having energy drink.
Of course, individuals respond differently to different energy drinks. The presenter should
take care to see that he understands his body and accordingly feeds it with the suitable
energy drink.
3. Attend Other Presentations.
Never miss to attend some of the earlier talks by other presenters to scope out their
presentation skills and get some context. This shows respect for fellow presenters while
also giving the presenters a chance to feel out the audience. It is necessary to study the
mood of the crowd. Besides, it is also important to know nature of audience i.e. whether it
is more strategic or tactical.
4. Arrive Early.
It is always best for the presenter to allow himself plenty of time to settle in before he
talks. Besides, extra time ensures that the presenter is not late. It also gives him plenty of
time to get adapted to his presentation space.
5. Adjust to Your Surroundings.
The presenter must try to adjust to his environment so that he may feel comfortable during
presentation. It is advisable for him to spend some time in the room where he will be
delivering his presentation. If possible, he should practice with the microphone and
lighting and make sure that he understands the seating. He should be aware of any
distractions potentially posed by the venue (e.g., a noisy road outside).
6. Meet and Greet.
It is a good practice to chat with people before presentation. Talking with audiences makes
the presenter more likeable and approachable. If possible, ask event attendees questions
and take in their responses. They may even give the presenter some inspiration to weave
into his talk.
7. Use Positive Visualization.
Plenty of studies have proven the effectiveness of positive visualization. When we imagine
a positive outcome to a scenario in our mind, it is more likely to play out the way we
envision.
8. Remember That Most Audiences Are Sympathetic.
One of the hardest fears to shake when speaking in public is that the audience is secretly
waiting to laugh at the presenter’s missteps or mistakes. Fortunately, this isn’t the case in
the vast majority of presentations. In fact, many people have a fear of public speaking, so
even if the audience seems indifferent, the chances are pretty good that most people
listening to presentation can relate to how nerve-racking it can be. If the presenter starts to
feel nervous, it is quite possible that the audience gets it, and actually wants to see him nail
it.
9. Take Deep Breaths.
It is always advisable for the presenter to take deep breaths and to loosen his muscles. He
must try to get more oxygen to his brain and relax his body.
10. Exercise.
Exercise earlier in the day prior to presentation to boost endorphins, which will help
alleviate anxiety.
11. Smile.
Smiling increases endorphins, replacing anxiety with calm and making the presenter feel
good about his presentation. Smiling also exhibits confidence and enthusiasm to the
crowd. And this tip works even if the presenter is doing a webinar and people can't see
him.
12. Work on Pauses.
Whenever a person gets nervous, it is easy to speed up his presentation and end up talking
too fast, which in turn causes him to run out of breath and get him more nervous. Under
such a situation it is advisable to slow down and use pauses in the speech. Pausing can be
used to emphasize certain points. If the presenter feels himself losing control of his
pacing, he should simply take a nice pause and keep cool.
13. Do not Try to Cover Too Much Material.
Presentations should be full of useful, insightful, and actionable information, but that
doesn’t mean that the presenter should try to condense a vast and complex topic into a 10 -
minute presentation. Knowing what to include, and what to leave out, is crucial to the
success of a good presentation.
14. Actively Engage the Audience.
People love to talk and make their opinions heard, but the nature of presentations can often
seem like a one-sided proposition. It doesn’t have to be, though.
Asking the audience what they think, inviting questions, and other means of welcoming
audience participation can boost engagement and make attendees feel like a part of a
conversation. It also makes the presenter, seem much more relatable. Consider starting
with a poll or survey. Don’t be put off by unexpected questions – instead, see them as an
opportunity to give audience what they want.
15. Be Entertaining.
Even if the presentation is packed with useful information, it can be made interesting as
well as entertaining. Including some jokes and light-hearted slides is a great way to help
the audience feel more comfortable, especially when presenting them with a great deal of
information. However, it is important to maintain a balance. Do not be afraid to inject a
little humour into the presentation. If the presenter is not sure about the humour content in
his presentation it is better to take opinion and feedback of friends in this matter.
16. Admit You Do not Have All the Answers.
Very few presenters are willing to publicly concede that they do not actually know
everything because they feel it undermines their authority. However, since we all know
that nobody can ever know everything about a given topic, admitting so in a presentation
can actually improve the presenter’s credibility.
19. Join Toastmasters.
Toastmaster clubs are groups across the country (and the world) dedicated to helping
members improve their presentation skills. Groups get together during lunch or after work
to take turns delivering short talks on a chosen topic. They help in improving presentation
skills.
20. Do not Fight the Fear.
The presenter should accept his fear rather than trying to fight it. Getting himself worked
up by wondering if people will notice his nervousness will only intensify his anxiety.

Body Language
The audience gets as much information from our body language as from our verbal means.
We keep on making body pictures of what we feel or think at the time of speaking. When our
visuals match our verbal’s we make an authentic presentation of what we speak. Body
language is highly individualized. Some of the significant means of body language are as
follows:
Elements of Body Language:
 Smile
 Looking at the audience or making an eye-contact
 Hand Movements
 Standing posture
 No distracting gestures or mannerism
Smile: The smile is a very powerful gesture. If it is used appropriately it may hide the inner
nervousness and make the audience respond with a smile. When we smile we relax our vocal
cords which in fact, make our voice more interesting. However, not only smiling but other
facial expressions showing anger, interest, happiness, disgust, contempt, surprise, fear and
love can be effective in communicating information. It is very difficult for many to
communicate false information through contrary facial expressions. Positive expressions like
interest, happiness, surprise etc. communicated by facial expressions make a speaker
effective. One should not seem taut and uncertain in his or her looks.
Looking at the Audience or Making an Eye-Contact: The effective speaker looks straight
into the eyes of the members of the audience to find out the reactions of the listeners. It also
shows the speaker’s confidence in himself or herself and his or her interest in the listeners. In
an oral presentation an effective speaker keeps on changing his or her eye-contact with the
members of the audience, becomes alert while listening to the presentation. Drooping head
and a slouched and fidgety stance hint at sloppiness. The quizzical gaze and the lifting of
eyebrows also influence the audience. Furtive glances show nervousness. 98 \
Communication Skills
Hand Movements : The hand movements indicate both psychological states of one’s being
highly emotional and animated or relaxed and carefree. An efficient speaker give an
indication about his or her relaxed state or animated state depending upon the subject matter
of the speech in an oral presentation. The free use of gestures through hands reflects a
positive attitude towards the listeners. The efficient speaker shows his or her neutral thinking
or evaluation by stroking or rubbing of the chin or forehead. Sagging hands display
nervousness effecting low credibility.
Standing Posture: The comfortable posture for standing is to stand erect with the hands out
of pockets and the feet slightly apart. One should not stand behind a desk or a lectern as it is
undesirable for the listeners. An upright posture, with shoulders back, chest out and stomach
in generates a confident posture. An efficient speaker, sometimes, for attracting the gaze of
his or her audience makes a deliberate stumble.
No Distracting Gestures or Mannerism: An effective speaker does not stand rigid. He or
she does not stand akimbo or jangle keys and coins or even wave hands and arms unusually.
Any oft repeated gesture makes the audience lose concentration. One should stand and talk
naturally being always positive enough to accept honest criticism. However, if the speaker
moves about within a radius of a yard, it shows confidence.
Discussion and Audience Participation: The ending of an effective speech or an oral
presentation depends upon how well the audience has participated in it. For audience
participation there should be separate question answer sessions duly planned. The large
audience may be divided into groups and separate sessions may be arranged at the end of the
talk. However, all this should be done keeping in mind the time constraints. The speaker
invites questions from the audience. The questions should be expected after the audience is
given some time to think. The speaker, after getting the question, should first repeat it and
then answer it as concisely as possible. If the answer is not known to the speaker, he or she
should not make agues but invite if any member of the audience wants to offer the answer.
The speaker should give chance to all groups to ask questions for clarification. The efficient
speaker usually remains prepared with answers to the anticipated questions on his or her talk.

4.3 SPEECHES
Characteristics or Qualities of a Good Speech
Speech is one of the major medium of oral communication. We find different speeches in
different situations but good speeches are not always found. A good speech is really
enjoyable and informative. But it is very tough to deliver a speech that can enthral the
audience. A good speech has following characteristics or qualities-
 Dynamic: Dynamism is an important quality of a good speech. There must be variation
in style, tone, voice, approach depending on the situation and timing otherwise audience
will lose their attention. Monotonous presentations turn out to be boring.
 Informal Talk: Speech should be like an informal talk. A good speech is closer to a
personal and informal chat between two intimate friends. During the speech there
should be a perfect rapport between you and your audience.
 Clear: Clarity is the first major characteristic of a good speech. A speech must be
successful in conveying the (message) ideas or emotions, facts or arguments to the
 audience that the speaker wants to express. If the audience does not instantly grasp your
point, you have failed as a speaker.
 Vivid and Concrete: A good speech is vivid and concrete in nature. It Includes facts in
a concrete and comprehensive way. No irrelevant or in comprehensive mater should be
included in a speech.
 Brevity: Brevity is an important characteristic of a good speech. Speech should be
shorter and concrete but comprehensive. The concentration of average audience does
not last more than fifteen to twenty minutes. So, it is better to wrap up your speech
within five to twenty minutes.
 Interesting: A good speech is always interesting. Quotations, anecdotes and humours
make a speech vivid and interesting. An interesting speech always wins the attention of
the audience.
 Audience Oriented: A good speech is always audience oriented. The speaker must
deliver the speech in such a way as desired by the audience. The speaker should
consider the age, education, social and economic condition, number etc. of audience to
prepare his speech accordingly.
 Free From Error: A good speech is always free from error. Error in speech can make
the audience confused. It may have an adverse effect on the impression of the speaker.
 Authentic: The facts and figure presented in a speech must be authentic and true. False
statement or information misleads the audience and hamper the acceptability of speech.
 Well Organized: A good speech should always well organized and well arranged. The
parts or points of a speech should be organized in logical sequence to attract and retain
attention of the audience.
Besides, a good speech may be supported by technical aids like visual presentation. Timely
presentation and result oriented speeches are preconditions for a good speech. A speaker
should keep in mind these points before presenting something on the dais.

4.4 MEETINGS
A meeting is a group communication in action around a defined agenda, at a set time, for an
established duration. Meetings can be effective, ineffective, or a complete waste of time. If
time is important for the organization and effectiveness and efficiency are its goals, then
whenever a meeting is arranged, organization wants it to be of worth.
Meetings can occur face-to-face, but increasingly business and industry are turning to
teleconferencing and videoconferencing options as the technology improves. This reduces
cost to participate. Besides, the costs of travel as well as time required are also considered
important elements of business meetings. The purpose of the meeting with an agenda has to
be intimated to the organizers well in advance.

Types of Meeting:
Meetings are broadly of three types:
(i) Informative Meeting: Such meetings are held to give information to the participants
about a new scheme, product, etc.
(ii) Consultative Meeting: Members are consulted to solve a problem in such meetings.
(iii) Executive Meeting: Such meetings are meant for executive in which they are supposed
to take important strategic decisions.
In practice, most of the meetings are multipurpose. Some additional classifications of
meetings are – meeting for negotiation purpose, meeting for giving instructions, etc.

Purpose of a meeting:
The purposes of holding meetings have been listed in brief as under:
 To reach a common decision/agreement
 To solve a problem
 To understand a situation, exchange ideas and experiences
 To inform, explain, present ideas

Strategies for Effective Meetings

Group communication by way of meeting can be chaotic and unpredictable. Hence to keep
meetings efficient and effective it is necessary to stay on track for which following strategies
should be considered:
 Send out the last meeting’s minutes one week before or at least few days before the next
meeting.
 Send out the agenda for the current meeting at least one week in advance.
 Send out reminders for the meeting the day before and on the day of the meeting.
 Schedule the meeting in Outlook or a similar program so everyone receives a reminder.
 Start and end your meetings on time.
 Make sure the participants know their role and requirements prior to the meeting.
 Make sure all participants know one another before discussion starts.
 Formal communication styles and reference to the agenda can help reinforce the time
frame and tasks.
 Follow Robert’s Rules of Order when applicable, or at least be familiar with them.
 Make sure notes taken at the meeting are legible and can be converted to minutes for
distribution later.
 Keep the discussion on track, and if you are the chair, or leader of a meeting, do not
hesitate to restate a point to interject and redirect the attention back to the next agenda
point.
 If you are the chair, draw a clear distinction between on-topic discussions and those that
are more personal, individual, or off topic.
 Communicate your respect and appreciation for everyone’s time and effort.
 Clearly communicate the time, date, and location or means of contact for the next
meeting.
Advantages of Meetings:
(i) Save time:
Since one can meet a number of people at a time interactively, a meeting can save
time.
(ii) Addressing groups:
One can divide the audiences according to their background and need, and address
them group by group.
(iii) Cope with information explosion:
New technology and new regulations are coming thick and fast. Meetings enable us to
get conversant with the changing taking rapidly.
(iv) Social and emotional support:
Social interaction among members becomes possible. Members get personal support
from each other when they meet and exchange ideas.
(v) Feeling of being consulted:
Members get the feeling that they have been consulted and this is useful in getting
their intelligent and willing cooperation.
(vi) Democratic functioning:
Democracy aims at achieving all people’s welfare by all people’s involvement. This is
possible through meetings.
(vii) Idea development:
Ideas are systematically cross-fertilized, analyzed and improved by a group.
(viii) Defusing troublemakers:
By the collaborating constructive forces and isolating troublemakers , meetings can be
taken into positive direction.
(ix) Bolder decisions:
Collectively it is possible to take more adventurous decisions because of united
strength.
(x) Various interest groups represented:
In a meeting many interest groups can be represented and minorities can also be given
due attention.
(xi) Preventing mistakes:
A meeting helps in avoiding mistakes by a collective and many-angled focus on
issues.
Disadvantages
If necessary precautions are not taken, meetings can be a total waste of time and
money. The following are its probable disadvantages:
1. Time-consuming:
Meetings require a number of people to come together at the same time and place.
Care has to be taken to see that the time schedules are strictly maintained. This costs
time because other work has to be set aside for the sake of the meeting.
2. Inability to arrive at a decision:
it is generally said for meetings that “too many cooks spoil the soup.” Multiplicity of
views and personal stubbornness of members may prevent a meeting from taking a
decision which a chief executive may take alone.
3. Lack of seriousness:
Many meetings suffer from the drawback that members come unprepared and feel that
the others will take the task of thinking and talking. They feel they can take a free
ride. In short, everybody’s job turns out to be nobody’s job.
4. Inexpert chairing:
Just as an airplane is steered by a pilot, a meeting is piloted by the chairperson. His
lack of skill and personal failings/biases may fail a meeting.
5. Expensive:
Meetings are expensive to arrange – they require a place, paperwork, prior
communication, and travelling by the attendees.
6. Open to disruption:
 A meeting is prone to being disrupted by an element that is opposed to its objective.
There are times when one passenger’s refusal to adjust himself delays the entire flight.
The same is applicable for meetings as well. The spirit of give-and-take may be
missing in some participants.

4.5 INTERVIEW
Different scholars have defined ‘interview’ differently. According to Scott and others, “an
interview is a purposeful exchange of ideas, the answering of questions and communication
between two or more persons”. Bingham and others define an interview as a ‘conversation
with a purpose”.
Thus, interview can be defined as an attempt to secure maximum amount of information from
the candidate concerning his/her suitability for the job under consideration.
Objectives of Interview:
Interview is probably the most widely used selection tool mainly in Indian industries. When
used in personnel selection interview serves following objectives:
1. To verify whether the information gathered from application- blank and tests.
Interview provides a chance to know whether the information (about previous
experience and training, etc.) supplied by the candidate is justified by him or not.
2. To provide necessary information to the applicant about the company and the job.
Applicant is given full information about the nature of job, hours of work, medical
facilities, and opportunities for advancement, employee benefits and services, etc.
Thus, the applicant can make a decision of joining or not joining the new job.
3. To give an opportunity to the applicant to create and enhance goodwill of the
company. The interviewee should be treated with curtsy. If not selected, then reasons
for the same are explained offering constructive suggestions.
4. To establish a rapport or a feeling of mutual understanding and confidence between
the personnel department and the applicant who is to be employed.

Limitations of Interview:
Though interviews are widely used for selecting employees, they suffer from certain serious
limitations. They are discussed below:
i. Personal Bias: Sex, race and attitudes similar to those of the interviewer may lead
to favourable evaluations.
 ii. Halo Effect: Under this type of error, a single prominent characteristic of the
candidate affects the judgement of the interviewer on all other traits.
iii. Defective Marking System: Many times the tendency of the interviewer for
leniency or stereotyping affects the reliability of the marking system, thus limiting
the effectiveness of interview.
iv. Incomplete process: Interview should be used as a supplementary tool for
selecting a candidate because it is not the sole method for selecting suitable
candidates in the organisation. Other methods like written tests, investigation of
past records etc are equally important.
v. No record: The proceedings of the interview should be recorded immediately
after the interviews are conducted. In absence of adequate records, the confusion
among the candidates being selected and those rejected may occur especially
when the candidates have similar names or initials or points, or in case when the
decision is postponed for future.
vi. Lack of attention: Much attention is required for a good interview. But
sometimes it is observed that both the interviewer and the interviewee are less
attentive. This may limit the reliability of the interview.
vii. Nervousness: Sometimes interviewee may get nervous while facing the interview.
This may generally happen when the candidate is inexperienced, or when he is
asked questions abruptly, or when he is asked questions which are not relevant to
his job. This may sometimes lead to loss of a suitable candidate.
viii. Time consuming: Time constrain is one of the major limitations of the interview
process. Preparation for the interview, conducting interviews and interpreting
responses of the candidates require much time, which makes the interview method
time consuming.
ix. Costly: Generally interview method is expensive.
x. Inefficiency of the interviewer: Interview is a systematic process of data
collection. The success of an interview depends on the efficiency of the
interviewer. This inefficiency of an interviewer can lead to misleading results.

Research studies have firmly established that, among all selection methods, interview has
been the most researched and carefully documented method.
However, interview suffers from some limitations also.
1. Interviewers may not have a clearly defined technique developed. This results in lack of
validity in evaluation of the candidate.
2. There is always variation in offering scoring points to the candidate by the interviewers.
3. Interview can help judge the personality of the candidate but not his ability for the job.
4. A single characteristic of the candidate found out on the basis of interview, may affect the
judgment of the interviewer on other qualities of the applicant. This is called ‘halo effect’.
5. The biases of interviewers may cloud the objectivity of interview.
6. Finally, interview is a time consuming and expensive device of selection.
The above listed limitations or defects in interview underline the need for observing certain
guidelines to make interviews more effective.

Guidelines for Effective Interviewing:

Below are given some guidelines, if observed, can make interview more effective:
1. The interview should have a definite time schedule known to both the interviewers
and the interviewee.
2. Interview should be conducted by the competent, trained and experienced
interviewers.
3. The interviewers should be supplied with specific set of guidelines for conducting
interview.
4. Before the interview, make a list of questions to be asked.
5. As far as possible start conversation with closed questions like- “how many years of
work experience you have?” or “How many years of schooling have you had?”
6. Closed questions are essential for gathering background information but these
questions often yield single phrase answers and can shut down further talk.
7. Open questions, by contrast, help elicit your informant's perspective and allow for
more conversational exchange. Because there is no single answer to open-ended
questions, the interviewer will need to listen, respond, and follow the informant's lead.
8. The interviewers should ensure an element of privacy for the interviewee.
9. A resume for all the candidates to be interviewed should be prepared and the same be
made available to the interviewers before the interview starts.
10. The interview should not end abruptly but it should come to close tactfully providing
satisfaction to the interviewee.
11. The interviewers should show their sensitivity to the interviewee s sentiments and also
sympathetic attitude to him/her.
12. The interviewers should also evince emotional maturity and a stable personality
during the interview session.

Some major findings from research studies on the interview seem worth mentioning:
1. Structured interview are more reliable than unstructured interviews.
2. Interviewers are influenced more by unfavorable than by favorable information.
3. Inter-rater reliability is increased when there is a greater amount of information about the
job to be filled.
4. A bias IS established early in the interview, and this tends to be followed by either a
favorable or an unfavorable decision.
5. Intelligence is the trait most validly estimated by an interview, but the interview
information adds nothing to test data.
6. Interviewers can explain why they feel an applicant is likely to be an unsatisfactory
employee but not why the applicant may be satisfactory.
7. Factual written data seem to be more important than physical appearance in determining
judgments. This increases with interviewing experience.
8. An interviewee is given more extreme evaluation (positive/negative) when preceded by an
interviewee of opposing value (positive/negative).
9. Interpersonal skills and motivation are probably best evaluated by the interview.
10. Allowing the applicant time to talk makes rapid first impressions less likely and provides
a large behavior sample.
11. Nonverbal as well as verbal interactions influence decisions.
12. Experienced interviewers generally rank applicants in the same order. There is a tendency
for experienced interviewers to be more selective than less experienced ones.
UNIT-5 WRITTEN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Learning Objectives
1. To make students conversant with the concept of business letters, advertisement and
public relations.
2. To discuss the qualities of an effective communicator.

CONTENTS:
5.1 BUSINESS LETTERS
5.2 PUBLIC RELATIONS
5.3 ADVERTISEMENT
5.4 QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR

5.1 BUSINESS LETTERS

Importance of Letters in Communication
Though letter witting is a traditional method of communication, it is still often used in the
business world. While some consider letter writing a lost art, it remains an important medium
of doing business all over the world. Small businesses need to take advantage of this means
of communication when creating promotions, addressing concerns, announcing positions and
seeking aid. Even large business organizations cannot discard its importance altogether.

Business letters are a formal means of communication. They have a set format followed by
writers and recognized by readers. They include the date and address of both the sender and
recipient. They provide a professional record of correspondence that can be kept indefinitely.
Business letters are generally printed on company stationery and are hand-signed by the
author. They are most often sent through a postal service, though they can be hand-delivered.
Purposes
There are many reasons for creating and sending business letters. Companies develop sales
letters in order to correspond pertaining to various sales activities or they develop business
letters for inviting various parties for different formal functions ,or sending invitations for
business meetings and so on. Other reasons for this type of correspondence include letters of
introduction, requests for approval and funding, appreciation for services and appeals for
credit. There are also business letters that provide a formal means of rejecting job applicants
or proposals. Business letters are typically used when informal methods such as electronic
mail or phone calls are too casual for the situation.
Effects
The effects of business letters vary with the purpose of sending them. For instance, many
letters are written to persuade someone to do something, such as a sales pitch advertising a
new product or service that a small business has to offer. Letters also can call people to
action. For instance, a company leader might draft a piece of correspondence meant to inspire
her employees to meet a particular business goal for the year. Other letters are meant to
instruct by explaining a particular process.

Personal Medium
Though the writings of a business letter are formal, it has a personal touch to it. These pieces
are generally addressed to a specific person to provide information or make an appeal. The
writer speaks directly to his audience in a thoughtful and organized manner. The tone is
respectful and often inviting and encouraging. Sensitive matters can be dealt with in a private
business letter that allows for tact and empathy. This personal way of communicating allows
for the reader to think before responding, unlike a phone call or face-to-face meeting.
The advantages of business letter are given below:
1. Exchange business related information: Letter is the best media of exchanging ideas,
thought or information. Businessmen can easily exchange information related to
business activity.
2. Convey information: The basic purpose of any business letter is to convey information
regarding business activities. Information can be transmitted through business letter to
various stakeholders like customers, suppliers, debtors, government authorities,
financial institutions, bank and insurance companies and to any other parties related
with the business.
3. Find the new sources of product: A b letter can help to find the sources of a new
product in home as well as abroad.
4. Expand markets: Effective business letters helps a producer to create market of his
product easily. Through goodwill messages and through circular letters existing market
can be expanded.
5. Establish business relationship: Another important purpose of business letter is, it
helps to establish mutual relationship with the customers, suppliers and other
stakeholders.
6. Low cost: This is considered to be the most economical medium of communication.
The cost involved in drafting letter heads, drafting letters, printing business letters and
despatching are much economical as compared to other means of communication. The
other forms of communication are too expensive for a small firm to bear.
7. Building goodwill and image: An excellent business letter increases the good will of
the business organization. In today’s electronic era messages can be sent within few
seconds through electronic media but a well decorated business letter has its own
importance in creation positive image of the company.
8. Maintaining records and references: Business letters are also used to maintain
documentary evidence. A business letter acts as a proof document which is completely
absent in other means of communication. Letters can be preserved for future reference.
9. Maintaining the secrecy: A business letter helps in maintaining the secrecy of both the
buyers and the sellers on business affairs. There is no fear of password hacking and so
on.
10. Save time: A business letter saves the valuable time of both seller or sender and buyer
or receiver.
11. Easiest: Business letter is the easiest, sagest and the most convenient means to transmit
at any place.
12. Credit business: It is impossible to create business creditability without business letter.
A business letter plays a vital role in credit trade which is a common practice in
business world.
13. Creation of demand: Business letters, especially circular letters are used to create
demand for new products. Circular letters can communicate many people in the same
time.
14. Placing order: It is a common practice to use business letter for placing business
orders. Both trading and manufacturing firms need to place orders for finished goods or
raw-materials to run the business.
15. Conclude transaction: This is one of the specific purposes of business letter. To
conclude business transactions business letters are frequently used.
16. Other Benefits: Preventing misinterpretation, reducing the probability of distortion,
preventing tendency of non-acceptance, giving instruction, decision making, overcome
misunderstanding etc are some other benefits of business letters.
Disadvantages of business letter
Business letters are not free from limitations. The important ones have been discussed below:
1. Formal structure: The structure, language and drafting of the letter should be formal
and systematic. Failure to do can have adverse impact on the reputation of the firm.
2. Old media: Business letter is an old written means of communication. Some
organizations consider it as an obsolete business practice in comparison to many
modern forms of written communication.
3. Complex language: Sometimes business letter is written in a complex language. It
lacks clarity, meaning and simplicity. This may have negative impact on business.
4. Time Consuming: Modern electronic means of communication are too fast. Business
letters are considered to be too slow. In today’s dynamic times, organizations cannot
effort to waste time in drafting, sending and waiting for business letters.
5. Secrecy: Sometimes business letter fails to maintain business secrecy.
6. Costly: In comparison to other form of communication business letter are considered to
be costly.
7. No immediate response: There is no immediate feedback in business letter.
8. Others Issues: Many times, business letters suffer from the problems of red-tap-ism,
lack of flexibility etc.

5.2 PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public relations (PR), a very versatile communications tool and is today used by almost every
type of organisation whether it be a charity, a political party or a commercial firm.
It is concerned with strategic management of information to ensure that the firm achieves
specific communications goals.
Often Public Relations is used to mitigate or reduce the effects of unfavourable publicity. It
can be used both within and outside the organisation, although many feel that it is an external
marketing tool, with the firm trying to communicate with a range of external publics in order
to create a positive impression in the minds of people.
It is an important and very flexible marketing communications element and it should be
recognised with its tremendous worth as an internal marketing communications tool.
Effective internal marketing, i.e,. creating the correct spirit within firms and persuading all
staff to pull in the same direction in terms of marketing effort, is a vital prerequisite to
successful external marketing.
It plays crucial role in framing marketing policies based on the concepts of long-term
relationship marketing. Public Relations has a key role in helping to bring about an effective
internal marketing culture within the firm. In this sense there has been a realisation over more
recent years of its importance as a strategic internal communication tool as well as an
external tool.
PR has an important role in the management of adverse publicity resulting from undesirable
events or crisis management scenarios. Where a crisis has occurred, especially where people
have been injured or lost their lives, it is often a case of damage limitation, putting a fair and
balanced account of events forward to the general public and minimising the adverse effects
of the crisis to the organisation involved or responsible.
The major characteristics of PR are:
i. High credibility.
News stories and features are more authentic and credible to readers than advertisements.
ii. Dramatisation:
Public relations have the potential for dramatizing a company or a product.
iii. Ability to catch specific buyers:
Public relations can reach to those prospects who prefer to avoid salespeople or do not notice
advertisements carefully.
A PR strategy hence has to be based upon decisions in flowing three areas:
i. The extent and frequency of the communications with that public
ii. The degree of importance attached to the communications in terms of their ability to harm
or help the organisation
iii. The effectiveness of these communications in achieving objectives
Three main types of public referred to in the concept of PR are:
i. Internal publics:
They include all those who belong to the company, for example employees.
ii. External publics:
These include those who already buy an organisation’s products (e.g. current customers),
those who might buy in future (e.g. prospects), and those who could change the legal
framework within which the organisation currently operates (e.g. legislators).
iii. Intermediary publics:
They are those people who are responsible for presenting and interpreting information to
external publics. They include those who work in the media (e.g., journalists) and in other
information processing roles in society (e.g. teachers). Such people will be resentful at an
attempt to manipulate them. Hence, relationships with intermediary publics need to be
developed over the long-term, and with integrity, if they are to be successful.
The concept of PR practice implies that it ought to be purposeful, planned and sustained. It
should not be haphazard. Mutual understanding is required in order to make sure that
communication between the organisation and its public is clear, i.e. the receiver perceives the
same meaning as the sender intends.

Common PR Tools and Techniques

In order to build a relationship with the target audience and maintain it on a high level, PR
specialists use a variety of tools and techniques. Some of the most common ones include:
 Attendance at public events: In order to attract public attention and keep it engaged
with a particular organisation or an individual, PR specialists take an advantage of
every public event and the opportunity to speak publicly. This enables them to
directly reach the public attending the event and indirectly, to a much larger audience.
 Press releases: Information that is communicated as a part of the regular Television
or/and radio programme, newspapers, magazines and other types of mainstream
media achieves a much bigger impact than advertisements. This is due to the fact that
most people consider such information more trustworthy and meaningful than paid
advertisements. Press release is therefore one of the oldest, relaible and most effective
PR tools.
 Newsletters: Sending newsletters – relevant information about the organisation
or/and its products/services - directly to the target audience is also a common method
to create and maintain a strong relationship with the public. Newsletters
offering promotional products are also a common marketing strategy but PR
specialists use it to share news and general information that may be of interest to the
target audience rather than merely promoting products/services.
 Blogging: Now-a-days, in order to reach the online audience, PR specialists use the
digital forms of press releases and newsletters. They also use a variety of other tools
such as blogging and recently, microblogging. It allows them to create and maintain a
relationship with the target audience as well as establish a two-way communication.
 Social media marketing: Like its name suggests, it is used primarily by the
marketing industry. Social media networks, however, are also utilised by a growing
 number of PR specialists to establish a direct communication with the public,
consumers, investors and other target groups.

5.3 ADVERTISEMENT

Advertising is a public mode of communication. It is mass communication, and as such, it is

communicated simultaneously to large number of people. People know that the same
communication is going to many people, they feel their motives for buying are understood by
the advertiser.

Advertising is repetitive by nature. The messages can be repeated number of times. Buyers
also can compare advertisements of various companies selling the same product. The media
offers the facility to add colour, sound etc. to the message and dramatize the message. But as
advertising involves indirect communication, it cannot have dialogue with the people. People
may not see and pay attention to the advertisement. It is dramatic presentation of the
messages.

Advertising is an efficient way to reach geographically dispersed potential buyers at a low

cost per exposure.

Advertising has two recent variants. Advertorials are offer editorial content and while it is
paid for by the advertiser and it will be difficult for the reader to easily make out that it is an
advertisement. Similarly infomercials are TV programs that are meant for promoting the
products of the company. They discuss the working of the product, benefits of the products,
and user experience etc.

Types of Advertising Communication

Informative advertising – This form of advertising informs the public about a new product
and its characteristics. The purpose of this advertisement is to raise demand and interest of
potential buyers.
Persuasive advertising – This advertising succeeds in a period of increased competitive
pressure i.e. this type of advertising communication is used to convince customer to buy just
the company’s product.
Reminder advertising – This advertising has to keep the product as well as the brand in the
mind of customer before upcoming season.

Importance of Communication in Advertising

The average person sees an estimated five thousand ads per day. From commercials on
television and pop-ups on the Internet to advertising on bathroom stalls and subway
platforms, the messages are endless. Due to such supersaturation, it is not uncommon for
most of these promotions to get lost in the clutter. That is why an effective communication to
a specific target audience is the key to making advertisements stand out and get results.
Affecting Your Audience
Successful communication in an advertisement involves focusing on a specific target
audience with information that meets this group's needs. There are three main reactions that a
good advertisement can trigger from these intended viewers. The first response is emotion,
getting the target audience to feel something because of the message. Secondly, it makes
potential customers to think about what the advertisement has to say. And the third objective
is to encourage them to take action, such as purchasing the advertised product.
Communication Through Branding
Another essential type of communication is called branding. According to the American
Marketing Association, branding is defined by a name, sign or symbol, which is designed to
identify a seller's goods or services. The entire purpose of this often complex effort is to
convince consumers that your product is the only one that can meet their needs. A good brand
will: deliver a clear message, reflect credibility, connect with the consumer emotionally,
motivate the buyer and build loyalty.
Developing Your Brand
Since brand is one of the most crucial ways of communicating with a specific audience, it is
important to spend time researching, developing and defining it. The goal is to make
consumers feel a connection with the brand that represents the company so that consumers
can influence to purchase the product in a way that benefits the business. Brands that inspire
an emotional response are able to build loyalty of consumers towards the product.
Emotion and Branding
Emotion is powerful in a brand because it is an effective way to connect with an audience.
Brands such as Starbucks, Google and Apple have found highly prosperous approaches to
making their audiences feel good about their products. Furthermore, these companies succeed
on an even deeper, more meaningful level. Due to compelling marketing strategies, many
consumers feel these services are integral to their lives. This kind of communication is what
every company strives for in its advertising.

5.4 QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR

The communicator should have following qualities in order to make his communication
effective:
1. Completeness: To be effective, communication should be complete, i.e. the
communicator should include all the information the recipient needs to evaluate its
content, solve a problem or make a decision. Complete communication reduces the
need for follow-up questions and answers, and improves the quality of the overall
communication process.
2. Conciseness: Conciseness is not about keeping the message short, but rather about
keeping it to a point. Conciseness in communication happens when the message does
not include any redundant or irrelevant information. Concise communication prompts
a better understanding of the message, because the recipient can focus on the key
points and does not get distracted by a wealth of minor details.
3. Consideration: While transmitting the message, a sender should always consider and
value the recipient's needs, moods and points of view. Tailoring the contents and style
of your messages based on their target audience strengthens the key points delivered
within, as the sender can use argumentations and examples relevant to the recipient's
experience, thus catering for a more thorough understanding of the message.
4. Concreteness: Effective communication happens when the message is supported by
facts and figures. Concreteness in communication is also about answering to questions
timely and consistently, and developing your argumentations based on real-life
examples and situations rather than on general scenarios or theories. Concreteness
fosters effectiveness in communication, as the recipient gets a more comprehensive
overview of the message and its implications.
5. Courtesy: Courtesy in communication implies being respectful of the recipient's
culture, values, knowledge, understanding and beliefs. Courteous communication has
a positive impact on the overall communication, as it prompts a more positive and
constructive approach to the conversation.
6. Clarity: To be effective, communicator has also to be clear and specific i.e. he should
not use vague and ambiguous words or sentences. To achieve clarity, the message
 should focus on a single objective, thus emphasising its importance and catering for a
prompt understanding of its contents. Clear communication also requires the adoption
of the relevant terminology, thus reducing confusion in the communication process.
7. Correct Words and Grammar:
Using grammar and syntax correctly vouches for increased effectiveness and
credibility of the message. In fact, grammar and syntax mistakes make it harder for
the recipient to decode the message and understand its contents. Also, they have a
negative impact on the overall communication, as they show that the sender hasn't
taken his time to craft his messages more carefully.
UNIT-6 BUSINESS REPORTS
Learning Objectives
1. To introduce students to business reports.
2. To familiarize students with the effective method of presenting business reports.

CONTENTS:
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 PURPOSE OF BUSINESS REPORTS
6.3 TYPES OF BUSINESS REPORTS
6.4 COMPONENTS OF REPORTS
6.5 EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

6.1 INTRODUCTION
A report is a description of an event carried out in absence of someone. It may be defined as
an organized statement of facts related to a particular subject prepared after an investigation
is made and presented to the interested persons. Report can be written or oral, but in most of
the cases it is written. Some definitions on report are quoted below:

What is Report

According to R. C. Sharma and Krishna Mohan, “A report is a formal communication

written for a specific purpose that includes a description of procedures followed for collection
and analysis of data, their significance, the conclusions drawn from them and the
recommendations, if required.”
Ober said, “A report is an orderly and objective presentation of information that assists in
decision making and problem solving.”
According to Betty and Kay, “A report is a written or oral message presenting information
that will help a decision maker to solve a business problem.”
From the above discussion we can say that a report is a written or oral statement of facts
relating to a particular event. It is an important document that helps in decision making.
6.2 PURPOSE OF BUSINESS REPORTS
Reports are necessary and are the primary means of communication in organization. Whether
the organization is a sole proprietary firm, a partnership firm, a small scale industry or a big
business empire, reports are inevitable. Some points highlighting the purposes or objectives
or important of business report are presented below-
Transmitting Information: Business report is very important means for transmitting
information from one person to another, form one level to another or from one department to
another. Obtaining each and every relevant information personally may not be possible for a
manager in a large scale organization, though it may happen, to a certain extent, in a small
scale enterprise. In the former case, the managers rely on reports for obtaining necessary
information.

Interpretation and Explanation of event: Report provides interpretation and explanation of

information in the manner and language as may be understandable to all relevant parties. As a
result, readers can easily understand it.
Making decisions: A report is the basic management tool for making decisions. The job of a
manager is nothing but making decisions. Reports supply necessary information to managers
to solve problems.
Communication with external stakeholders: It is not possible to communicate to all stake
holders personally regarding the working of the organization. Yet, they expect relevant
information. In such case, reports communicate information to the external stakeholders like
shareholders, creditors, customers, suppliers, government officials and various regulatory
agencies. In the absence of formal business report, such stakeholders would remain at dark
about the organizations.
Development of information base: Reports help in framing a strong information base in
organization. It develops information base in two ways. Firstly, day to day information is
recorded permanently for writing reports. Secondly, the written reports are preserved for
future reference. In these ways, reports help in developing a powerful, reliable and sound
information base.
Developing labour management relationship: Reports also help to improve labour
management relationship particularly, in large organizations. On one hand they inform both
the parties i.e. managers and subordinates about the decisions and progress or otherwise in
the organization. Secondly, such written reports serve as a future reference in case of
discrepancies or misunderstandings. In short, report is used as mechanism of keeping both
sides informed about each other and improving their relationships.
Controlling: Controlling is the final function of management. It ensures whether the actual
performance meets the standards set in advance or not. In order to perform the managerial
function of controlling, report serves as a yardstick. It supplies necessary information to
impose controlling mechanism.
Recommending actions: Reports not only supply information but also recommend
corrective measures. When someone is given the charge of investigating a complex problem,
reports, based on thorough investigation and research serve as a guide for decision making.
The investigator usually submits a report to the concerned manger.

6.3 TYPES OF BUSINESS REPORTS

The reports are classified into following categories:
A. On the basis of Nature:

1. Ordinary or Routine Report

Ordinary reports are prepared and presented before the managing director at specific intervals
or to the next authorized person in the business routine. The reports are generally submitted
daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually. This type of report
contains mere statement of facts in detail without any opinion or recommendation of the
reporter.
Examples for routine reports are Report of Directors to the Annual General Meeting,
Auditor’s Report to the Annual General Meeting, Sales Report, Production Report etc.
2. Special Report
This type of report is prepared and presented before the top management on specific request.
It usually contains the opinions or recommendations of the reporter with the help of facts,
details and arguments. Examples for special report are opening of branch, introducing a new
product, entering into a new market, improving the quality or changing the shape or size of
the product etc.
B. Reports on the Basis of Legal Formalities
The reports are classified into two types. They are formal report and informal report.
1. Formal Report
Formal report is prepared in a prescribed format and presented before the competent authority
in an established procedure. Reports submitted by officials or committees of constituted
bodies (example: Companies, Cooperative Societies, Local Bodies etc.) are usually formal
report.
2. Informal Report
Informal report is prepared in a format of the convenience of the reporter and presented
directly before the required person as and when demanded. An informal report is presented as
in the form of letter or memorandum. The frequency of such report is not fixed. Besides, it
does not have a fixed format.
The formal reports are classified into two types. They are statutory report and non-statutory
report.

C. Reports on the basis of Function

On the basis of function the reports can be classified in two categories- informative and
interpretative.
1. Informative Report
An informative report is prepared and presented with the help of available information at the
maximum with regard to an issue or situation. It aims at providing as much information as
possible to the recipient of the report.
2. Interpretative Report
An interpretative report not only contains the facts, views and opinions of reporters and
others but also highlights the causes for an issue or an event. Besides, it also suggests
required remedial action with recommendations.
D. Reports on the basis of meetings
Whenever a meeting is organized in any business organization, a report is prepared by the
secretary or any other individual about the proceedings of the meeting. Such reports are
classified into two types. They are Verbation Report and Summarized Report.
1. Verbation Reports
A verbation report is a complete word by word record of all discussions made at a meeting.
For example, for appointment of an Auditor a resolution is passed in the meeting. Likewise,
Directors are appointed and the remuneration and perquisites of key personnel are fixed by
passing a resolution. In this case, a report is prepared by including the verbation record of the
resolutions passed with the names of the proposers and seconders, the manner in which the
voting was done and the results of the voting.
However, the verbation report should not be confused with the minutes of the meeting which
is the official record of the proceedings and the decisions arrived at in the meeting.
2. Summarised Report

A summarized report is prepared with the help of the essential details discussed in the
meeting. It is not as lengthy and detailed as verbation reports. This type of report is prepared
for sending to the press or to shareholders of the company or members of the institution.
E. Reports on the Basis of Nature of the Subject Dealt With

On the basis of Nature of the Subject, reports can be classified into following categories:

1. Problem Solving Report

Top management may seek a report for solving the problem related to business that may have
occurred in and/or out of the organization. Here, the reporter collects all relevant information,
tries to go to the root of the problem and suggests various ways to solve the problem. Such
type of report is called Problem Solving Report.

2. Fact Finding Report

Whenever a major issue takes place in the company, say breakdown of a machine in the
factory premises, the fact for the occurrence of such events has to be find out. Sometimes,
there may be rivalry between the two groups of workers and the breakdown might have been
done deliberately by one of the groups for the reason of vengeance. Now, the management
wants to know the real reason for machine break down and group clash between the workers.
In this case, the reporter analyzes the incident through detailed investigation and finds the
fact. Finally, the reporter mentions these facts in the report and presents it before the top
management.

3. Performance Report

Top management is interested in knowing the performance of its departments, or

performance of its newly established branch, or a newly appointed employee periodically. At
times, performance reports of existing employees are necessary for taking decisions
pertaining to their promotion, transfer etc. Such decisions cannot be taken without genuine
performance reports. Hence, a reporter is asked to prepare the performance report for anyone
of the reasons mentioned above.
4. Technical Report

Technology is changing, rather ever expanding rapidly in present times. Companies are
compelled to imbibe new methods, introduce new machines and apply new processes to
withstand competition and to satisfy customers. Technical reports pertaining to new
machines, or changing designs of the existing ones are crucial as they involve a lot of cost.
Hence, technical reports are presented by technically expert staff to assist top level
management.
F. Reports of Committees or Subcommittees
Committee or Subcommittee reports are formed by the top level management. The followings
are included in the reports of committee or subcommittee:
a. Standing Committee Report
b. Ad hoc Committee Report
c. Minority Report
d. Majority Report

1. Standing Committee Report

Standing Committees are permanent in nature and are entrusted to deal with some continuing
aspects of the business organization.
For example: Finance, Performance of Employees, Performance of Departments etc. These
matters are continuously watched by the standing committee and submit the report at frequent
intervals.

2. Special or ad hoc Committee Report

Special or ad hoc Committees are appointed to deal with special investigation and are
dissolved with the presentation of report. As such, special committees are temporary by
nature.
For example: A special committee may be formed to investigate into the reason for the cause
of fire within the factory premises.

3. Minority Report
Committees or subcommittees are appointed to submit the report based on the investigation
of special subject. Generally, three members are selected to form a committee or
subcommittee. One member is usually the chairman of such committee or subcommittee.
If the members have difference of opinion or views over the subject matter dealt with, the
dissentient member may append the notes of dissent or may submit a report separately. Such
report is termed as Minority Report. Yet, it should be kept in mind that the dissent members
must sign in the majority report with dissent note.

4. Majority Report

Generally, all the members of the committee or subcommittee including chairman have
unanimous opinion about the report. If so, only one report is prepared and presented before
the responsible body. But in case when there is difference of opinion among committee
members , the majority members of the committee submit a report before the responsible
body. Such report is termed as majority report.

6.4 COMPONENTS OF REPORTS

While the preferred format can vary from organization to organization, formal business
reports often contain a number of typical components.

Cover Page

Don’t start a business report without letting readers know what it is and who wrote it. Begin
most business reports with a title page that contains the full title of the report, the name of the
author or compiler, contact information, the name of the intended audience and the date of
submission. A title page may also include the name of the organization for which the report
has been prepared.

Contents Page

List the contents of a business report on a separate “Table of Contents” page. The table of
contents page may precede or follow the abstract and should identify each primary section of
the report by page number and in order of appearance. This helps readers quickly find
information they want before they dive into the whole document and makes it easy to go back
to find something they read earlier. If the report is long but has only several sections, the
contents page can be just a few lines that help readers find the page numbers of each section’s
beginning. A longer document might require a contents page with section headings and sub-
headings under each.

Executive Summary

Let readers know why they should read your report by including an executive summary.
Abstracts and executive summaries usually follow the title page on a separate page and
highlight the purpose, methods, scope, findings, conclusions and recommendations of the
report. The summary is usually a half-page or less and includes no documentation or support.

Sections/List of Figures, Tables, Abbreviations or Symbols

If you include more than five figures or tables, list these items by page number on a “List of
Figures” or “List of Tables” page following the table of contents. If the report uses several
abbreviations or symbols, identify these as well on a separate “List of Abbreviations” or “List
of Symbols” page. Break your report into chunks of similar information to make it easy to
understand and help it flow better from one topic to another.

Introduction

Begin the body of your report with an introduction that presents the purpose and scope of the
report. Any background information or research necessary for understanding the rest of the
report should be presented here.

Body

Identify primary sections of the body of the report with appropriate headings. These sections
will cover the central content of the report, whether you are reporting on a current problem, a
potential solution or some other subject of interest to your audience. Compliment this
material, where appropriate, with illustrations and tables as well as with research and sources

Bibliography, References or Works Cited

List the references that you use either to prepare your report or to support the argument and
ideas in your report on a separate “Bibliography,” References” or “Works Cited” page after
the endnotes section. Include any research sources, such as websites, books or interviews that
you used during your research or referenced directly in the text of your report.

Appendix and Glossary

If helpful for your readers, you may also want to include an “Appendix” or a “Glossary” at
the end of your report. An “Appendix” provides information that is too detailed or involved
to be included in the body of the report, but that may be helpful as additional reading. A
“Glossary” alphabetically lists specialized terminology with definitions.

6.5 EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

After you finish preparing a report it is time to present it effectively. Generally, reports are to
be presented to a blue-chip audience of senior managers. You are likely to panic as reports
are usually stuffed with huge data. At times such reports are too lengthy with many pages. A
clear, compelling and oral presentation becomes a big challenge in such cases.

The best part of presenting a report is that you won't have to research your topic. Your task
instead is to whittle that mound of material down to size. One effective way to present a
report is to go first to the end of your report. That is where your conclusions and
recommendations are to be found—and where you are likely to find the most salient parts of
your report. Work to pare down the report's most essential findings. Keep these to as few
points as possible.

You should now be ready to build the presentation that will lead you to the conclusion you've
already established. That means a return to some fundamentals.

Your Objective.
The first and foremost thing is to be clear about your goals. Was your report designed
primarily to pass along information-perhaps to bring your audience up-to-date or make them
aware of some business issues? Or was it intended as a call to action? What specific response
do you want from your audience? The answers to those questions will help shape your
presentation. Write down your objective. Your objectives should be clear, concise and
confined to a few sentences.

Your Audience.
Know your audience thoroughly. Check for anything that can affect how they are likely to
respond. Find out their expectations from your report. You will have to address in your
presentation whatever expectations or preconceived notions your audience may have.
Besides, keep in mind the calibre and capacity of your audience while using language of
presentation and presentation tools.

Your road map.

Creating a road map for your presentation means supporting your presentation systematically,
step by step with logic especially when the reports are too lengthy or extensive and are
stuffed with too much material/ data. Your road map will help you stay focused on the key
elements of your report—the main ideas and messages, the conclusions, and
recommendations. List those points from your report that best support your key messages.
Lengthy presentations ought to be boring. With the help of road map you will be able to keep
your presentation precise and to- the- point.

Structure your talk.

A lengthy report has to be broken into several distinct parts, based on the structure you have
defined in your road map. That way, you can address each main idea as an entity, before
moving on to the next idea. This will help your listeners better comprehend and remember
each key idea. Pay attention here to transitions; these should provide a natural link from one
idea or section to another. Your transitions can also serve both as a summary of each section
and a glimpse of what's coming next. You should now be able to move on logically, step-by-
step, to your conclusion.

Create a strong opener.

It is essential that you begin any presentation with a strong opener in order to grab everyone's
attention. So plan your opening comments carefully. Find something in the report—a
statement, a claim, a conclusion—that is likely to have a particular impact on the target
audience. That may require no more than going straight to the report's key conclusion, and
stating it as concisely as you can. Or you may think of an elevator speech. Opening has to be
done in as short time as possible, and as much effective as it can be. Once this is done, you
can move on smoothly to the body of your presentation.

Keep those Visuals lean and mean.

Do not include each and every detailed information in your visuals. Be on the alert to include
only the most essential data in your visuals. As you create your visuals, keep in mind the
fundamental rules. Use only at-a-glance visuals that support your key messages. As much as
possible, avoid visuals crowded with lots of data, charts, and graphs that add nothing of real
value.

Some more tips.

 Be clear about the time allotted for your presentation.
 At the end of your presentation, summarize clearly and emphatically the key
conclusions and recommendations of your report.
 Maintain eye focus. Use proper voice and gestures to create good effect on your
presentation.
 Be prepared for questions. Will you be addressing questions as they come up or will
questions be held for a question-answer session at the end?
 Have back-up material in reserve in case you are questioned or challenged about parts
of the report you did not include in your presentation.
 Have handouts ready to pass around after your presentation. You may decide to hand
out the entire report or just portions of it, as appropriate.
 Rehearse in the room and with the equipment you'll be using.
UNIT-7 COMPONENTS OF BUSINESS MEETING
Learning Objectives
1. To introduce students to various components of business meetings
2. To make them aware about practical aspects of notice, agenda and minutes through their
specimen.

CONTENTS:
7.1 BROCHURE
7.2 NOTICE OF A MEETING
7.3 AGENDA OF A MEETING
7.4 MINUTES OF THE MEETING
7.5 RECORDING OF MINUTES OF MEETING

7.1 BROCHURE

Business Brochure
The brochure is one staple of business marketing, essentially a resume in a printed form that
you can hand out or mail to potential customers. There are many formats for a brochure and
many design approaches. But no matter what format and design you choose for your
brochure, your goal is to guide potential customers to your business.

How to Create an Effective Business Brochure?

1. Choose the thematic elements that match your business. These include a broad theme,
colour and appearance of the brochure. If your business has a colour scheme, design your
brochure to match. For example, a colourful and informal brochure works well for a game
store, but not for a law firm.
2. Design the front panel to catch the eye. Include your logo and business name, your
business motto or mission statement and an engaging photo or graphic. Do not put too much
information on this panel. The front panel is used to get people to pick up your brochure and
open it.
3. Put contact information, directions and/or a map on the back panel. This makes it easier for
people to find your business location.
4. Choose a theme for each of the other four panels. Some sample themes include a
description of different products, company history, company contributions to charity,
customer testimonials or list of frequently asked questions.
5. Sketch the general layout of each panel, dividing it into blocks of text and graphics. Write
a note describing each photo and theme of each text block.
6. Gather attractive and appropriate graphics for each graphic block. Consider whether a
graphic matches the theme and colour of your brochure. Confirm that it will be appropriate
for the size of the block you have set aside for it as some photos become distorted and
difficult to view when resized.
7. Write the copy for each of your text blocks. Provide enough information to pique the
reader's interest.
8. Place a call to action on at least one panel. This is typically one or two sentences
instructing the reader what to do next or it can be a coupon or other offer. The call to action is
one of the most important aspects of good marketing writing.

COMPONENTS OF A BUSINESS MEETING: NOTICE, AGENDA AND MINUTES

Some of the major components of a business meeting are : 1. Notice of Meeting, 2. Agenda
of Meeting and 3. Minutes of the Meeting
7.2 NOTICE OF A MEETING
A notice of meeting is a formal document which states about a meeting to be held and
informs the attendees about all the details of the meeting. When a meeting is to be
convened, a notice has to be sent to all who are to attend it.
It should satisfy these conditions:
1. It should be issued by proper authority.
2. It should state the name of the organisation.
3. It should state the day, date, time, and place. At times, it also states as to how to reach the
destination.
4. It should be well in advance. Some require seven days’ notice, some 48 hours’
5. It should state the purpose and, if possible, the agenda of the meeting.
6. It should carry the date of circulation and convener’s/secretary’s signature.
7. It should be forwarded to all the parties who are required to remain present in the meeting.
8. It should mention whether TA/DA etc. is payable and the mode of payment in case if it is
payable.
Besides, it is necessary to ensure that the notice has reached to all those concerned in time.
This may be confirmed telephonically. Dispatch section and post are prone to delays. Hence
letters should be posted well in advance. A notice that should reach seven days before a meet
should not reach seven days after the meet.
Specimen Notices:
7.3 AGENDA OF A MEETING
The word Agenda comes from the Latin word agendum (singular) which means ‘a thing to be
done.’ But agenda (the Latin plural) is used as a singular noun.
An agenda is the list of items to be considered or discussed at a meeting. It is also called
business, or sequence or order of business. It is the route map of the meeting. The specimen
notices below contain a hint of how it is written. The agenda may be a part of the notice or
may be attached as an annexure. The convenor/secretary prepares it in consultation with the
chairperson and gets his approval.

The features of agenda can be state as follows:

1. Generally, agenda is sent along with the notice of the meeting.
2. It is written at the end but before or after the signature of the convener of the meeting.
3. It is arranged according to the importance of the end.
4. Controversial topics should be written at the end.
5. The topics are determined by the secretary with consulting the higher authority or the
convener of the meeting.
6. It written in brief but explicit manner.

Building an agenda is making a plan for the meeting. You start with the main goal or purpose
that you are trying to accomplish by holding the meeting.
Once you have decided upon your goal, you need to determine whether you need the
assistance of additional employees to plan your agenda. If yes, invite them to join you.
After determining your overall goal, you, or your team, need to make the following decisions.
In addition to the purpose or goal of the meeting, each of these items appears on the meeting
agenda.
 Needed participants for the actual meeting,
 The items that need discussion or action that will lead to the accomplishment of the
goal or purpose,
 The amount of time that you anticipate the group will need for the discussion of each
item,
 A date and time for the meeting,
 A suitable location, that will hold all participants comfortably, for the meeting,
 Pre-work for the meeting. This will include any reading, documentation, data,
meeting minutes from a prior meeting, or any other preparation that will make your
 actual meeting successful. This preparation should be attached to the meeting notice
and agenda when you distribute them to invited participants.
In addition to the above decision items, standard agenda items should include:
 Review the meeting’s purpose, agenda, and expected outcomes and product.
 Review the minutes of the prior meeting.
 Review participants' progress on commitments and action items made at the prior
meeting.
 The note taker or leader needs to review the commitments made by participants
during the meeting as a final agenda item.

Decide Who Must Participate to Accomplish Your Agenda

Once you have decided that a meeting is necessary to accomplish your goal, you need to
develop the list of participants. Not every employee can or should participate in every
meeting, but inviting the right participants will enhance your likelihood of success.
Determine your participants by asking yourself questions such as the following.
Meeting Agenda for Regularly Scheduled Meetings
Not every meeting needs a custom developed agenda. Most employees have regularly
scheduled meetings for their departments or work groups. You also have teams and projects
that you participate in. An ongoing project may not require a newly developed agenda for
every meeting, but your team will be well served by adopting a standard approach to your
meeting.
Importance or necessities of agenda:
No one can ignore the importance of an agenda. The necessity or importance’s of an agenda
are as follows:
1. As it is circulated in advance, the members of the committee or meeting can take
preparation to discuss the topics accurately.
2. It helps to take prompt decision.
3. Since it has a set of order, it helps the chairperson to conduct the meeting smoothly.
4. It can ensure covering all the topics that will be discussed in a meeting.
5. It helps to control the unnecessary talking in the meeting.
6. It is helps to write the minutes and resolution of the meeting.
7. As it is served earlier, the members of the meeting can exchange their thought and ideas
informally before holding the meeting.
 Meeting Agenda Elements

Term Definition
Title Header Title, time, date, location, phone number, e-mail contact, and any other
information necessary to get all participants together.
Participants Expected participants
Subject Line Purpose statement
Call to Order Who will call the meeting to order?
Introductions If everyone is new, this is optional. If even one person is new, everyone
should briefly introduce themselves with their name and respective roles.
Roll Call This may quietly take place while introductions are made.
Reading of the Notes from the last meeting are read (if applicable) with an opportunity to
minutes correct. These are often sent out before the meeting so participants have the
opportunity to review them and note any needed corrections.
List any unresolved issues from last time or issues that were “tabled,” or
Old Business left until this meeting.
New Business This is a list of items for discussion and action.
This is optional and applies if there are subcommittees or groups working
on specific, individual action items that require reports to the group or
Reports committee.
Good of the This is the time for people to offer any news that relates to the topic of the
Order meeting that was otherwise not shared or discussed.
Note time, date, place meeting adjourned and indicate when the next
Adjournment meeting is scheduled.
7.4 MINUTES OF THE MEETING
The minutes of a meeting are the record of the discussions/decisions therein. They have an
official status; they are useful in law, and in some cases required by law to be written.
Minutes are final when they are approved by the members of the group to which they relate,
generally in the next meeting, and signed by the chairperson.
Even if there are emotional moments in a meet, the minutes are written in an unemotional
manner, are cool, factual, impersonal, and impartial. Moreover, such are the demands of time
on most people that the minutes should be concise.
Normally, the body of the minutes records the following matters:
(a) The motions and amendments thereto
(b) The proposer and seconded of motions
(c) The details of voting, if any
(d) Recommendations
(e) Decisions/ resolutions
(f) Tasks assigned to individuals, sub-committees
The overall minutes should give:
1. The name of the organisation/ unit
2. Day, date, time and place
3. Number in order (e.g. 33rd meeting of…)
4. Names of chairperson and secretary
5. Names of members present
6. Names of the absent
7. Attendees by special invitation, e.g. auditor, caterer, etc.
8. Record of the transactions (on the guidelines given above)
9. Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes
10. Motions accepted or rejected
11. Voting outcomes – e.g., (if necessary, details regarding who made motions; who
seconded and approved or via show of hands, etc.)
12. Items to be held over
13. New business
14. Signature of secretary and, after approval, that of the chairman.
 Writing Minutes of the Meeting
Your ability to write good minutes can earn you a prize position in an organisation. Also, if
you hold a position and do not know how to write minutes, you may face embarrassment.

The Minutes Writing Process

Once the meeting is over, it’s time to pull together your notes and write the minutes. Here are
some tips that might help:
 Try to write the minutes as soon after the meeting as possible while everything is fresh in
your mind.
 Review your outline and if necessary, add additional notes or clarify points raised. Also
check to ensure all decisions, actions and motions are clearly noted.
 Try to include a short statement of each action taken by the board and a brief explanation of
the rationale for the decision.
 When there is extensive deliberation before passing a motion, summarize the major
arguments.
 Edit to ensure brevity and clarity, so the minutes are easy to read.

What not to Include:

 Avoid being subjective

 Write in the same tense throughout
 Avoid using people’s names except for motions or seconds. This is a business document, not
about who said what.
 Avoid inflammatory or personal observations. The fewer adjectives or adverbs you use, the
better.
 If you need to refer to other documents, attach them in an appendix or indicate where they
may be found. Don’t rewrite their intent or try to summarize them.
 7.5 RECORDING OF MINUTES OF MEETING
Before you start taking notes it is important to understand the type of information you need to
record at the meeting. Generally following guidelines should be kept in mind while recording
minutes of the meeting:

Tips that might help your note taking-

 Create an Outline: Having an outline (or template) based on the agenda makes it easy for
you to simply jot down notes, decisions, etc. under each item as you go along. If you are
 taking handwritten notes, consider including space below each item on your outline for your
hand-written notes, then print these out and use this to capture minutes.
 Check-off Attendees as they Enter the Room: If you know the meeting attendees, you can
check them off as they arrive. They may introduce themselves at the start of the meeting.
Another method is to circulate an attendance list the attendees can check-off themselves.
 Record Decisions or Notes on Action Items: Record proceedings as soon as they occur to
be sure they are recorded accurately.
 Ask for Clarification if Necessary: In case of any confusion ask for clarification instead of
recoding events as per your understanding.
 Do not try to Capture it All: It is practically not possible to record each and every word or
all discussion in detail. So be sure to simply, and clearly write or type just the decisions,
assignments, action steps, etc.
 Record it: It is better to make use of devices like smart phone, iPad, recording device instead
of missing out some important information or conversation. Besides, be sure to let
participants know they are being recording. While you don’t want to use the recording to
create a word-for-word transcript of the meeting, the recording can come in handy if you
need clarification.
UNIT-8 INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY
Learning Objectives
1. To introduce the concept of personality to students.
2. To discuss about various stages of personality development.
3. To highlight various factors influencing personality.
4. To focus on personality patters.
5. To discuss about different personality attributes that influence organizational
behaviour

CONTENTS:
8.1 INTRODUCTION
8.2 STAGES OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
8.3 FACTORS/ DETERMINANTS INFLUENCING PERSONALITY
8.4 PERSONALITY PATTERNS
8.5 PERSONALITY TRAITS
8.6MAJOR PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES INFLUENCING ORGANISATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR/ WORK BEHAVIOUR

8.1 INTRODUCTION
There may be so many personalities as many persons. Hence, there is no consensus what
personality is. Personality means different things to different people. To some, it means one’s
charm, dress and attractiveness; to others it means a unitary mode of response to life
situations.
The English word ‘personality’ has been derived from the Latin work per sonare. It means
‘to speak through’.
According to Hilgard et al, “Personality may be understood as the characteristic patterns of
behavior and modes of thinking that determine a person’s adjustment to the environment.”

Rather than looking at the parts of the persons, personality looks at some aggregate whole.
The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others determine
personality. From psychological point of view, personality means a dynamic concept that
describes the growth and development of the person’s whole psychological system.

8.2 STAGES OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

There are eight stages of personality development. Erickson has explained the eight
stages of individual’s life cycle as follows:
1. Infancy: The infants raised in loving and affectionate atmosphere learn to trust others.
Lack of love and affection, on the contrary, leads to mistrust. This bears long lasting
impact on one’s personality and the resultant behavior. It has been observed that children
grown up in slums are more rough and tough. They have a strong feeling of mistrust
towards almost all people they come across.
2. Early Childhood: This stage spreads between the age of two and three years. During this
period, the child starts to acquire independence. When the child is allowed to do it he
feels autonomy. If disallowed, a sense of shame and doubt in the child. For e.g. Ravi’s
mother is a school teacher. His granny takes care of him in absence of his mother. The
granny is scared of dogs or cows. Ravi has observed the reaction of granny on seeing
dogs and cows. The same fear has become the part of his personality now.
3. Play Age: In the age of four and five years, the child seeks to discover what can be done.
If the child is allowed and encouraged to do what he wants to do, the child develops a
sense of initiative. Alternatively, if the child is discouraged to do, he feels lack of self-
confidence. For e.g Ram is been scolded frequently for having broken the toys and having
damaged household items while playing ruthlessly. Ram has started loosing confidence in
him. Lack of confidence has become the part of his personality.
4. School Age: This is the phase of 6 to 12 years of age. When the child joins school, he
learns knowledge and skills. The feeling of competition gradually develops in the child.
Harshil is the youngest boy in his class. He is sharp in studies but he constantly fails in
the competition while playing with his mates. He has become victim of inferiority
complex.
5. Adolescence: This is the phase of teenage. The individual is in the phase of gaining his
own identity. This phase allows developing child’s own identity in the society. He starts
establishing his own importance in the surrounding world. This is the most critical age for
an individual, for neither he is a child now, nor is he a mature human being. In this phase,
an individual passes through maximum psychological conflict. But this is normally the
 temporary phase of life. For e.g. Ankit is 17 years of age and does not like the company
of children. He does not like to play with toys. His brother Amit, who is elder to him by 4
years, does not like to involve him in his group. Ankit is struggling to make his identity.
6. Young Adulthood: In this phase, the young one in the twenties, try to establish deep and
permanent relationship. This is the age of dreams, carving the future, showing emotions
and developing intimacy. Failing in this phase results in a sense of isolations. For e.g.
Uday has fallen in love with a girl. He desperately wants to have his girl friend for ever.
He has become highly creative after this relationship. But whenever he has dispute with
his girl friend, he feels isolated. He does not like to do even the routine work.
7. Adulthood: The adults in the age group of forties and fifties face the situation of
generativity or self-absorption. Adults, who are productive in work, raise children with
serious concern and guide to next generation are called generative. Self-absorbed adults
do not look beyond themselves. They are absorbed in their career development and
maintenance. For e.g. Mr. Mohan, once upon a time very naughty, is now deputy general
manager in a MNC. He is responsible for the progress of his branch or otherwise. He is a
responsible father and a good husband now.
8. Old Age: This is the age where the person looks back to the past age. The dimension of
past experiences, unfulfilled dreams and the present scenario carve the future life. It is the
age where spiritual angle is developed, the urge of sharing own experience of life and
support from the dependents and life partners. Mr. Tiwari has now no commitments. He
spends most of his time in reading spiritual books and practicing meditations. Though
retired from all affairs of life, he would never mind giving advice to anybody when
necessary.

8.3 FACTORS/ DETERMINANTS INFLUENCING PERSONALITY

Personality trait is basically influenced by two major features:
 Inherited characteristics
 Learned characteristics
Inherited Characteristics: The features an individual acquires from their parents or
forefathers, in other words, the gifted features an individual possesses by birth are
considered as inherited characteristics. Biological factors belong to this category. It is
again sub-divided into heredity, brain and physical traits.
Learned Characteristics: Nobody learns everything by birth. First, our school is our
home, then our society, followed by educational institutes. The characteristics an
 individual acquires by observing, practicing and learning from others and the
surroundings are known as learned characteristics. Learned characteristics include
following:
Perception: Results of different senses like feeling, hearing etc.
Values: Influences perception of a situation, decision making process .
Personality: Patterns of thinking, feeling, understanding and behaving.
Attitude: Positive or negative attitude like expressing one’s thought.
The factors affecting one’s personality have been briefly discussed below:

1. Biological Factors: The general characteristics of human biological system influence

the way in which human being tends to sense external event data, interpret, and
respond to them. The study of the biological contribution to personality can be
divided into three major categories- heredity, brain, and physical features.

 Heredity/ Genetics: Heredity is the transmission of certain physical, mental, and

emotional qualities from ancestor to descendant. Psychologists and geneticists have
drawn the conclusion that heredity plays an important role in personality. Research
indicates that even identical twins do not have identical personalities. Heredity is not
solely responsible factor for our personality.
Some characteristics that a person inherits either substantially or completely are physical
stature, facial attractiveness, gender, temperament, muscle composition and reflexes,
energy level, and biological rhymes. For e.g. Vinod has his origin in the mountainous
region of Madhya Pradesh. He and his entire family have got strong shoulders, dark skin
and tough physique. This is his family history. Normally it has been observed that
children of doctors become either doctors or engineers. This is because they inherit
certain mental attributes from their parents.
In short, heredity provides us with inborn traits and abilities, but our full potential will be
determined by how well we adjust to the demands and requirements of the environment
of the organization.
 Brain: Physiologists and psychologists have studied the structure of human brain and
have divided it into two parts- left hemisphere which lies in the right side of the body and
right hemisphere which lied in the left side of the body. Depending on the structure of the
brain, an individual’s personality develops. For example, Trotter has provided the
characteristics and dimensions attributed to the left and right hemisphere of the brain.
 Left and right hemisphere of the brain

Left Hemisphere Right Hemisphere

Speech/verbal Spatial/musical
Logical, mathematical Holistic
Linear, detailed Artistic, symbolic
Sequential Simultaneous
Controlled Emotional
Intellectual Intuitive, creative
Dominant Minor (quiet)
Worldly Spiritual
Active Receptive
Analytic Synthetic, gestalt-oriented
Reading, writing, naming Facial recognition
Sequential ordering Simultaneous comprehension
Perception of significant order Perception of abstract patterns
Complex motor sequences Recognition of complex figures

A manager needs to study attributes of his subordinates and accordingly they should be
placed at definite posts in the organization.
 Physical Features: In a narrow sense, personality is referred to physical features of a
person. However, it is not true if we take a comprehensive view of the personality. A
person’s physical features have some influence on his personality because he will
influence others and, in turn, will affect his self-concept. Physical features are important
in determining personality because depending upon the personality the person in exposed
to different social situations and activities.
For e.g. a person who is tall and stout may be appointed as the watchman in the
organization. Likewise, the receptionist in the front office of the company is expected to
have a graceful appearance.
 Gender: The differences in personality can be explored by looking at the gender
dimension. Gender creates great differences in the personalities of men and women.
Gender affects perception, thinking and behaviour.

2. Family and Social Factors: Family and social groups have most significant impact
on personality development. These factors can be further sub-divided as under:
 Home Environment: It has been observed from the study that children brought up in
warm, loving, and stimulating environment have positive personality than children reared
 in restricted environment. The overall home environment created by the parents is critical
to personality development. Rinky was brought up in an orthodox environment. She was
not permitted to put on western clothes. She was not allowed to talk to boys of her age.
As a result she is always hesitant to talk to male colleagues in her office.
 Family Members: Parents have more effect on the personality development as compared
to other members of the family. Besides parents, siblings also contribute to personality.
First-born children are more susceptible to social pressures than later ones. Pinky feels
free to talk of her problems to her mummy. She is scared of her dad. She has to go to
school picnic. She urges mummy to convince her daddy.
 Social Groups: School, friendship, and to her work groups have significant influence in
shaping the behavior, language, style, etc of a person. Mahesh belongs to Kanpur. He got
a job in Delhi. He finds it difficult to adapt to the customs, language and style of people
of Delhi.
 Family's Situation: The family's situation also is an important source of personality
differences. Situational influences include the family's size, socioeconomic level, race,
religion and geographic location; birth order within the family; parents' educational level;
and so on. For example, a person is raised in a poor family simply has different
experiences and opportunities than does a person raised in a wealthy family.

3. Psychological Factors
The following psychological factors also determine the personality of a man:

 Super Ego: Super ego is a situation where a person is more egocentric, non-
conforming, aggressive, impulsive, hostile, suspicious and antisocial. It is also
found that many personality disturbances are created due to psychological factors.
 Attitudes: Attitudes are learned throughout life. They are embodied within our
socialization process. They are central to our personality formation. They can
make our personality dynamic if attitudes are progressive. To some extent it is
possible to predict the personality, if we know an individual's attitudes.
 Ability: A man possesses various types of ability. These are needed for thinking,
reasoning, and problem solving. Various types of intelligence such as cultural
intelligence, cognitive intelligence or emotional intelligence all have a tremendous
impact on the development of personality.
  Self-Esteem: Self-esteem, sometimes referred to as self-concept, is how
individuals perceive themselves in terms of their abilities, competencies,
effectiveness, and the like. People with high self-esteem perceive themselves to be
capable, significant, and worthy. They build a high personality.
 Locus of Control: The persons who have the internal locus of control type
personality believe in their own actions. They control their own fate. A person
with an external locus of control, on the other hand, believes that other factors
such as luck, other people are the primary determinants of their destiny. Internal
locus type of people believe in hard work and persistence.

4. Situational Factors: Situational factors also determine personality development.

Situations exert important pressure on the individual. It’s a known fact that people in
public have different behavior than in their personal lives. Mr. Mehta behaves like an
autocrat in his office. He rarely speaks informally with his subordinates. At his daughter’s
marriage he danced with his family members and, also his subordinates.

5. Cultural Factors: Each culture expects and trains its members to behave in the ways that
are acceptable to the group. Culture determines the values and personality characteristics
that will be reinforced and learned. Despite the importance of cultural contribution to the
personality, linear relationship cannot be established between personality and a give a
culture. Thus, for e.g. workers and managers do not have same personality or behavioral
pattern, though exposed to same organizational culture. Similarly, male members and
female members exhibit different behavior in the same organization.

8.4 PERSONALITY PATTERNS

1. Assertive – The person with assertive pattern behaves in a confident and forceful manner,
takes charge of the situation, raises their hands in class, stand up for what they think is right,
and lead others. Among those who have a high score on the “assertive” trait, many have jobs
in which they are valued for their organizational skills as well as their talent for supervising
others. They do not believe simply on fate.
2. Prudent – They look before they leap, think before they act, consider what they are about
to say before they open your mouth to speak; that is why they rarely have to eat their words.
They usually do not get excited easily or blurt out the first thing that comes to mind without
considering the consequences.
3. Unflappable – Such people are not slaves to their emotions. It takes a lot to upset or
unnerve them. That’s why they are good persons to have around in crisis. They behave in
such a way that those around them often do not know the pressures they are under or what
they are going through. They are not the kind of person people run from in a crisis.
4. Introspective – They like their own company; they are very interesting persons. Tracking
their own mental processes, knowing what they are thinking and why they do what they do, is
important to them. Often, what’s going on in their minds is more compelling than what’s
going on outside. For the most part, those with a high score on the “introspective” trait enjoy
reading, taking long walks, learning new things, and other solitary activities. They never feel
bored when they are by themselves.
5. Resilient – People with this type of personality pattern bounce back quickly from
adversity. For them, all setbacks are temporary. They do not dwell on bad news, bad luck, or
criticism; they regroup and focus on solving the problem, whatever it may be. They almost
never feel that there’s too much on their plate, that they don’t have the strength to deal with
the bad hand they have been dealt, or that they are going to lose it if they have to deal with
one more problem.
6. Competitive – Such type of people rather win than simply get along in most situations.
When they know they are right, they would rather argue their point than compromise.
Generally, those with a high score on the “competitive” trait hold leadership positions in
industry and are exhilarated by risk-taking both in their professional and personal lives. They
are not always interested in getting along with others in a group, especially if it can mean
losing their identity.
7. Calm – They rarely get irritated, generally accept people as they are, take things as they
come, and feel relaxed in most situations. They do not let a minor annoyance escalate to a
confrontation. They do not regularly snap at those around them or fly off the handle with
little provocation.
8. Centered – People with ‘centered’ personality pattern often feel balanced and on top of
things, even when those around they are freaking out. They tend to remain in a pretty good
state all the times, and are not subject to drastic mood swings. They don’t usually react before
they think; they are not ruled by their emotions.
9. Innovative – Such people come up with a lot of ideas; if one doesn’t work out, there’s
always another waiting in the wings. They often have interesting solutions to difficult
problems. They are practically a one-person brainstorming session. They are less interested
changing the world than in dealing with things as they are. Unlike those who spend all their
time trying to solve problems, they prefer to zero in on things that work and stick with them.
10. Creative – They are good at solving problems, coming up with original ideas, and seeing
connections between things, connections that most other people miss. People with a high
score on the “creative” trait often are employed in such fields as finance and scientific
research, and enjoy avant garde and classical music as well as literary fiction and scholarly
non-fiction.

8.5 PERSONALITY TRAITS

Those characteristics, when they’re exhibited in a large number of situations, are called
personality traits.
Researchers believe that these traits could help management in employee selection,
matching people to jobs, and in guiding career development decisions. Popular
characteristics in an individual’s behavior include being shy, aggressive, submissive, lazy,
ambitious, loyal and timid.
Types/ Traits/ Classification of Personality Traits
1. Myers-Briggs Personality Trait
2. Big Five Personality Traits
1. Myers-Briggs Personality Trait
i. Extrovert and Introvert Personality
ii. Sensing and Intuitive Personality
iii. Thinking and Feeling Personality
iv. Judging and Perceiving Personality
i. Extroverted individuals are talkative, outgoing, sociable, and assertive. Accordingly,
they are more suitable and successful for the positions that require considerable
interaction with others. Sales activities, publicity departments, personal relations unit,
etc are the examples of activities suitable for extroverts. Introverts are quiet and shy.
Such people look inward and experience and process their thoughts and ideas within
themselves. They also avoid social contacts. They enjoy solitude. Such people excel
at tasks that require thought and analytical skill.

Difference between Introverts and Extroverts

1. Processing Circumstances:
 One of the biggest differences between introverts and extroverts is how they process
circumstances. Introverts can be described as internal processors - their thoughts are
always going, circulating, evaluating, and concluding. They may appear to be silent but
their minds are loud and active. Extroverts are outside thinkers, i.e. verbal processors.
They think outside of themselves, make decisions with others, verbalized a situation, and
manage conflict through verbal communication.
2. Rejuvenation
Another main difference between introverts and extroverts is what energizes them and
allows them to be relaxed and rejuvenated. For introverts, this usually means a good book
and being alone to recharge. For extroverts, this generally means interaction
with friends and family.
3. Change
Without enough notice, introverts do not like change. There's always a plan, a focused set
of goals to accomplish and it is hard to stray from those plans and goals. Extroverts tend
to "go with the flow" more readily. They are spontaneous and adapt to change easily.
4. Friendship
While extroverts tend to over-share their thoughts and aspects of their lives with many
friends, introverted people don't like to share their inner world with a lot of people.
Introverts generally have 1-2 close friends who they share deep and intimate parts of their
lives with. Extroverts tend to have lots of friends and have more superficial relationships,
or they share intimate parts of their lives with several close friends.
5. New Situations
Introverts need time to mentally process new situations before they dive in and interact
with people. For extroverts, a new setting can be exciting - especially if they meet new
people and are able to make good connections. An extrovert will probably leave feeling
energized and recharged.

6. New People
It's easier for extroverts to engage in and draw out a connection from new people. They
don't have to share similarities with a new person to connect well. Introverts choose their
friendships and time spent carefully. Usually the people they surround themselves with
are people of similar intellect and interests.
 7. Appearance and Special Arrangement
Sometimes they can tell different personality traits by simply observing how a person
dresses or how their home/office is arranged! Introverts are more simple and practical -
they most likely would wear neutral tones and have clean, minimalistic home or office
spaces. Extroverts might wear more colorful or eye-catching items and have a more
inviting, cluttered and cozy office or living space.

ii. Sensing types are practical and prefer routine and order. They focus on data. They are
more suitable for clerical type of work. Intuitive rely on unconscious processes and look
at the “big picture.” Such managers are blessed with the quality of intuition which help
them in taking unusual decisions, but which turn out highly positive in long run.
Sensors

 Focus on facts and specifics

 Are more concrete; like ideas to be practical
 Trust their direct experience
 Like to operate in the here and now
 Are realistic and practical
 Like established ways of doing things
 Think and talk in a step-by-step manner

Intuitive

 Focus on the possibilities

 Are more abstract; like ideas and theories for their own sake
 Trust their gut instincts
 Like to imagine and think about the future
 Like to create new ways of doing things
 Frequently jump around from topic to topic

iii. Thinking types use reason and logic to handle problems. They avoid taking abrupt risk
but may take calculative risk when require. Feeling types rely on their personal values
and emotions. Such managers are known for taking care of their staff in a parentally
manner.
Thinking Characteristics
 People with this personality trait are logical.
 They are more objective by nature.
 They generally tend to decide with head rather than heart.
 They believe in truth and expect truth from others.
 They are rational thinkers.
  They are more impersonal and critical.
 People generally find them thick-skinned.
 They are firm in their decisions and also with people.
 They are driven by thoughts.

Feeling Characteristics

 People with this personality decide with heart

 They avoid and dislike conflict.
 They are more passionate and are driven by emotions.
 They are gentle by nature and can get easily hurt.
 They are empathetic and they do care for others.
 They are warm and tender by heart.

iv. Judging types want control and are inflexible. Such managers prefer their organizations
to be ordered and structured. Perceiving types are flexible and spontaneous. Such
managers are more successful where the size of the organization is small and staff is
inexperienced.
People with Judging Personality generally behave in following manner:

 They make a list of things to do.

 They generally prefer scheduling things in advance.
 Work best when they can plan work and follow the plan.
 They are quick in forming and expressing judgments.
 They bring closure to an issue so that they can move on.

People with Perceiving Personality generally behave in following manner:

 Postpone decisions to see what other options are available.

 Act spontaneously.
 Adapt well to changing situation.
 May start too many projects and have difficulty in finishing them.
 Decide what to do as we do it, rather than forming a plan ahead of time.
 Want to know all about their work.
 Do things at the last minute.

2. Big Five Personality Traits:

I. Extroversion: Degree of extroversion reflects a person’s comfort level with
relationships. They have tendency to turn outward searching for external stimuli with
which they can interact. They are sociable, lively gregarious, and seek outward
interaction. They are likely to be more successful working in the sales activities,
publicity department, public relations unit and so on where they can interact face to
 face with others. There major characteristics are outgoing, talkative, sociable,
assertive.
II. Agreeableness: Agreeableness refers to a person’s ability to get along with others.
Agreeableness causes some people to be gentle, cooperative, forgiving,
understanding, and good-natured in their dealing with others. The same behavioral
pattern may extend to relationships with customers, suppliers, and other
organizational constituents. Their major characteristics are trusting, good natured,
cooperative and soft hearted.
III. Conscientiousness: Conscientiousness refers to the number of goals on which a
person focuses his attention. Persons who focus on relatively few goals at a time are
likely to be organized, systematic, careful, thorough, and disciplined. They tend to
focus on small number of goals at one time. Their major characteristics are
responsible, achievement-oriented, persistent etc.
IV. Emotional Stability/ Neuroticism: Emotion means moving of the feelings or
agitation of mind. Persons with emotionality stability tend to better handle job stress,
pressure, and tension. Their stability also leads them to be seen as being more reliable
than their less-stable counterparts. Their characteristics are relaxed, secure,
unworried.
V. Openness to Experience: Persons with high level of openness are willing to listen to
new ideas and to change their own ideas, beliefs, and attitudes to new information.
They also tend to have broad interest and to be curious, imaginative, and creative.
Generally, persons with more openness perform better due to their flexibility.
Sensitive, intellectual, imaginative, curious, broadminded etc are their major
characteristics.

Type ‘A’ and Type ‘B’ Personality

Personality has also been described into two categories by alphabets A and B on the
basis of their peculiar characteristics mentioned below:
Type A personality
• They move, walk and eat rapidly.
• Feel impatient with the rate at which events take place.
• Strive to think or do two or more things at once.
• Cannot cope with leisure time.
• Are obsessed with ambition.
Such people tend to be very productive and work very hard. In fact, they are workaholics.
Being impatient and aggressive, such people are more prone to heart attacks.

Type B Personality
• Never suffer from a sense of time urgency with its accompanying impatience.
• Feel no need to display or discuss of their achievements unless such exposure is
demanded by the situation.
• Play for fun and relaxation, rather than to exhibit their superiority at any cost.
• Can relax without guilt.
Such people do better on tasks involving judgments, accuracy rather than speed and team
work.

8.6 MAJOR PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES INFLUENCING

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR/ WORK BEHAVIOUR
1. Locus of control
A person’s perception of the source of his/her fate is termed locus of control.
Internals: People who believe that they are masters of their own fate are known as
internals. They attribute organizational outcomes to their own actions. Internals
believe that health is substantially under their own control through proper habits and
hence, rate of absenteeism are lower.
Externals: People who believe they are pawns of fate are known as externals.
Individuals who rate high in externality are less satisfied with their jobs, have higher
absenteeism rates, are more alienated from the work setting, and are less involved on
their jobs than are internals.
2. Machiavellianism
Machiavellianism is named after Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote in the sixteenth
century on how to gain and use power. It refers to an individual’s propensity to
manipulate people for serving his/her interest. An individual high in
Machiavellianism is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes that ends
can justify means. These types of people manipulate more, win more, are persuaded
less, and persuade others more. They make good employees in jobs that require
bargaining skills or that offer substantial rewards for winning.
3. Self-esteem & Self Concept
Self-esteem is the degree to which people like or dislike them. Self esteem is directly
related to expectations for success. Individuals with high self-esteem will take more
risks in job selection and are more likely to choose unconventional jobs than people
with low self-esteem. The most generalized finding is that low SEs are more
susceptible to external influence than are high SEs. Low SEs are dependent on the
receipt of positive evaluations from others. In managerial positions, low SEs will tend
to be concerned with pleasing others. High SEs are more satisfied with their jobs than
are low SEs.
4. Self-monitoring
It refers to an individual’s ability to adjust his or her behavior to external situational
factors. Individuals high in self-monitoring show considerable adaptability. They are
highly sensitive to external cues, can behave differently in different situations, and are
capable of presenting striking contradictions between their public personal and their
private self. It can be hypothesized that individuals high in self-monitoring are likely
to be more successful managers who, at times, are required to play multiple and even
contradictory roles to perform their managerial activities.
5. Risk taking
The propensity to assume or avoid risk has an impact on how long it takes managers
to make a decision and how much information they require before making their
choice. Generally, high risk-taking managers make more rapid decisions and used less
information in making their choices.
6. Tolerance of Ambiguity
Tolerance of ambiguity is the tendency to perceive ambiguous situations as desirable.
In various work situations involving changes in technology, structure, or personnel
the tolerance of ambiguity factor could be significant in understanding behavioural
reactions.
7. Achievement Orientation
High achievers feel accomplishment from doing tasks that create challenges for their
abilities. They dislike sharing responsibility for success or failure. They have a
realistic attitude towards both success and failure. They regard both as learning
experiences and as opportunities by which to improve themselves.
8. Authoritarianism and Dogmatism
Extremely high authoritarian personality is intellectually rigid, judgmental of others,
deferential to those above and exploitative of those below, distrustful, and resistant to
change. They remain inclined to rules. They follow autocratic style of leadership.
Dogmatism refers to a person’s rigidity in being open minded to others’ viewpoints. A
dogmatic person is not conducive to creativity.
9. Type A and B Personality: Refer notes in earlier pages
10. Introversion and Extroversion: Refer notes in earlier pages
UNIT-9 PERSONALITY SYNDROME
Learning Objectives
3. To highlight on basic personality syndromes.
4. To discuss about causes, effects and treatment for personality disorder.

CONTENTS:
9.1 BASIC PERSONALITY SYNDROME
9.2 CAUSES OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS
9.3 EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF A PERSONALITY DISORDER
9.4 TREATMENET FOR PERSONALITY DISORDERS

9.1 BASIC PERSONALITY SYNDROME

Personality is the way of thinking, feeling and behaving that makes a person different from
other people. An individual’s personality is influenced by experiences, environment
(surroundings, life situations) and inherited characteristics. A personality disorder is a way of
thinking, feeling and behaving that deviates from the expectations of the culture, causes
distress or problems functioning, and lasts over time.
The types are grouped into three categories:
 Suspicious – paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal and antisocial.
 Emotional and impulsive – borderline, histrionic and narcissistic.
 Anxious – avoidant, dependent and obsessive compulsive.
For each type, a diagnosis will not be made if you have only one or two of the characteristics.
You may find that you meet the criteria for several different types of personality disorder. It
can also be the case that a wide range of people meet the criteria for the same disorder,
despite having very different personalities and different individual experiences.

1) Paranoid personality disorder

You may:
 find it hard to confide in people, even your friends
 find it very difficult to trust other people, believing they will use you or take advantage of
you
 watch others closely, looking for signs of betrayal or hostility
 read threats and danger – which others don’t see – into everyday situations.

2) Schizoid personality disorder

You may:
 be uninterested in forming close relationships with other people, including your family
 feel that relationships interfere with your freedom and tend to cause problems
 prefer to be alone with your own thoughts
 choose to live your life without interference from others
 get little pleasure from life
 have little interest in sex or intimacy
 be emotionally cold towards others

3) Schizotypal personality disorder

You may:
 find making close relationships extremely difficult
 think and express yourself in ways that others find ‘odd’, using unusual words or phrases
 behave in ways that others find eccentric
 believe that you can read minds or that you have special powers such as a ‘sixth sense’
 feel anxious and tense with others who do not share these beliefs
 feel very anxious and paranoid in social situations.

4) Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)

You will be at least 18 years old. You may:
 put yourself in dangerous or risky situations, often without considering the consequences
for yourself or for other people
 behave dangerously and sometimes illegally
 behave in ways that are unpleasant for others
 feel very easily bored and act on impulse – you may find it difficult to hold down a job for
long
 behave aggressively and get into fights easily
 do things – even though they may hurt people – to get what you want, putting your needs
above theirs
 have a criminal record
 feel no sense of guilt if you have mistreated others
 believe that only the strongest survive and that you must do whatever it takes to lead a
successful life because if you don’t grab opportunities, others will
 have had a diagnosis of conduct disorder before the age of 15.
This diagnosis includes ‘psychopathy’. This term is no longer used in the Mental Health
Act but a ‘psychopathy checklist’ questionnaire may be used in your assessment.

5) Borderline personality disorder (BPD)

You may:
 feel very worried about people abandoning you, and would do anything to stop that
happening
 have very intense emotions that last from a few hours to a few days and can change
quickly (for example, from feeling very happy and confident in the morning to feeling low
and sad in the afternoon)
 not have a strong sense of who you are, and it can change depending on who you're with
 find it very hard to make and keep stable relationships
 act impulsively and do things that could harm you (such as binge eating, using drugs or
driving dangerously)
 have suicidal thoughts or self-harming behaviour
 feel empty and lonely a lot of the time
 get very angry, and struggle to control your anger.
When very stressed, sometimes you might:
 feel paranoid
 have psychotic experiences, such as seeing or hearing things that other people don't
 feel numb or 'checked out' and not remember things properly after they've happened.
BPD is like having no emotional buffer. I can go from nothing to suddenly extremely
overwhelming emotions and I struggle with expressing them healthily.
See our in-depth section on borderline personality disorder (BPD) to find out more.

6) Histrionic personality disorder

You may:
 feel very uncomfortable if you are not the centre of attention
 feel much more at ease as the ‘life and soul of the party’
 feel that you have to entertain people
 flirt or behave provocatively to ensure that you remain the centre of attention
 get a reputation for being dramatic and overemotional
 feel dependent on the approval of others
 be easily influenced by others.

7) Narcissistic personality disorder

You may:
 believe that there are special reasons that make you different, better or more deserving
than others
 have fragile self-esteem, so that you rely on others to recognise your worth and your needs
 feel upset if others ignore you and don’t give you what you feel you deserve
 resent other people’s successes
 put your own needs above other people’s, and demand they do too
 be seen as selfish and ‘above yourself’
 take advantage of other people.

8) Avoidant (or anxious) personality disorder

You may:
 avoid work or social activities that mean you must be with others
 expect disapproval and criticism and be very sensitive to it
 worry constantly about being ‘found out’ and rejected
 worry about being ridiculed or shamed by others
 avoid relationships, friendships and intimacy because you fear rejection
 feel lonely and isolated, and inferior to others
 be reluctant to try new activities in case you embarrass yourself.

9) Dependent personality disorder

You may:
 feel needy, weak and unable to make decisions or function properly without help or
support
 allow others to assume responsibility for many areas of your life
 agree to things you feel are wrong or you dislike to avoid being alone or losing someone's
support
 be afraid of being left to fend for yourself
 have low self-confidence
 see other people as being much more capable than you are
 be seen by others as much too submissive and passive.

10) Obsessive (compulsive) personality disorder (OCPD)

You may:
 need to keep everything in order and under control
 set unrealistically high standards for yourself and others
 think yours is the best way of making things happen
 worry when you or others might make mistakes
 expect catastrophes if things aren’t perfect
 be reluctant to spend money on yourself or others
 have a tendency to hang onto items with no obvious value.
OCPD is separate from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which describes a form of
behaviour rather than a type of personality.

Type of
personality Description
disorder

Guarded, defensive, distrustful and suspicious. Hypervigilant to the motives

of others to undermine or do harm. Always seeking confirmatory evidence
of hidden schemes. Feel righteous, but persecuted. People with paranoid
Paranoid personality disorder experience a pattern of pervasive distrust and suspicion
of others that lasts a long time. They are generally difficult to work with
and are very hard to form relationships with. They are also known to be
somewhat short-tempered.

Apathetic, indifferent, remote, solitary, distant, humorless. Neither desire

nor need human attachments. Withdrawn from relationships and prefer to
be alone. Little interest in others, often seen as a loner. Minimal awareness
of the feelings of themselves or others. Few drives or ambitions, if any. Is
Schizoid an uncommon condition in which people avoid social activities and
consistently shy away from interaction with others. It affects more males
than females. To others, they may appear somewhat dull or humorless.
Because they don't tend to show emotion, they may appear as though they
don't care about what's going on around them.
 Eccentric, self-estranged, bizarre, absent. Exhibit peculiar mannerisms and
behaviors. Think they can read thoughts of others. Preoccupied with odd
daydreams and beliefs. Blur line between reality and fantasy. Magical
Schizotypal thinking and strange beliefs. People with schizotypal personality disorder
are often described as odd or eccentric and usually have few, if any, close
relationships. They generally don't understand how relationships form or
the impact of their behavior on others.

Impulsive, irresponsible, deviant, unruly. Act without due consideration.

Meet social obligations only when self-serving. Disrespect societal
customs, rules, and standards. See themselves as free and independent.
Antisocial
People with antisocial personality disorder depict a long pattern of
disregard for other people's rights. They often cross the line and violate
these rights.

Unpredictable, manipulative, unstable. Frantically fears abandonment and

isolation. Experience rapidly fluctuating moods. Shift rapidly between
loving and hating. See themselves and others alternatively as all-good and
Borderline
all-bad. Unstable and frequently changing moods. People with borderline
personality disorder have a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal
relationships.

Dramatic, seductive, shallow, stimulus-seeking, vain. Overreact to minor

events. Exhibitionistic as a means of securing attention and favors. See
themselves as attractive and charming. Constantly seeking others' attention.
Histrionic Disorder is characterized by constant attention-seeking, emotional
overreaction, and suggestibility. Their tendency to over-dramatize may
impair relationships and lead to depression, but they are often high-
functioning.

Egotistical, arrogant, grandiose, insouciant. Preoccupied with fantasies of

success, beauty, or achievement. See themselves as admirable and superior,
and therefore entitled to special treatment. Is a mental disorder in which
Narcissistic
people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for
admiration. Those with narcissistic personality disorder believe that they're
superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings.

Hesitant, self-conscious, embarrassed, anxious. Tense in social situations

due to fear of rejection. Plagued by constant performance anxiety. See
Avoidant themselves as inept, inferior, or unappealing. They experience long-
standing feelings of inadequacy and are very sensitive of what others think
about them.
 Helpless, incompetent, submissive, immature. Withdrawn from adult
responsibilities. See themselves as weak or fragile. Seek constant
Dependent reassurance from stronger figures. They have the need to be taken care of
by a person. They fear being abandoned or separated from important people
in their life.

Restrained, conscientious, respectful, rigid. Maintain a rule-bound lifestyle.

Obsessive– Adhere closely to social conventions. See the world in terms of regulations
compulsive and hierarchies. See themselves as devoted, reliable, efficient, and
productive.

9.2 CAUSES OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Research suggests that genetics, abuse and other factors contribute to the development of
obsessive-compulsive, narcissistic or other personality disorders.
In the past, some believed that people with personality disorders were just lazy or even evil.
But new research has begun to explore such potential causes as genetics, parenting and peer
influences:
 Genetics. Researchers are beginning to identify some possible genetic factors behind
personality disorders.
a. One team, for instance, has identified a malfunctioning gene that may be a
factor in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
b. Other researchers are exploring genetic links to aggression, anxiety and fear
— traits that can play a role in personality disorders.
Childhood trauma. Findings from one of the largest studies of personality disorders,
the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study, offer clues about the role
of childhood experiences.
One study found a link between the number and type of childhood traumas and the
development of personality disorders. People with borderline personality disorder, for
example, had especially high rates of childhood sexual trauma.
Verbal abuse. Even verbal abuse can have an impact. In a study of 793 mothers and
children, researchers asked mothers if they had screamed at their children, told them
they didn’t love them or threatened to send them away. Children who had experienced
such verbal abuse were three times as likely as other children to have borderline,
narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive or paranoid personality disorders in adulthood.
 High reactivity. Sensitivity to light, noise, texture and other stimuli may also play a
role.
Overly sensitive children, who have what researchers call “high reactivity,” are more likely
to develop shy, timid or anxious personalities.
However, high reactivity’s role is still far from clear-cut. Twenty percent of infants are
highly reactive, but less than 10 percent go on to develop social phobias.
Peers. Certain factors can help prevent children from developing personality
disorders.
Even a single strong relationship with a relative, teacher or friend can offset negative
influences, say psychologists.

9.3 EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF A PERSONALITY DISORDER

Regardless of whether a person's personality disorder symptoms are mild or severe, having an
untreated personality disorder can lead to severe consequences. Personality disorders can
adversely affect an individual in a number of ways, putting them at a higher risk for:
 Responding to typical life stresses in inappropriate and unproductive ways.
 Refusing to take doctor-prescribed medications on schedule and as directed.
 Engaging in self-destructive and risky behavior that can lead to illness or injury (i.e.
substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, poor sleep and nutrition).
 Issues raising children because they may use inconsistent, overemotional, abusive,
detached, or irresponsible parenting styles. This can increase the risk of physical and
mental illness in their children.
 Poor relationships with healthcare providers and others with potential to help them.
This is especially true for providers who don't detect the presence of a personality
disorder. People with these disorders often have stormy relationships because they do
not take responsibility for their actions and are distrustful, overly demanding and
needy.
Personality disorders affect men and women with equal frequency; although, certain types are
slightly more common in one gender over the other. Continue on for more information about
personality disorders.

Four Core Features

When coming up with a standard personality disorder definition, the American Psychiatry
Association (APA) found four core features present in all types of personality disorders. The
four common features listed in the DSM-5 personality disorders section (APA, 2013) are:
1. Distorted thought patterns
2. Problematic emotional responses
3. Poor impulse control
4. Interpersonal (relational) difficulties
A person with a personality disorder will show a long-term pattern of behaviours and internal
experience in two of these areas. For instance, if you know someone with an enduring pattern
of inappropriate emotional responses to life events and issues who also has problems
maintaining healthy relationships, that individual may have one (or more) of the DSM
personality disorders.

9.4 TREATMENET FOR PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Certain types of psychotherapy are effective for treating personality disorders. During
psychotherapy, an individual can gain insight and knowledge about the disorder and what is
contributing to symptoms, and can talk about thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Psychotherapy can help a person understand the effects of their behaviour on others and learn
to manage or cope with symptoms and to reduce behaviours causing problems with
functioning and relationships. The type of treatment will depend on the specific personality
disorder, how severe it is, and the individual’s circumstances.
Commonly used types of psychotherapy include:
o Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy
o Dialectical behaviour therapy
o Cognitive behavioural therapy
o Group therapy
o Psycho education (teaching the individual and family members about the illness,
treatment and ways of coping)
There are no medications specifically to treat personality disorders. However, medication,
such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication or mood stabilizing medication, may be
helpful in treating some symptoms. More severe or long lasting symptoms may require a
team approach involving a primary care doctor, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, social worker
and family members.
In addition to actively participating in a treatment plan, some self-care and coping strategies
can be helpful for people with personality disorders.
o Learn about the condition. Knowledge and understanding can help empower and
motivate.
o Get active. Physical activity and exercise can help manage many symptoms, such as
depression, stress and anxiety.
o Avoid drugs and alcohol. Alcohol and illegal drugs can worsen symptoms or interact
with medications.
o Get routine medical care. Don’t neglect checkups or regular care from your family
doctor.
o Join a support group of others with personality disorders.
o Write in a journal to express your emotions.
o Try relaxation and stress management techniques such as yoga and meditation.
o Stay connected with family and friends; avoid becoming isolated.
UNIT-10 SYMBOL OF SELF
Learning Objectives
1. To clarify the concept of symbol of self.
2. To highlight various roles of symbols of self.
3. To focus on persistence and change.
4. To suggest different ways to improve one’s personality or moulding personality

CONTENTS:
10.1 SYMBOL OF SELF
10.2 ROLES OF SYMBOLS OF SELF
I) CLOTHING
II) NAMES AND NICKNAMES
III) AGE AND PERSONALITY
IV) SUCCESS AND PERSONALITY
V) SPEECH AS A SYMBOL OF SELF
VI) REPUTATION AS A SYMBOL OF SELF
10.3 PERSISTANCE AND CHANGE
10.4 WAYS TO IMPROVE ONE’S PERSONALITY/ MOLDING PERSONALITY

10.1 SYMBOL OF SELF

The term self-concept is a general term used to refer to how a person thinks about,
evaluates or perceives himself. To be aware of oneself is to have a concept of oneself.
Baumeister provides the following self concept definition:
"Self concept is an individual's belief about himself or herself, including the person's
attributes and who and what the self is".
Self Concept is an important term for both social psychology and humanism. Lewis
suggests that development of a concept of self has two aspects:
(1) The Existential Self
This is the most basic part of or self-concept; the sense of being separate and distinct
from others and the awareness of the constancy of the self.
The child realizes that he exists as a separate entity from others and that he continues to
exist over time and space.
According to Lewis awareness of the existential self begins as young as two to three
months old and arises in part due to the relation the child has with the world. For
example, the child smiles and someone smiles back, or the child touches a mobile and
sees it move.
(2) The Categorical Self
Having realized that he or she exists as a separate experiencing being, the child next
becomes aware that he or she is also an object in the world.
Just as other objects including people have properties that can be experienced (big, small,
red, smooth and so on) so the child becomes aware of him as an object which can be
experienced and which has properties.
The self can be put into different categories such as age, gender, size or skill.
In early childhood, the categories children apply to themselves are very concrete (e.g.
hair colour, height and favourite things). Later, self-description also begins to include
reference to internal psychological traits such as comparative evaluations and to how
others look at them.
Carl Rogers (1959) believes that the self concept has three different components:
 The view you have of yourself (self image)
 How much value you place on yourself (self esteem or self-worth)
 What you wish you were really like (ideal self)

Self Image

How we see ourselves, which is important to good psychological health. Self-image

includes the influence of our body image on inner personality. At a simple level, we
might perceive ourselves as a good or bad person, beautiful or ugly. Self-image has an
effect on how a person thinks, feels and behaves in the world. A person's self image is
affected by many factors, such as parental influences, friends, the media etc.
The list of answers to the question “Who Am I?” probably include examples of each of
the following four types of responses:
1) Physical Description: I’m tall, have blue eyes...etc.
2) Social Roles: We are all social beings whose behaviour is shaped to some extent
by the roles we play. Such roles as student, housewife, or member of the cricket team
 not only help others to recognize us but also help us to know what is expected of us in
various situations.
3) Personal Traits: This is the third dimension of our self-descriptions. “I’m
impulsive...I’m generous...I tend to worry a lot”...etc.
4) Existential Statements (abstract ones): These can range from "I’m a child of the
universe" to "I’m a human being" to "I’m a spiritual being"...etc.
Typically young people describe themselves more in terms of personal traits, whereas
older people feel defined to a greater extent by their social roles.

Self Esteem and Self Worth

(The extent to which you value yourself)

Self esteem refers to the extent to which we like accept or approve of ourselves or
how much we value ourselves. Self esteem always involves a degree of evaluation
and we may have either a positive or a negative view of ourselves.

High Self Esteem i.e. we have a positive view of ourselves. This tends to lead to:
 Confidence in our own abilities
 Self acceptance
 Not worrying about what others think
 Optimism
Low Self Esteem i.e. we have a negative view of ourselves. This tends to lead to:
 Lack of confidence
 Want to be/look like someone else
 Always worrying what others might think
 Pessimism
Bracken (1992) suggested that there are six specific domains related to self-concept:
 Social - the ability to interact with others
 Competence - ability to meet basic needs
 Affect - awareness of emotional states
 Physical - feelings about looks, health, physical condition, and overall appearance
 Academic - success or failure in school
 Family - how well one functions within the family unit
Ideal self
This is the person who we would like to be. It consists of our goals and ambitions in life,
and is dynamic – i.e. forever changing. The ideal self in childhood is not the ideal self in
our teens or late twenties etc.

An individual interacts with his environment according to his unique personality

pattern. Symbols of self are visible signs of something invisible. They suggest something
to the observer. It is through symbols of self that a person tries to reveal to others qualities
which he wants them to associate with him but which he cannot or does not want to reveal
directly. For instance, if one went around telling people that he is rich, he would be
considered boastful. But he can use indirect less obvious techniques to reveal his wealth
by wearing expensive clothes, driving a high powered car and joining an exclusive club.
In short, he would prefer selecting a symbol that is the less likely it is to be
misinterpreted. Every cultural group has its own symbols which it uses to judge other
people.

10.2 ROLES OF SYMBOLS OF SELF

Symbols of self not only influence ones judgment of other people but also influence one’s
concept of self. If a person is a newcomer to a certain group or community, symbols of
self will carry a lot of weight with regard to how he will be judged. If on the other hand, a
person is known to the group for a time, symbols of self will have less influence. For
instance, the better known the individual the less important are his clothes in determining
his popularity. Symbols of self contribute to the person’s individuality and play a major
role in personality development than what many people may wish to accept. Each society
has various symbols which they use to communicate certain things. For instance, a child
going to school is a positive symbol of growing up. The child feels happy to be like every
other child by attending school and going to school signifies a sense of maturity which
leaves behind the babyhood days.

I) CLOTHING
Clothing is an important symbol of self because it affects first impression as well as
subsequent judgements of a person. Among the qualities people try to symbolise by their
clothes are autonomy, desire for attention, identity with a specific group, individuality,
success, sex appropriateness and maturity.

People in most culture value good and expensive clothes. Clothes may be a way of
protecting oneself, a means of defying the social standards of rules of dress. A person
may wear clothes as a symbol of communicating something to people. For instance,
expensive clothes portray the message that the person has a lot of money, while tattered
clothes portray the opposite. Excessive interest in clothes than is normally shown by
other people of the same age may be an indication of an unfavorable self-concept.
Excessive interest may be shown by keeping up with the latest fashion, talking constantly
about good clothes and poor clothes and spending too much money on clothes in
proportion to one’s income. A person who has poor self –concept may dress carelessly or
poorly. He or she may feel that the world does not have a favourable opinion of him and
likewise treats him as the world sees him.
Those who are dress centered are conscientious, conventional, conforming, non-
intellectual, sociable, submissive and sympathetic.
Interest in economy in dress indicate ones tendency to be responsible, conscientious,
alert, efficient, precise, and controlled, while interest in comfort in dress have the
tendency of self-control, are socially cooperative, and are more sociable.

II) NAMES AND NICKNAMES

A person's name has an impact on the process of building a self-concept because the
name helps determine the messages other people send the child. The most important
aspect of personality affected by names is self-concept. Parents are the most important
message-senders, but, as children mature and become more and more independent, the
messages of teachers, classmates, and other people all contribute to their developing
concepts of self. In a sense, self-concept works as a kind of script for the way people act.
If a boy has an image of himself as bad or as not capable of doing well in school, his
behaviour will probably reflect that image. He will tend to behave the way he thinks a
"bad boy" is supposed to behave, or he will fail to learn as he should even though he
might be quite intelligent. The influence of names and nicknames on the self concept
comes not from the names but from the bearer’s realisation towards his names. First and
last names and nicknames have more influence on the self concept than middle names,
though their relative influence varies with the person’s age.

It has been well established through research that certain names are generally considered
desirable in our culture and have positive feelings associated with them while other
names are looked upon as being undesirable and carry negative associations. In light of
the important link between names and self-concept, investigators have found
relationships between names and the tendency toward mental illness. Most of the time
these messages are very subtle, but sometimes they take the form of jokes, teasing, and
even ridicule, especially within the child's peer group. At best, the joking and teasing can
make children self-conscious about their names and reluctant to have any contact with
other children out of fear of being ridiculed.

Girls seem to receive nick names often than boys, and the reason goes back to the earlier
point that there is greater flexibility in the names we tolerate for females than for males.

There are two distinct problems which the bearers of nick names must endure. First, nick
names tend to lose their popular appeal after only a few years and then more or less drop
out of sight as names given to babies. The second problem occurs at school, and it results
from the fact that more than one child in a classroom is likely to have the same nick
name. This happens with all names that are reasonably common, but it happens much
more often with names that go through periods of great popularity.

III) AGE AND PERSONALITY

Generally people who face social displacement between the ages of six and 12 are more
prone to personality changes. Something happens to them at that point in their lives that
disrupt them a little bit. It could be divorce of parents; it could be moving to a different
country, it could be moving schools. It requires people to think differently in such
contingency situations. Very early on in their lives, they have to think about ambiguity,
about virgin territory, stepping into the unknown, coping with that somehow, making
sense of the unfamiliar and finding their footing again. If a person faces such situations in
early phase of his life, he becomes more strong and calm in his later age. The more
extreme feelings of displacement and feeling like an outsider at the younger age, the less
emotional stress he/she will feel under similar situations as he/she gets older.

Sometimes when a person is confronted very frequently with such critical situations as an
ambivalent relationship with authority, feeling let down from parents, facing
unpredictable emotions from adults and so on at quite early age-he decides to have an
independent stance.

The largest changes in personality occur in young adulthood (age 20–40), but personality
continues to change even in middle and old age, showing that personality traits can
change at any age. In young adulthood, people start a career, get married, and have
children. In this time, people shape their identities and choose the long-term goals in their
lives. Personality develops toward greater maturity in adulthood. As a person gets more
into adulthood, he/she has new responsibilities and that's why gets more conscientiousness.
A person who has a family gets more agreeable.

The researchers found that conscientiousness i.e. being organized, well planned and
disciplined, especially at work increases most strongly in the 20s for both men and women,
and these personality changes slow down by age 30. Yet, these changes do not stop
altogether. Agreeableness i.e. being warm, generous and helpful gets accelerated most in the
30s in both men and women and climb up more slowly in the 40s, with women recording
higher overall levels. Women become less gregarious with age while men became slightly
more outgoing.

People do not necessarily become more agreeable as they age. Most research shows that as
people get older, they are not more agreeable -- they don't care as much. The key to these
improvements may be the result of attaining a better sense of identity. And that often occurs
in 30s.

People may not be really less open as they age; they may just not choose to meet new people
and instead spend their time with already established loved ones. Personality changes
throughout life. People tend to have more integrity and put more emphasis on fulfilling their
responsibilities and doing what they say they'll do.
With age people do learn to self-regulate their emotions (high self-directedness), but the
actual level of negative emotionality remains stable. Novelty seeking decreases
moderately with age. It is possible that repeated exposure to initially novel stimuli may
lead to decreased novelty seeking. People tend to lose purpose in life and personal growth
with age.
Age and Self Concept
The effect of age on self concept comes only with person’s awareness of how members of
social group regard his age and the roles they expect him to play. Society expects certain
types of roles to be played by the people falling in certain age groups. And if a person is
forced to play the roles which do not fall within those age groups, society does not readily
accept it. This has adverse psychological impact on the person about his self concept.
Being subjected to unfavourable social attitude, because of his age and being forced to
play roles not to his liking have damaging effects on self concept. The only way a person
can escape the psychology damaged that comes from unfavourable judgement of him
because of his age is to try to create the impression that his age falls within the range that
elicits favourable social judgement.
One of the most common example of the persisting effects of reputation on the self
concept has to do with young people who were regarded as ‘stars’ in their high school or
college days. Not only do they develop aloofness that comes from feeling superior, but,
even worse, they cannot adjust to being ‘average’ when they get out into the larger world.

IV) SUCCESS AND PERSONALITY

Successful is the achievement of something as per an individual’s own desire or other’s
expectations. Success varies in degrees. It helps a person to project his personality well. It
is judged on the following criteria:
 Performance of roles as expected of a person
 Popularity earned
 Quality and level of leadership reached
 Prestige gained
 Material and non-material possessions and achievements
 Rank and status achieved
 Life style
It is also possible that, with time, it has become more difficult to reach the definition of
being successful and well adjusted. High occupational and leisure time efficiency
demands both require people to be highly self-directed and cooperative to be successful.
Due to changes in the social climate, people work harder to reach these demands than
before.

Coupled with the struggle that they have faced, there is the desire for escape, adventure
and success. They are willing to let go of what they've got and where they've come from,
in order to be successful – a desire to reinvent themselves without worrying too much
about what they're letting go of.
Generally, those who have faced challenges of life at an early age, find it bit easy to be
successful at young age. That is not to say that if they have been brought up in a very
clear social structure – one that feels very comfortable and full of stability and security –
that a person can’t be successful; it is just that the attitude towards success of people
from that background is different. It is about fitting in, following the rules, and how
people have done it before, whereas people who feel different and slightly displaced
are comfortable with doing things differently. They say, “If it's never been done before,
then let's make the impossible possible.”

Common Personality Traits of Successful People:

There are no fixed personality traits for success. Yet, the following common traits have
been observed in successful people:
Successful people discover their unique selling point; they identify their strengths early
on. By the time they get to their teenage years, they find ways of using those strengths in
ways that naturally shine, so that by the time they enter into their career in their mid-
twenties those strengths are clear to everybody.

They are able to recognise their blind spots i.e they are well aware of their strong points
as well as their weak points. They work on mitigating the risk of weak spots that get in
the way of their success by building a team around them. This way they complement
their strengths and also make sure the right checks and balances are in place. They ask
for genuine feedback from the people that know them best. They are well aware that they
are not always the best person to determine what their strengths are.
Successful people encourage others to be very honest with them about the things that
they are not naturally good at and its implications on their career. They have the capacity
to make a neutral assessment into whether they are truly living a happy life and that they
are in the job they wanted to be in.

They have capacity to tap into their inner resilience, something that allows them to learn
from their mistakes, rather than getting bogged down in the idea of failure. These people
seem to be comfortable with things not working out as planned. It goes back to what
their childhood taught them that you can feel like you are out of control, things do not go
well every time and that you do not have everything that you need in order to make a
decision but you feel comfortable making a decision anyway. This inner belief and
resilience is something that stands out about super successful people.

Success can come from the most unexpected of people and places. Those who have an
attitude to learn, to change and to adapt are found to be more successful in life. Ability to
adapt is the most critical factor to success.

Most successful people have found a company culture that fits them. The credit can be
accorded to their luck. They can see other people like them who have succeeded before
them and so they tread that path.

Some successful people have managed somehow to succeed in lots of different

disciplines, lots of different fields, lots of different types of companies, and in lots of
different types of roles. Those who have the tendency to learn new things, ways and
methods are found to be more successful. Besides, being real and authentic help a lot in
making a man successful.
A person who is willing to change from within has capacity to change his work, his life
and his world. A lot of it starts with an inner desire or something that we call intrinsic
motivation.

Super successful people are ready to take risks in life. They are ready to lose all that they
have and are damn sure to get something even better. They are ready to reinvest
themselves. At the end of the day when they look back at a life that is lived by taking
chances, they say that there's a story behind it. There is coherence to that story, it is not
like you're living a schizophrenic life, it all starts to make sense. They do not expect
success overnight, but they follow their instinct, and at some point of time it all makes
sense.

Personality of Success
Personality cannot be defined in one word, or with half a dozen words, for it represents
the sum total of all one’s characteristics, good and bad. However, it is believed that a
pleasing personality is a personality of success.

A person’s clothes form an important part of his personality: the way he wears them, the
harmony of colours he selects, the quality and many other details, all go to indicate much
that is intrinsically a part of his personality. Psychologists claim that a person can be
analysed accurately by the way he dresses up.
Facial expression forms an important part of a person’s personality. His voice, its pitch,
tone, volume, and the language he uses form an important part of his personality,
because they mark him instantly, once he has spoken, as a person of refinement or the
opposite.

The manner in which a person shakes hands constitutes an important part of his
personality. If, when shaking hands, the hand he offers is limp and lifeless as a dead fish,
he is displaying a personality that shows no sign of enthusiasm or initiative. This helps
him in achieving success.

A pleasing personality usually may be found in the person who speaks gently and kindly,
selecting refined words that do not offend, in a modest tone of voice; who selects
clothing of appropriate style and colors that harmonize. One who is unselfish and not
only willing, but desirous of serving others; who is a friend of all humanity, the rich and
poor alike, regardless of politics, religion or occupation; Who refrains from speaking
unkindly of others, either with or without cause; who manages to converse without being
drawn into vulgar conversations or useless arguments on such debatable subject as
religion and politics; who sees both the good and bad in people, but makes due allowance
for the latter; who seeks neither to reform nor to reprimand others; who smiles frequently
and deeply; who loves music and little children; who sympathizes with all who are in
trouble an forgives acts of unkindness; who willingly grants others the right to do as they
please as long as no one’s rights are interfered with; who earnestly strives to be
constructive in every thought and deed encourages others and spurs them on to greater
and better achievement in their chosen line of work.

A pleasing personality is something that can be acquired by anyone who has the
determination to learn how to negotiate his or her way through life without friction, with
the subject of getting along peacefully and quietly with others. A man could accomplish
more with a pleasing personality than he could with a college degree, minus the
personality.

One who possesses a Pleasing Personality stands out so boldly, compared to the majority
of people, that his or her pleasing qualities become, all the more, pronounced.

It has been said, and perhaps correctly, that “courtesy” represents the most valuable
characteristics known to the human race. Courtesy costs nothing, yet it returns dividends
that are stupendous if it is practiced as a matter of habit, in a spirit of sincerity.

A Summary of characteristics of a successful personality is stated below:

 Suitable physique and good health
 Role related appearance
 Good IQ and appropriate knowledge
 Positive outlook and emotional balance
 Wisdom
 Responsible, self-respecting and dutiful attitude
 Correct appraisal of one’s own and other’s sensitivities, strengths and weaknesses
 Proper understanding of the implications of the roles of self and others
 Understanding the realities and constraints of life and situations
 Team spirit and a healthy leadership with superiors, peers, subordinates, family and
the society
 Self-discipline, an unselfish attitude and good conduct
 Socially well accepted, hard working and determination to succeed
 Cool and cheerful disposition under all situations.
V) SPEECH AS A SYMBOL OF SELF
Our perception of others can be influenced by the way they speak and the message they
are trying to relay. In the same manner, the way we speak influences others perception
about us. This is one of the reasons why speech is very important in personality
development.

If a person is careful with his speech, whether formal or informal, he can gain a positive
perception from his peers, colleagues, and our superiors. If he is fond of using negative
words, for example, people will tend to think that he has a bad personality. On the other
hand, if he talks with grace, finesse, and confidence, then it is common for others to
perceive him as someone with a pleasing personality.

Speech is considered as a symbol of self as it tells others how the speaker thinks of
himself. It also shows how he feels about other people.

VI) REPUTATION AS A SYMBOL OF SELF

Reputation is the impression created on others. It could be good, bad, average,
favourable or unfavourable. Reputation is directly linked with the means used and the
type of success achieved by a person. The creation and maintenance of a good reputation
requires constant efforts and repeated good achievements. Reputation wins friends and
followers. It also crates competition. It gives immense self confidence and one feels like
a hero. Success and reputation together play a significant role in reflecting the
personality of a person.
Sociability is an individual’s ability to adjust with others. This is yet another factor that
helps a person build his good reputation.

Doing one’s duty properly enables oneself to fulfil his personal and social aims. It also
helps in building a reputation. People respect those individuals who respect themselves
and perform their duties well.

Being friendly, amicable, co-operative, sincere, dedicated, devoted, committed to task,

being loyal are some of the qualities that help a person to build positive reputation.
People with charismatic, dynamic and magnetic personalities are more competitive than
their counterparts. They enjoy more reputation than their competitors. Such people do
not criticize, condemn or complain. They show genuine interest in others. They respect
the other person’s opinion.

Reputations are acquired from social judgements based on first impression, observations
of behaviour and cultural stereotypes. A person’s reputation quickly spreads among
members of a social group and thus becomes a halo by which the individual is judged in
many areas of life. Once an unfavourable reputation has been acquired, changing it is
almost impossible except by geographic mobility which enables the person to bury his
old reputation and establish a new one among member of a new social group.

The damaging constructing of an unfavourable reputation, so far as personality is

concerned, comes from the fact that it colours the judgement others make of a person,
and these judgements, in turn, colour his evaluation of himself. Even when an
unfavourable reputation has been buried and a new favourable one is established, the
person has become so accustomed to evaluating himself in unfavourable terms that he
continues to do so. Thus, it has an adverse symbol of self.

10.3 PERSISTANCE AND CHANGE

Persistence, as used in psychology, refers to a personality trait that causes a person to
persevere in a task despite obstacles or frustrations rather than simply giving up. This
trait, often associated with stubbornness and perfectionism, is a prime ingredient in
success in many pursuits such as athletics, academics, business, etc. One common
example of this is seen in sports where a player continues to play the game despite
injuries, rather than abandon the game and their teammates. Thus, persistence is the
ability to continue to get up no matter how many times you’ve been knocked down. It
requires will power, flexibility, strength of character, determination and a desire to
succeed at all costs.

If there was one common denominator that could be applied to successful people, it
would be persistence.

The brilliant minds, the great achievers, the magnetic leaders of our generation and
throughout history did not achieve their success at the start of their journey – they
achieved it when their vision became reality.
Persistence is about having a vision and working towards that goal. However, if you
study the path most visionaries have taken to achieve their goals, you’ll discover that
persistence lies in holding on to the vision, not on the path they chose to achieve their
vision.

Persistence without purpose is useless. Dogged determination to adhere to a plan that is

not getting you to where you want to go IS NOT persistence. Being persistent means
having the strength and flexibility to stop and take stock when you become aware your
efforts are not getting results. The value of persistence lies in maintaining your goal
while re-positioning yourself to get there without continually hitting your head against a
brick wall.

What Is Personality Change?

Immature people (low self-directedness and low cooperativeness) are more prone to
personality change than are mature people. Mature people receive less pressure than do
immature people from society to change in a norm-favoured direction because they
already are near the cultural norm. Mature people are also less likely to face important
life-changing decisions because they have usually already chosen their path in life.
Maturity might also facilitate the development of resilience to environmental adversity
and improve coping in challenging life situations.
Changing a core personality trait (such as introversion) is difficult, but you can change
your behaviour. It's never too late to do what you want to do, and with a little sweat and a
little luck, you can break out of old patterns and be just who you want to be.

Change over a lifetime

Some traits tend to change with age while some traits tend to stay stable. There is an
increase in consistency of a trait as age increases. However, personality does not stop
changing at a specific age. Biological and social transitions in life may also be a factor for
change. Biological transitions are stages like puberty or first childbirth. Social transitions
might be changes in social roles like becoming a parent or working at a first job. These
life transitions do not necessarily cause change, but they may be reasons for change. One
theory says that whether or not these life transitions cause personality change is based on
whether the transition was expected based on age or was unforeseen. The events that are
expected will cause personality change because those events have common scripts.
However, events that are unexpected will give prominence to the traits that already exist
for the individual. Historical context also effects personality change. Major life events can
lead to changes in personality that can persist for more than a decade.

Stressful life events

Negative life events, long-term difficulties, and deteriorated life quality, all predict small
but persistent increases in neuroticism, while positive life events, and improved life
quality, predict small but persistent decreases in neuroticism. There appears to be no point
during the lifespan that neuroticism is immutable, which is known as the plasticity
principle.
Mechanisms of change
There are multiple ways for an individual's personality to change. Individuals will change
their behaviour based on the ideas in their environment that
emit rewards and punishments. Some of these ideas might be implicit, like social roles.
The individual changes his or her personality to fit into a social role if it is favourable.
Other ideas might be more explicit like a parent trying to change a child's behaviour. An
individual may decide to actively try to change his or her own behaviour after thinking
about his or her own actions. Therapy involves the same type of introspection. The
individual along with the therapist identifies the behaviours that are inappropriate, and
then self-monitors in order to change them. Eventually the individual internalizes the
behaviour they want to attain, and that trait will generalize to other areas of the
individual's life. Personality change also occurs when individuals observe the actions of
others. Individuals may mimic the behaviours of others and then internalize those
behaviours. Once the individual internalizes those behaviours they are said to be a part of
that person's personality. Individuals also receive feedback from other individuals or
groups about their own personality. This is a driving force of change because the
individual has social motivations to change his or her personality. It has also been shown
that major positive and negative life events can predict changes in personality.
Change in the Big Five
The Big Five personality traits are often used to measure change in personality. There is a
mean-level change in the Big Five traits from age 10 to 65. The trends seen in adulthood
are different from trends seen in childhood and adolescence. Some research suggests that
during adolescence rank-order change does occur and therefore personality is highly
unstable. Gender differences are also shown before adulthood. Conscientiousness drops
from late childhood to adolescence, but then picks back up from adolescence into
adulthood. Agreeableness also drops from late childhood to adolescence, but then picks
back up from adolescence into adulthood. Neuroticism shows a different trend for males
and females in childhood and adolescence. For females, Neuroticism increases from
childhood to adolescence. Then Neuroticism levels from adolescence into adulthood and
continues the adult trend of decreasing. Males however, tend to gradually decrease in
Neuroticism from childhood to adolescence into adulthood. Extraversion drops from
childhood to adolescence and then does not really change that much. Openness to
experience also shows a different trend for different genders. Females tend to decrease in
Openness to experience from childhood to early adulthood and then gradually increases
all throughout adulthood. Males tend to decrease in Openness to experience from
childhood to adolescence, then it tends to increase through adulthood. In adulthood,
Neuroticism tends to decrease, while Conscientiousness and Agreeableness tend to
increase. Extraversion and Openness to experience do not seem to change much during
adulthood. These trends seen in adulthood are different from trends seen in childhood and
adolescence. Cross-cultural research shows that German, British, Czech, and Turkish
people show similar trends of these personality traits.
The Big Five personality traits can also be broken down into facets. Different facets of
each personality trait are often correlated with different behavioural outcomes. Breaking
down the personality traits into facets is difficult and not yet at a consensus. However, it
is important to look at change in facets over a lifetime separate from just the change in
traits because different facets of the same trait show different trends. Neuroticism can be
broken into the two facets of anxiety and depression. Anxiety has the same trend as
Neuroticism for both males and females. For females, anxiety increases from childhood to
adolescence, at emerging adulthood it levels out, and then starts to decrease into and
throughout middle age. Anxiety in males tends to decrease from late childhood through
adulthood. Depression (not clinical depression, but rather susceptibility to negative affect)
shows two peaks in females. Females tend to have higher levels of this kind of depression
in adolescence and then again in early adulthood. Depression does, however, have a
negative trend through adulthood. For males, depression tends to show an increase from
childhood to early adulthood and then shows a slight decrease through middle age.
10.4 WAYS TO IMPROVE ONE’S PERSONALITY/ MOLDING PERSONALITY

Changing one’s personality is a lot like overeating and wanting to lose weight, experts
say. If a person wants to lose weight, he becomes conscious of when and why he
overeats. This constant, intentional behaviour eventually becomes his second nature over
time. Here are five tips to get started.
1) Identify a Trait: Richard Levak, a psychologist from Del Mar Caligornia suggests
that the first step to improve one’s personality is to recognize the pieces of his
personality that affects him the most. Then he must try to find out which ones he can
make the most of by changing. He must also try to find out a pattern of conflict or
negative feedback in his career or personal life.
2) Focus on One Behaviour (at a time): It is better for a person to start working with
his own behaviour. He must isolate the behaviour that is causing him the most difficulty
and he should try to work on that one. Initial results might not be encouraging. It is not
advisable to set expectations too high. Besides, he must not expect to restructure his
personality overnight. He is expected to have patience as change takes time.
3) Start Small: It is important to start small, says a behavioural strategist in Sydney,
Australia, Warren Kennaugh. Start step by step. Gain control of only one behaviour
before adding another. Expect to make mistakes, but never dwell on them. Just keep
moving toward the direction you need to go.
4) Take Note of Progress: Reviewing one’s progress provides encouragement and
positive reinforcement. It is advisable to take assistance from close relatives or friends.
Their genuine support and feedback may help a person to mould his personality.
5) Build up on Success: Upon having a new behaviour ingrained, identify a new area
for improvement. Always be introspective and be honest. The person will be surprised to
see what a better person he can grow and change to become.
6) Putting Into Words Our Thoughts and Ideas through Oral Expression: It is,
without doubt, very difficult to improve our personality if a person cannot even verbalize
what it is he wants to say. If he hesitates to speak on fear of being misjudged by others, if
he is too shy and scared to open his mouth in a gathering, it will really be difficult for
him to develop our personality.
Part of person’s development is derived from what he learns from others, but if he has
poor oral communication skills and refuses to do something about it, then he is blocking
the doors for growth. Being able to express himself through speech is essential to build
relationships with people, but if he keeps on holding back and decline any opportunity to
improve, then nothing good will ever come out of it.
7) Be as Positive as a Proton: A proton can never lose its positivity as so can’t you. It
just gets covered by stress which saps your energy. Staying positive will help you
overcome the toughest of challenges while attracting more positivity and opportunities.
8) Be More Passionate: The best way to get any work done is by being passionate about
it. Let your passion drive your efforts and you will be able to achieve excellence in life.
9) Handle Your Emotions…With Care: If life is a roller-coaster ride, then make sure
you are enjoying it to the max. Do not let your emotions take control of situations but
learn to get a grip on them. This will help you stay centered and calm during challenging
situations.
10) Share a Little, Care a Little: Learn to be more compassionate. The next time
you or somebody else commits an error, let them off the hook without holding a grudge.
Broaden your perspective that we all are evolving continuously and that no one’s perfect.
This outlook will help you accept yourself and others better.
11) Praise the One in Front of You: When we praise someone’s qualities out of
the feeling of completeness, then it elevates our consciousness and brings enthusiasm
and energy. It helps the same qualities blossom in us too and we become better
individuals.
12) Be a Lion in the Face of Danger: In the face of an adversity, standing up to
the challenge will make your chances of survival higher. Don’t give into pressure and
face every challenge confidently. Either you will overcome the adversity or learn
something invaluable.
13) Possess the Quality of Patience: Patience is the secret ingredient for
becoming a winner. Feverishness and prompt reactions will do more harm than good.
Remember to stay calm and patient to remain stress-free and for making wise and swift
decisions.
UNIT-11 GROOMING
Learning Objectives
1. To introduce students to business etiquette.
2. To familiarize students with social etiquette and telephone etiquette in a formal set up.
3. To explain the importance of body language and etiquette.
4. To introduce e-mail etiquette, telephone manners and overall conduct at the place of work.

CONTENTS:
11.1INTRODUCTION
11.2PERSONAL GROOMING AND BUSINESS ETIQUETTES
11.3WAYS TO GROOM PERSONALITY
11.4CORPORATE ETIQUETTES
11.5SOCIAL GRACE AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTS
11.6TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE
11.7ETIQUETTE AND BODY LANGUAGE

UNIT-1 BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

11.1 INTRODUCTION
When we talk about personality, generally physique or posture of a person comes in our mind
at once but now personality is not confined or restricted to the physical appearance of the
person. Personality is all about how one talks, walks, behaves and presents oneself.
Grooming is the part of Personality Development. Personality grooming teaches one how to
keep positive thoughts and positive attitude even in worst conditions. Professional life, today,
has become quite stressful. People engaged in professional life should know how to
communicate, sit, eat, dress-up as well as how to manage self.
Today many institutes are conducting grooming classes. Some schools and colleges
are also actively involved in conducting such types of classes. The results of such classes
have been quite beneficial. That’s why the craze of grooming classes is increasing very
rapidly among students and professionals.
Grooming basically focuses on overall appearance, presentation and maintenance.
Presentation should be always best because it is the first impression by which one can
get impressed .It includes all category of looks & dressing.
Related to Grooming there are so many courses are also available in market and running
successfully.
Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with
others. It is generally defined as the deeply ingrained and relatively enduring patterns of
thought, feeling and behavior. In fact, when one refers to personality, it generally implies to
all what is unique about an individual, the characteristics that makes one stand out in a crowd.
Today the terms like professional looks, corporate manners etc have gained a lot of
importance. It is due to globalization that work places have become a microcosm of the
world. People at work often get confused as to how to behave, so that no cross - cultural
barriers are not created while communicating in a multi-cultural set up. In order to overcome
these problems people need to familiarize themselves with acceptable professional behavior
and groom accordingly.

11.2 PERSONAL GROOMING AND BUSINESS ETIQUETTES

Personal grooming is defined as the art of cleaning and maintaining one’s body parts.
Personal grooming is essential for everyone irrespective of the gender and nature of work or
profession. Personal hygiene, if neglected can ruin your personality. Nobody feels like
speaking to someone who has bad breath or someone who has sweat stains all over his shirt.
One needs to have clean, simple yet elegant look in professional life.

11.3 WAYS TO GROOM PERSONALITY

Grooming ones personality is just as important as grooming his outward appearance. When
professionals work on regular basis on developing good personality traits and minimizing bad
ones, they succeed in making more friends, doing better at work, and feeling happier overall.
Personality isn’t set in stone, even as an adult, so it’s completely possible to make some
changes for the better. In order to groom your personality, first set some goals for yourself.
After that, work on strengthening your positive traits and sharpening your interpersonal skills.
Besides, follow some points discussed below in order to groom your personality:
1. Become self-aware: A human being is a complex creature who is faced with many
complex experiences daily. Because of this, he may forget to focus on his inner-self
and may neglect to pay attention to how his words and behaviors not only affect him,
but others as well. Becoming more self-aware of one’s current personality traits and
observing how they affect his as well as others will help him to identify areas he may
 need to change. The primary areas of self-awareness include: personality traits,
values, morals, and beliefs, habits, emotional and psychological needs.
Self-awareness of one’s personality can help a person navigate his world
better by gravitating towards situations that provide him with positive experiences and
rewards, and avoid those situations that can be destructive and cause him stress. In
short, self-awareness can help one analyze how to react in different situations and feel
about things to help him make better choices in life.
2. Make a list of personality traits you want to develop or strengthen. These may
include some traits that a person already possess but needs to polish, while there can
be some that a person do not have but wish to have . Some such traits are:
 A person is naturally shy who wants to become more outgoing.
 A person is already creative but is thinking about applying his creativity in some more
areas of his life.
 Avoid working on too many personality traits simultaneously so as to avoid getting
overwhelmed.

3. Jot down some habits you want to minimize. Make a list of qualities that you don’t like
and want to get rid of. For instance, if you have a tendency to interrupt people during
conversation you might decide you want to break that habit.

4. Go from small to big personality traits: Personality traits are constructs that make up
who you are as a person. These traits are further broken down into daily habits. So you need
to work on your negative habits first to change your personality trait.

5. Create a plan. Look over your lists and think about how you can make them a reality.
Make a new list of specific actions you can take to improve your personality. Make sure your
actions are focused around everyday situations you deal with frequently.

6. Put new actions into practice. After you have devised a list of feasible actions, start
implementing them into your everyday life. New habits can be inculcated by replacing the
negative ones with more positive, adaptive choices. Add in more positive habits, and you will
gradually get rid of the old ones. For instance, if you are trying to become more punctual, you
could commit to leaving for work every morning five minutes earlier than you currently do.
11.4 CORPORATE ETIQUETTES

People are observed very minutely in corporate places. You need to be at the best of your
professional behaviour. Professional etiquette is something that you just cannot ignore. It
adds to your overall personality and affects your profession especially when you go for client
meetings, business development, business contracts etc.
Some of the professional etiquettes are as follows:
Always listen to fellow members or clients in a meeting attentively. Try to be a good listener.
Do not interrupt anyone. However, if you do so unintentionally, apologize and let the other
person finish. Do not be too aggressive while conversing. Be strong but calm in your
communication. Maintain a good body language and eye contact. While talking, look at
everybody so that they feel you are not are not talking to just one person. Your tone should
always be polite.
Avoid lengthy speech-like conversation. Try and avoid getting personal at anyone to avoid
any sort of conflicts. Be reasonable as well as polite in your arguments. Avoid harsh tone.
Avoid fidgeting of any sort and do not put your hands on the face while in a conversation.
Professional handshakes should be firm but confident. Do not forget to smile.
Always wear neat and nicely pressed and sober formal clothes during meetings. Wear clothes
which you are comfortable in so that you can carry them well. Women should avoid wearing
dresses that expose too much. Do not wear very heavy make-up. Avoid heavy or chunky
jewellery. You can wear heels for a good body posture. Be neat and clean.
Men should always polish their shoes. They should keep their nails and hair short. They
should take care to see that they wear a good belt and a tie.
When you are introduced to someone, stand up to meet or greet the person. Do not forget to
shake hands or nod your head with a smile. While having official dinner, offer the seat to
your guests first or your clients as the case may be. Arrive for dinner in time and thank the
host for the dinner. Initiate conversations while waiting for the food. Avoid pointing the knife
or fork towards the other person while eating and speaking. Learn basic table manners to dine
with a potential client or an important business meet. Avoid talking when there is food in
your mouth. Switch off or put your mobile phones in silent mode while in a meeting. In case
it is an urgent call excuse yourself and take permission for taking the call.

11.5 SOCIAL GRACE AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTS

Social graces are skills used to interact politely in social situations. They include manners,
etiquette (the specifically accepted rules within a culture for the application of
universal manners), fashion and refinement (also known as sophistication).

Man is a social animal and hence it is desirable for him to follow certain social etiquettes that
are appreciated by one and all. Everyone wants to be socially accepted and hence all of us
want to engage in social conversations. But all are not comfortable in front of a large group of
people. Many of us either become nervous, shy or find ourselves paralyzed in such
situations. Due to this, we avoid making any conversations with people. In some cases people
do not realize of their inappropriate behavior in social circuit. Social etiquette tips help us to
be correct with our mannerisms, communication and our behavior in general.
While conversing with a group of people, you need to be polite, humble and sophisticated.
Also, use language effectively and do not forget using basic polite words like thank you,
please, welcome, sorry etc wherever necessary. When a group of people are talking, always
allow others to talk. Be a good listener. Do not interrupt anyone. However, if you do so
unintentionally, apologize and let the other person finish. Do not be too aggressive while
conversing. Be strong but calm in your communication. Maintain a good body language and
eye contact. While talking, look at everybody so that they feel you are not are not talking to
just one person.
Always ask relevant and appropriate questions. While asking questions when you are in a
group take care to see that you do not appear ignorant or unaware about common matters or
general events. It is assumed that you are socially aware and hence asking questions that
reveal that you do not know about a common topic in news may not make a good impression
about you. Hence, read newspapers regularly and keep yourself aware of what is happening
socially and in the world in general. In case if there is an awkward silence that you may want
to avoid, comment on the ambience of the place or on any general topic but keep the
conversation going. Take care to see that you do not pass any mean or sarcastic comments on
people.
While you are conversing about something, remember to keep it as short as possible.
Remember, nobody is interested in lengthy speech-like conversations as such conversations
are generally boring. If you have a long, in-depth conversation some people may not be
interested as they would want to meet other people in the gathering too. Always give chance
to other people to talk as they may also want to make a point. Remember that social etiquette
conversations are pleasant and short.
Besides, making everyone feel involved in a conversation is an art in itself. Also, remember
personal hygiene is also an important part of social etiquette. Always carry a handkerchief
with you. Smell good and present yourself well by dressing appropriately. Table manners
should also be taken care of as they too form an important part of social etiquettes. Also
remember to introduce yourself or get introduced before you begin a conversation with a
stranger. Handshakes are usually considered formal and polite when greeting people at a
social gathering.
Social etiquette is important because it creates an impression about your personality that in
turn affects the perception and treatment of other people towards you.

11.6 TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

In the world of fast communication, be it the internet, cell phone or messaging, maintaining
certain etiquettes is important. Telephone etiquette involves certain dos and don’ts that must
be adhered to while talking to someone especially in the corporate or business arena. First
and foremost, is to have clarity of speech and to be courteous and sophisticated as your voice
and choice of words can reveal a lot of their personality even if you are not in conversation
face to face.
In case you are talking to the person for the first time do not forget to introduce yourself
before you begin your conversation. Remember to do this even when you have met the
person formally but are talking over the phone for the first time as he or she may not
recognize your voice. Show the courtesy of taking permission of the person online and ask
him whether it is the right time to talk to him or not before you begin your conversation.
Phone calls generally should not be made before nine in the morning or after eight or nine at
night. Try to avoid lunch timings as well. Be certain of the number you are dialling to avoid
disturbing somebody else unnecessarily. In case if you do reach a wrong number, please
apologize.
While you are on the phone, keep the subject matter short and concise especially if it is a
business related call. Generally, people like to keep it short over the phone. Hence the
conversation should be concise and to-the-point.
In case you are using a cell phone and are at a public place, keep your volume low but make
sure that you do not disturb others. Besides, confidential discussions should take place in low
volume. In case you are using your cell phone for business use as well, make sure that you
choose your caller tune wisely. This may appear trivial but it does contribute to who you are
especially to prospective clients.
It is advisable to start your telephonic conversation saying ‘hello’. You may later add the
name of the person who is calling you but ‘Yes Mr./Miss/Mrs.… sounds a little out of place
in a corporate scenario. Phone etiquettes involve using kind phrases like "Just a moment,
please. “Can I put you on hold?”, “May I have your name please?”, “Sorry to keep you
waiting” etc. In case if your phone is busy, send an SMS immediately after ending the call or
call back the person soon.
Last but not the least, it is important that you do not slam the receiver down or disconnect the
call abruptly. You must make sure that you end the conversation by conveying it to the other
person. When you need to end the conversation and hang up, do so gently.

11.7ETIQUETTE AND BODY LANGUAGE

Body Language plays a vital role in business and it is important that you are aware of the
details.
Small changes in your body language can radically change your job performance and career.
The following tips may help a person to make the right impression:
1. Have strong posture. Your posture gives clues about your level of confidence and
composure. It is important to sit or stand up straight. To have a straight posture imagine a
string tied from the top of your head to the ceiling. Make sure your shoulders are pulled back
too.
2. Avoid pointing and hand talking: People who visibly express their emotions with hand
gestures can quickly overwhelm others. In situations where you want to maximize your
authority, try to minimize your movements. Besides, take care to see that you keep gestures
about waist high. When you appear calm and contained, you look more powerful.
3. Do not use distracting gestures: picking lint off your clothing, checking the time
frequently, inspecting your fingernails, playing with your jewellery or twirling your hair are
some common distracting gestures. Small movements parlay nervousness, insecurity,
boredom and uneasy feelings.
4. Stop resting hands behind your head or placing on the hips: This is mistaken as a sign
of superiority and bigheadedness. Only use these gestures if you are with close friends.
5. Refrain from crossing your arms or putting your hands in your pockets. Putting your
hands in your pockets or crossing them in front of your chest is generally viewed as you are
closed off. The best way to use your hands is to simply appear open. Your hands should be in
front of you as you as a natural gesture.
6. Steer clear of too much head tilting and nodding. Only use head tilts and nodding when
you want to show concern, interest or want to encourage people to expand on what they are
saying. When you want project power and authority, keep your head straight, still and in a
more neutral position.
7. Use a firm handshake. People with a weak handshake are judged to be passive and less
confident. To effectively give a proper handshake, face the other person directly, extend your
arm and make sure you have palm-to-palm contact with the other person. Use the “v”
between your forefinger and thumb to go directly into the web of the other person. Look into
the eyes of the person, smile, shake your hands two or three times and release.
8. Avert from holding objects in front of your body: Holding objects in front of your body
indicates shyness and resistance, such that you’re hiding behind the objects in an effort to
separate yourself from others. Instead of carrying objects in front of you, carry them at your
side whenever possible. Examples can include a notebook, coffee cup, handbag, etc.
9. Respect distance. Standing too close makes people feel uncomfortable. Standing too far
may be distracting. Most people consider the four square feet of space immediately
surrounding their body to be personal. If someone takes a step away from you while you are
involved in a conversation, take it as a hint that you are standing way too close.
UNIT- 12 CORPORATE GROOMING
Learning Objectives
1. To familiarize students with interview skills.
2. To familiarize students with interview dressing.
3. To make students aware about the skills of accepting interview invitations, skills of
following up interview and resigning from job.

CONTENTS:
12.1 CORPORATE DRESSING AND GROOMING
12.2 DO’S AND DON’TS IN CONVERSATION/CONVERSATION AND SMALL TALKS
IN OFFICIAL GATHERINGS
12.3 COURTESY
12.4 VOICE AND GROOMING
12.5 PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE AND GROOMING

12.1 CORPORATE DRESSING AND GROOMING

The first impression of any individual is created by external appearance. Even products are
thoughtfully packed for instant appeal. It is imperative that we take utmost care of our
appearance; of which our clothes and grooming are an integral part.
Corporate dressing etiquette refers to sensible dressing at work place which helps an
individual to make a mark of his/her own in the first meeting itself. Corporate dressing
teaches an individual to dress according to the organization culture.
Use simple dressing etiquette: Avoid wearing something which will make you feel odd one
out at the workplace. Dress in a manner that makes you feel comfortable. Besides, dressing
sensibly makes you feel confident throughout the day. Make sure that your dress is not
wrinkled. It ought to be clean and tidy. Also, take care to see that it is neither too tight not too
loose. Dress according to your body type, weight and complexion.
Use common sense while you dress for workplace: It is not necessary that something
which looks good on your colleague would also look good on you. Don’t purchase anything
just because it is in fashion. Avoid following the crowd. Use your common sense while you
purchase a dress for your work place. If a dress is not looking good on you at the showroom,
it will look the same even at home. Remember, appearances are extremely important. Finally
one should evolve one’s own signature style.
Corporate dressing plays a crucial role in enhancing one’s personality: While you dress
up, take care to see that it helps you enhance your personality. An individual with a pleasing
personality is respected and appreciated by all. He can easily charm anyone and win people
over.
You need to feel good about the way you look: Make sure your clothes fit you well. You
need to feel comfortable in your dress. Too tight and revealing clothes make you talk of the
workplace for all wrong reasons. Nobody bothers to notice you, if you are not sensibly
dressed. Formal dressing, if done correctly helps you create the first impression. Remember,
you seldom get a second chance.
Personal grooming and corporate dressing actually go hand in hand: Donning an
expensive business suit will not help, if you are not neat and clean. Price has nothing to do
with “smart dressing”. No one will ask you to show the label. Here comes the importance of
personal grooming. Personal grooming is essential for everyone irrespective of the gender
and nature of profession. Personal hygiene, if neglected can ruin your personality. One needs
to smell good at the workplace. Apply a mild perfume.
Some Do’s and Don’ts for Corporate Dressing
It is rightly said that “a man is known by his dress and address”. Donning the right
business attire will not only help you make a mark of your own but also climb the success
ladder in the shortest possible time span. One needs to keep in mind certain tips for
corporate dressing
Some Do’s:
Male professionals need to:
 Shave Daily/Trim moustache or beard
 Comb hair properly
 Wear crisp, wrinkle free shirts preferably in subtle colours and well fit trousers in
blacks, blues or greys.
 Wear a mild perfume
 Trim his nails
Female professionals need to:
 Tie hair in a neat ponytail or bun.
 Wear flats to work.
 Wear minimal make up
 Get rid of facial hair or hair in any other body part(hands, legs, area around the lip)
 Smell good
 Clean their hands, feet and take care of finger as well as toe nails. Preferably use
transparent nail paint.
 Last but not the least do not forget to flash your trillion dollar smile. No dress would
look good on you if you look sad and gloomy.
Some Don’ts:
Avoid wearing loud colours to work: Casuals, chunky jewellery, stacks of bangles, multiple
chains /bracelets are strict no at workplaces. Corporate dressing along with personal
grooming help you create a presence that exudes professionalism, leadership, confidence and
elegance. Do not wear loud colours to work. Blue, Charcoal grey, White, Black, Khaki are
essentially some colours which every business wardrobe should have. Colours based on a
neutral colour palette look good at the workplace.
Mind well- expensive outfits are not appropriate at all places: Do not just pull out
anything from your wardrobe and wear it to work. Remember you can’t wear your party
outfit to work just because it is expensive and looks good on you. It is not necessary that a
shirt which looked good on you five years ago will still look good on you. Know what you
are wearing. Do not step out of your home unless you see yourself in a full length mirror.
Never wear gaudy accessories to work. Avoid wearing big earrings and too many bangles
at workplace. The clattering sound of your bangles every time you hit the keyboard will not
only disturb you but also others sitting around you. Do not blindly follow others. You need to
create a style of your own. Keep your dressing simple yet elegant.
Make sure your clothes are clean and ironed properly. Remember, an individual to a large
extent is judged by his clothes. Make sure your shoes are polished. You can keep a shoe
shiner handy just in case you travel by bus or any other modes of public transport. Carry a
black leather briefcase/bag to keep your laptop and other important files and documents.
Be very careful about the fit of your dress. Do not wear something which is too tight or too
loose on you. Dresses with a deep neckline are not meant to be worn at offices. Skirts should
not be above the knee. Females should prefer wearing flats to work. Makeup shouldn’t be too
loud and colours have to suit one’s skin colour and dress. Females with long hair can tie their
hair in a neat bun or a high pony tail.
Avoid informal dress: Men should always tuck their shirts into pants to look professional.
Avoid wearing T-shirts and short sleeve shirts at workplaces. The dress should be
formal. Make sure the shirt you are wearing is crisp and clean. Do not roll up your shirt
sleeves and never keep the button which holds your collar open. Do not wear embroidered
belts or belts with a broad buckle to work. Belts are not meant to hold your cell phone
holders. Men should also take care to wear matching shirts with trousers. Shirts should be
lighter than the suit and the tie darker than the shirt. Pastels should be preferred over bright
colours.
Do not wear a tie just for the sake of it: Remember your tie needs to complement your
overall look. The tip of your tie ideally should touch the upper edge of your belt’s buckle.
Wear socks to work.

12.2 DO’S AND DON’TS IN CONVERSATION/CONVERSATION AND SMALL

TALKS IN OFFICIAL GATHERINGS

Certain Do’s to be followed during conversation:

 In case you are talking to the person for the first time do not forget to introduce
yourself before you begin your conversation.
 While conversing with a group of people, you need to be polite, humble and
sophisticated. Also, use language effectively and be courteous.
 When a group of people are talking, always allow others to talk. Be a good listener.
Be strong but calm in your communication.
 Maintain a good body language and eye contact. While talking, look at everybody so
that they feel you are not are not talking to just one person.
 Always ask relevant and appropriate questions.
 While you are conversing about something, remember to keep it as short as possible.
 Always give chance to other people to talk as they may also want to make a point.
Remember that social etiquette conversations are pleasant and short.
 Make everyone feel involved in a conversation. If people around are known and you
notice that someone is being left out of conversation, then try to include them in your
conversation and put them at ease.
 Always carry a handkerchief with you. Smell good and present yourself well by
dressing appropriately. Table manners should also be taken care of as they too form
an important part of social etiquettes.
Certain Don’ts to be followed during Conversation:
 Do not forget using basic polite words like thank you, please, welcome, sorry etc
wherever necessary.
 Do not interrupt anyone. However, if you do so unintentionally, apologize and let the
other person finish.
 While asking questions when you are in a group take care to see that you do not
appear ignorant or unaware about common matters or general events.
 Do not be too aggressive while conversing.
 One should avoid controversial and personal questions. Sense of humour is vital to
being liked by all. One should be careful that laughs and giggles shouldn’t be at
somebody else’s expense.
 Take care to see that you do not pass any mean or sarcastic comments on people.
 Do not cling on to people at social gathering nor should you allow others to do the
same to you.

12.3 COURTESY

It is said that, “Handsome is what handsome does”. It means that it is important to be

physically appealing but it is of no use unless it is complemented with courteous
behaviour. One needs to be humble and polite at home and at workplaces. best
behaviour shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions. A uniform set of social codes
should be followed, that shouldn’t discriminate between individuals one considers
important or otherwise.
As Erastus Wiman says, "Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of the
pleasures, costs nothing and conveys much. It pleases him who gives and him who
receives and thus, like mercy, it is twice blessed."
One must recognize other people’s work, appreciate efforts. It is said that positive
comments counter a single negative remark. Appreciation is always welcome from all
quarters by everyone. Especially, freshers crave for appreciation from superiors, so
superiors shouldn’t be cutting in their remarks about juniors. Have realistic
expectations from others and oneself, so that there is no confusion. It’s best to be
transparent and honest in dealings in order to be credible.
Conversations should be sprinkled with words like Thank you, Please, Excuse me.
Try to maintain eye contact with as many people as possible while conversing.
However, one’s response to the question ‘Do I think of others more than myself?’
should put things in perspective. After all, being courteous is nothing but being
honest.
 12.4 VOICE AND GROOMING
1. Speak Clearly: With any voiceover — no matter how fast — clarity is
key. Every word needs to be heard by the listener; thus, any muddled phrase
could destroy that. Practice speaking with correct pronunciation and
enunciation. It might feel a little “over the top” at first, but on the recording,
it’ll sound just right.
2. Speak With Confidence: Own what you say. Speak it with all the confidence
in the world. Avoid speaking ‘Um… hi there… my name is, uh, Bob…’ A
speech which lacks confidence is boring to listen.
3. Mean What You Say: This is about speaking with connection to your
material. You have to believe what you’re talking about. When you speak with
enthusiasm, people can hear the difference. It is subtle, but truly resonating
with your script makes your voice more believable and convincing.
4. Kill Your Ego: To improve, surround yourself with people better than you.
You will learn dozens of lessons you couldn’t have learned otherwise and take
your craft to the next level. Go to classes and workshops where everyone is
more advanced in their career than you are. Listen to their feedback; it could
be brutal, but it will make you better.
5. Treat Your Voice with Kindness: Unlike a guitarist, pianist, or drummer,
with voice over acting, your body is your instrument. Be soft and gentle.
 Build the foundation with good breathing patterns — from your diaphragm,
not your chest — so you prevent any unnecessary strain on your vocal cords.
 Keep hydrated throughout the day. Drinking water with every meal and fill
up a liter bottle and sip it periodically. It might seem like a lot of water, but
most people are chronically dehydrated.
 Avoid places where you have to shout over noise to be heard.
 Sleep at least seven hours a night. A tired voice sounds bad. A tired body is
also bad for your voice.
 Avoid whispering. It’s hard on your voice and strains on your vocal cords.
6. Warm Up: Start each morning with your warm-ups. Stretch your facial muscles.
Go through your progressions. Do your lip rolls. Hum. Relax your neck muscles.
Effective ways to prime vocal chords before speaking include: resting your voice
before a presentation, saying tongue twisters to exercise mouth muscles, and singing
scales. Do your breathing exercises. Even if you have never spent time to warm-up,
just take five minutes in the morning to prepare your voice. It will do wonders for
your sound and voice quality.

12.5 PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE AND GROOMING

Proper grooming and professional appearance are important to gain not just positive
impression but also respect in the workplace. First impressions matter and the way
you look and carry yourself create impact on people you get along with in the work
setting. Proper grooming and professional appearance is important to both men and
women. Lack of these may lead to poor image and may interfere with your chance of
getting good impression and positive feedbacks from your workmates and superiors.
Professional Standards in the Workplace
In today’s competitive and modern business world, it is highly essential to adhere
with professional appearance and grooming for the workplace. If you have the desire
to look your best at all times in social and professional settings, you need to keep in
mind the following basic guidelines for good grooming in the workplace:
1. Wear business suits in basic colors.
2. Always be neat and clean including your teeth, fingernails, face, hair and even your
shoes.
3. Keep your pockets empty and as much as possible avoid tinkling coins or keys and
bulges.
4. Avoid eating candies, smoking cigarettes and chewing gum when you are inside the
office.
5. Use portfolio case or light briefcase when carrying important documents with you
instead of compiling these documents in folders and carrying these between your
armpits.
6. As much as possible get rid of tattoos and body piercings for these will just make
you look untidy and unprofessional.
7. Wear light perfume and cologne and minimize using lots of jewelleries
UNIT-13 JOB INTERVIEW
Learning Objectives
1. To make the concept of interview clear.
2. To discuss about various types of interviews conducted in an organization.
3. To make students conversant with the concept of mock interview.
4. To teach students formal styles of accepting jobs and resigning from jobs.

CONTENTS:
13.1 OBJECTIVES/ PURPOSE OF INTERVIEW
13.2 SKILLS DURING, BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVIEW
13.3 INTERVIEW DRESSING
13.4 MOCK INTERVIEW
13.5 FOLLOWING UP APPLICATION
13.6 ACCEPTING AN INTERVIEW INVITATION

13.7 FOLLOW UP OF AN INTERVIEW

13.8 ACCEPTING EMPLOYMENT
13.9 RESIGNING FROM THE JOB

13.1 OBJECTIVES/ PURPOSE OF INTERVIEW

Interview is probably the most widely used selection tool mainly in Indian industries. When
used in personnel selection interview serves following objectives:
5. To verify whether the information gathered from application- blank and tests.
Interview provides a chance to know whether the information (about previous
experience and training, etc.) supplied by the candidate is justified by him or not.
6. To provide necessary information to the applicant about the company and the job.
Applicant is given full information about the nature of job, hours of work, medical
facilities, and opportunities for advancement, employee benefits and services, etc.
Thus, the applicant can make a decision of joining or not joining the new job.
7. To give an opportunity to the applicant to create and enhance goodwill of the
company. The interviewee should be treated with curtsy. If not selected, then reasons
for the same are explained offering constructive suggestions.
8. To establish a rapport or a feeling of mutual understanding and confidence between
the personnel department and the applicant who is to be employed.
Types of Interview
Interviews may be classified into following categories:
1. Informal Interview: Informal interview is an oral interview which can be arranged at
any place. It is not planned and is used when the staff is required urgently. Different
questions are asked to collect the required information from the candidate. Specific
rigid procedure is not followed. It is a friendly interview.
2. Formal Interview: Formal interview is held in a more formal atmosphere. The
interviewer asks pre-planned questions. All the formalities and procedures, e.g., the
venue, the time, the panel of interviewers, and the questions to be asked are decided in
advance. Formal interview is also called planned interview.
3. Planned Interview/ Patterned/ Structured Interview: This type of interview is
carefully designed. Here, every single detail of the interview is decided in advance.
The questions to be asked, the order in which the questions will be asked, the time
given to each candidate, the information to be collected from each candidate, etc. is
all decided in advance. It is also known as Guided interview. More emphasize is laid
on accuracy and precision. All the interviews will be uniform (same). Therefore,
there will be consistency and minimum bias in structured interviews. Such interviews
are, however, less flexible.
4. Non-directive/ Unstructured Interview: This type of interview is designed to let the
prospective candidate speak freely. It is not planned in detail. Hence it is also called
as Non-Directed interview or Unstructured Interview. The question to be asked, the
information to be collected from the candidates, etc. are not decided in advance. As
these interviews are more flexible candidates are more relaxed. They are encouraged
to express themselves about different subjects, based on their expectations,
motivations, background, interests, etc. Here the interviewer can make a better
judgment of the candidate's personality, potentials, strengths and weaknesses.
However, care should be taken to see that the discussion does not lose direction, and
that it does not lead to the waste of time and effort.
5. Depth Interview: This is a semi-structured interview. It is not a kind of interview,
but is a method of asking questions in an interview. Through questioning, interviewer
goes into considerable details on particular subject of special interest to the candidate.
The candidate has to give detailed information about his background, special interest
and about his specialized subject. Depth interview tries to find out if the candidate is
 an expert in his subject or not. Here, the interviewer must have a good understanding
of human behaviour.
6. Stress Interview: The purpose of this interview is to find out how the candidate
behaves in a stressful situation. The candidate is asked tricky questions, frequently
interrupted and irritated. The answers are criticized. Frequently subject is changed
abruptly. The candidate who keeps him cool in a stressful situation is selected for the
stressful job.
7. Group Interview: A group interview is similar to a group discussion. Several
candidates are present at this type of interview. They are asked to interact with each
other by usually a group discussion. They might even be given a task to do as a team.
Then all the candidates or small groups of candidates are interviewed together. The
time of the interviewer is saved. The interviewer carefully watches the candidates. He
tries to find out which candidate influences others, who clarifies issues, who
summarises the discussion, who speaks effectively, etc. He tries to judge the
behaviour of each candidate in a group situation.
8. Panel or Board Interview: Panel means a selection committee or interview
committee that is appointed for interviewing the candidates. These interviews involve
a number of people sitting as a panel with one as chairperson. It seeks to pool the
collective wisdom and judgement of several interviewers. They ask questions to the
candidates about different aspects. They give marks to each candidate. The final
decision will be taken by all members collectively by rating the candidates. This type
of interview is popular within the public sector.
9. Exit Interview: When an employee leaves the company, he is interviewed either by
his immediate superior or by the HRD manager. This interview is called an exit
interview. Exit interview is taken to find out the reason for the employee to leave the
company. Exit interviews are taken to create a good image of the company in the
minds of the employees who are leaving the company. They help the company to
make proper HRD policies, to create a favourable work environment, to create
employee loyalty and to reduce labour turnover.

13.2 SKILLS DURING, BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVIEW

Step 1: Before the interview

Landing the interview is an accomplishment in its own right. But you still have a lot of prep
work to do if you want to walk away with the job.

Research the company

First, you’ll need to research the target company. Know the organization’s history, products,
services, locations, mission statements and corporate culture. Go through the company’s
website, editorials and annual reports. Read up on their ongoing projects, future plans and
ultimate goals. Try to figure out the size of company, how many employees they have and
what kind of work environment they offer. Research the people with whom you will be
working in the organization. You’ll use this information to demonstrate your knowledge of
the company during the interview.

Research the interviewer

If you are given the recruiters’ name beforehand, look into their social media profiles
(Linkedin, Facebook, etc.). Try to find out their title, experience and overall personality. This
will give you more confidence to face him/her in person. If possible, try to find out the type
of interview that is going to be conducted i.e. whether it is going to be a group interview or
depth interview or stress interview etc. This will help you prepare questions.

Prepare questions

Once you research the company, prepare a list of probable questions that are likely to be
asked by the interviewer. Practice your responses. This will help ease your nerves when it’s
time for you to face the interview. Next, prepare a list of questions that you need to ask the
interviewer. Prepare questions about the role expectations, the culture, growth opportunities–
anything that will give you a clearer picture of what it would be like to work for this
organization. Asking questions shows you are not only engaged in the interview, but
interested and already thinking about your future with this company. Schedule a mock
interview with Career Services or attend an Interviewing Skills Workshop.

Prepare copies of important documents

Make copies of your resume/CV and other important documents (cover letter, list of
references, etc.) in advance. Arrange them in proper order. You don’t want to be scrambling
to get your documents organized the day of the interview! Most recruiters will bring a copy
of your submitted documents to the interview, but if they fail to, you will be a step ahead.

Step 2: Day of the interview

Dress for success

As a general rule, it’s best to dress in formal wear, or at the very least, business casual. Dress
ought to be neat and tidy. It has to be formal. Men, if you do not own a suit, wear a nice dress
shirt and slacks. Women have a little more flexibility, but you can’t go wrong with a nice
blouse, blazer and a long skirt (trousers are also acceptable). Accessories are fine too, in
moderation. . Make up has to be moderate and suitable to the dress and skin. Neutral colours
such as black, gray, brown and blue are suitable for both men and women.

Eat something

Too many candidates make the mistake of not eating before interviewing and suffer from a
lack of attentiveness as a result. Before you go into the interview, eat a meal that contains
vitamin E, omega 3 and antioxidants. This will improve brain functionality and help you stay
alert.
Arrive early
Be prompt and make sure to arrive at least 15-25 minutes before the interview begins.
Arriving early sets the tone that you are a professional and will be reliable if offered the
position. Do not use your phone or other mobile devices to pass time when waiting. Instead,
you should spend this time practicing your prepared questions and responses in your head.
Answering the questions
Be polite and pleasant to everyone with whom you come into contact as soon as you are
called for an interview. Offer a firm handshake look the person in the eye with an enthusiastic
smile!
Listen keenly to the interviewer. Respond completely to all aspects of a question. Ask for
clarification if necessary. Speak clearly and with confidence when interviewing. Play up your
strengths and translatable skills to show how you could be a potential asset to the target
company. Keep your answers short, simple and honest. Do not try to be over smart— instead
present yourself as a confident and sensible professional. Never use slang words or criticize a
former employer when interviewing. Use proper English/grammar (e.g., “yes” versus
“yeah”). Be aware of your body language. Be positive; do not complain about a former
employer, job, or academics. Avoid questions on salary, benefits, or vacation. Focus on what
you can do for the employer. Ask for a business card at the end of the interview, or write
down the employer’s contact information.

Step 3: After the interview

Leaving the Interview

After the interview has concluded, shake hands with the interviewer(s) and thank them for
their time. If they don’t tell you when they will contact you going forward, ask about their
expected decision-making period. Keep your head held high and leave with confidence.
Make a list of questions that were asked to you in the interview. Evaluate your
performance and think over how you can improve your performance. Note down any specific
comments or your answers, your resume or specific aspect of your experience that you may
use in following up with the employer.

Following up

After an appropriate amount of time (approximately 24 hours), you need to follow up with
the recruiter. Send each interviewer a thank-you note. Structure your thank you letter. Thank
the interviewer for his/her time and attention. Thank-you letters can be hard copied/ typed,
hand written or e-mailed. Be sure to keep your letter format formal and concise. Seventy-five
percent of interviewers confirmed that thank-you notes impact their decision process. So do
yourself a favour and send a well-written, personalized response that reiterates why you’re
the best candidate for the position.
Knowing exactly what is expected of you before, during and after an interview will put you
in the best position to prove you are the best candidate for any job.

13.3 INTERVIEW DRESSING

Before you say a single word to the interviewer, you make an impression by the way you are
dressed and your mannerism. Every company has a different dress code; how you dress at the
job may have very little to do with how you dress for an interview. However, it is advisable
to dress professionally for the interview. You are more likely to be taken seriously when you
present yourself in a professional manner and take the time to attend to details. The
guidelines given here are commonly accepted as appropriate for interviewing.
Men
 Dress in a manner that is professionally appropriate to the position for which you are
applying. In almost all cases, this means wearing a suit. ‘Suit’ means a matching jacket
and pants, dress shirt, tie, coordinating socks and dress shoes. A dark-colored suit with
light coloured shirt is your best option.
 Your suit should be comfortable and fit you well so that you look and act your best.
Appearing best is not enough; feeling at ease is equally important.
 Avoid loud colours and flashy ties.
 Clothing should be neat, clean, and pressed. Wear deodorant. Do not wear cologne or
aftershave. You should not smell overpowering or worse, causing an allergic reaction to
you or others.
 Make sure you have fresh breath. Brush your teeth before you leave for the interview,
and do not eat immediately before the interview. Do not smoke right before an
interview.
 Your hair should be neat, clean, and conservative.
Women
 Generally, you should wear a suit with a skirt or pants. When in doubt, be more
conservative.
 Your suit should be comfortable and fit you well; Do not wear something which is too
tight or too loose on you.
 Interview suits should be simple and dark in colour. Anything tight, bright, short, or
sheer should absolutely be avoided. Knee-length skirts are suggested. Very long skirts,
while modest, are also considered too trendy for an interview.
 Wear a conservative blouse with your suit. Do not wear bright colours, animal prints, or
anything lacy, sheer, or low-cut.
 Make-up and nail polish should be understated and flattering; shades that are neutral to
your skin tone are generally advisable. Avoid bright or unusual colours or very long
nails.
 Keep your jewellery and hair accessories to a minimum, and stick to those that are not
flashy, distracting, or shiny.
 Shoes should be conservative and fairly low-heeled. They should be in reasonably good
condition, not scuffed or run-down at the heels. Do not wear shoes with an open toe or
back; any shoes you would wear on a date or to a club are probably inappropriate.
 Dress in a manner that is professionally appropriate to the position for which you are
applying. In almost all cases, this means wearing a suit. Your clothing should always be
neat, clean, and pressed.
 Shower or bathe the morning of the interview. Wear deodorant. Do not wear perfume.
 Make sure you have fresh breath. Brush your teeth before you leave for the interview,
and do not eat or smoke before the interview.
 Your hair should be neat, clean, and conservatively styled. Banana clips, brightly-
coloured scrunches or elastics, and cheer leader-type ponytails look out of place with a
suit.

13.4 MOCK INTERVIEW

A mock interview, also known as a practice interview, is a simulation of an actual job

interview. The conversational exercise usually resembles a real interview as closely as
possible, for the purpose of providing experience for a candidate. It provides you with an
opportunity to practice for an interview and receive feedback.

What is a Mock Interview?

A typical mock interview, conducted by professional career counsellors, is a practice job
interview. It helps you learn how to answer difficult questions, develops interview
strategies, improves your communication skills, imbibes confidence and reduces your
stress before an actual job interview. Mock interviews are an ideal way to practice for real
job interviews, because you are in a situation that mirrors an actual interview with a
company.
During a mock interview, the interviewer may use a semi-structured interview format
rather than asking a formal list of questions.

In-Person Mock Interviews

In-person mock interviews are offered by many colleges, training institutions and career
counsellors. Such interviews are also offered on phone. Sometimes, video mock
interviews are also offered. Many educational institutions provide such facilities. If
you're not affiliated with a college or university, a career coach or counselor is another
option for practice interviewing.
You can make an appointment with a mock interviewer, and provide him/ her with
information on either a specific company with whom you are interviewing, or your
general career field.
The more specific information you can provide for your mock interviewer, the better. The
mock interviewer will often record the interview with a video camera. At times such
interviews are recorded on a tape recorder or with a webcam.
After the mock interview (which usually lasts about 30 minutes), the interviewer will then
review the interview with you, and provide feedback.

Examples of Mock Interview Questions

The questions asked during a mock interview are general employer interview
questions that are asked during a first round or screening interview.
However, if the candidate is aware of the type of position, career field or industry for
which the interview has to be conducted, job specific interview questions may be asked.
When you schedule a mock interview with your college career centre or a career coach or
a professional counsellor, provide them with as much information as possible about your
interests and goals. The more information the counsellor has, the better he or she will be
able to frame the questions to fit the actual interviews you will have.
For example, if you are searching for a tech job, the interviewer can ask a series of tech
interview questions to familiarize you with the types of questions that will be asked and
to help you frame good responses.
Do take the time to prepare responses to the questions you will be asked during a mock
interview.
This is an opportunity to practice interviewing and to make the best impression on your
interview.

How to Prepare for a Mock Interview?

Be sure to take your mock interview as seriously as you would an actual interview. Get
ready for the interview just as you would for an interview with a hiring manager:
 Be prompt. Arrive 10 - 15 minutes early, and bring your resume, credentials and any
other materials you would bring to a real interview.
 Bring a notebook to take notes on what your mock interviewer tells you.
 Dress in professional interview attire.
You should also prepare answers to general interview questions before arriving. If you
have a mock interview to prepare for a specific job or career field, also review these job-
specific interview questions. Review your interview with the interviewer so that you will
be able to modify your responses and interview behavior, if necessary.

Set Up Your Own In-Person Mock Interview

If you're not in a situation where you can participate in a mock interview with a
professional counsellor, recruit a family member or friend to help you practice
interviewing. The more you prepare, the more comfortable you will be with interviewing.

Online Practice Interviews

Now-a-days, online mock interview services are also available. Online practice interview
programs provide job seekers with a pressure-free way to prepare and practice for
upcoming job interviews. Some of these programs are very basic; users are given a series
of random interview questions (either verbally or in writing) and type in answers.
In case of more sophisticated interview practice programs users select questions related to
their particular career field or the type of interview for which they are preparing
(i.e. behavioural interview, group interview, etc.). Sometimes users are given a time limit,
so they learn to answer questions concisely. A pre-recorded video of a mock interviewer
asks a series of questions. The user has to orally answer each question.
The audio answers are then recorded by professional counsellors. Users may also be able
to record themselves via webcam. Some programs even allow users to conduct live online
interviews via webcam with actual career counsellors. After the simulated interview, the
user can review his recording, or email the file to a friend, family member, or career
counsellor for review. Generally, the interviewer records the interview and then critiques
the user's performance.

Benefits of Online Practice Interviews

Professional counsellor are not available everywhere. Online practice interviews
familiarize users with the interview process and allow users to practice answering
common interview questions with confidence. Webcam practice interviews are
particularly helpful in that you can review not only your answers, but your body
language, eye contact, and interview attire.

Fee-Based Interview Programs

Be aware, however, that many of these online practice interview programs cost money,
particularly the programs that record your interview or involve actual career counsellors.
Thoroughly review any online practice interview program. Make sure the program
offered serves your purpose well. Besides, the fees should be within your budget.

13.5 FOLLOWING UP APPLICATION

Getting frustrated is obvious when you send a job application and you do not hear back
from the company. What can you do? You can either wait to hear back, or you can send a
follow-up letter. You can take following steps. It is better to write a follow up letter. But
mind well, a follow-up letter has to be written in a systematic manner.

Advice on Writing a Follow-Up Letter

Below are some tips on writing a polite and professional follow-up letter to a job
application.
Send it promptly: Do not be hasty. Wait for a week or two after sending your job
application. If you do not hear back by then, consider sending a letter. Keep in mind that
it will take a couple of days for the letter to get to the company. If you are in a rush,
consider following up in a different way. You can send an email, make a phone call, or
even visit the office in person. If you have a bit more time, you can send a letter.
Be polite: Getting frustrated or becoming arrogant will blot your task. Avoid accusing
the employer of forgetting your application or ignoring you. Assume that they are simply
very busy and have not yet had time to read your application or respond to you. Be
extremely polite throughout the letter.
Keep it short: Nobody likes to read lengthy, essay-type letters. Besides, the employer is
likely to be busy and may have many applications to read through. Therefore, do not add
to his or her workload with a very long letter. Get right to the point, explaining who you
are and why you are writing.
Reinforce your skills (be brief): While your letter should be short, you should briefly
reiterate one or two things that make you stand out as a job candidate. Emphasize why
you are right for the job, and/or the company.
Edit, edit and edit: This letter is a chance for you to make a first (or second) impression
on the employer. Hence make sure it is written in a professional manner and is polished.
Read through the letter carefully before sending it. Also, make sure your letter is in
proper business letter format.
Follow up again: If another week or so passes after sending your letter and you still
have not heard back, you can send another. At this point, it is advisable to follow up in a
different way, such as a phone call or email.
Sample Follow-Up Letter to a Job Application
Below is the sample letter to follow-up to a job application. Be sure to personalize the
letter to fit the particular job and company.

Mr. John Souza

ABC Company
87 Delaware Road
Hatfield, CA 08065
Date
Dear Mr. John,
I submitted a letter of application and a resume earlier this month for the programmer
position advertised in the Times Union. To date, I have not heard from your office. I
would like to confirm receipt of my application and reiterate my interest in the job.

I am very interested in working at ABC Company and I believe my skills and experience
would be an ideal match for this position. In particular, my seven years as an award-
winning programmer at XYZ Company make me a strong fit for this position and
company.
Please let me know if you need any further materials from me.
I can be reached at (555) 555-5555 or johnsouza@gmail.com. I look forward to hear
from you.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Signature (hard copy letter)
Jim Julius
13.6 ACCEPTING AN INTERVIEW INVITATION

If you receive an invitation to interview for a job via email, it's important to respond
professionally and promptly - ideally on the same or next business day the invitation was
sent. Follow all instructions given in the invitation you receive via email, as the potential
employer will likely consider how you respond when he is determined to hire you.

It is always advisable to accept and confirm an interview invitation with an email,

even if you have spoken to the hiring manager or human resources representative on the
phone. That way, you can be certain that you have all the details correct. Besides, a
written acknowledgement is necessary as it serves as an evidence for future reference if
required.
This is also a good opportunity to clear certain queries as to where is the office
located, who exactly will you be speaking with during the interview, etc.
An email also serves as a reminder to you and the hiring manager, and is an excellent
opportunity to reiterate your interest in the position.

When to Send the Email?

Ideally it is desirable to send an email accepting the invitation of interview soon after the
notice (often a phone call, or perhaps an email) about the interview. But when you receive
notice of an interview, hiring managers may mention that they plan to send a
confirmation email to you, there is no need for you to send an email if the hiring manager
plans to do so.

The Template for an Interview Acceptance Letter/ Structuring Response

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you are writing your interview confirmation
email.
 Formal salutation: Don't just hit reply and start typing. Start with a formal greeting
that uses the message sender's courtesy title (Mr., Ms., Dr. etc.) and his or her last
name.
 Subject line: It should include the job title and your name in the email subject line.
Remember, the hiring manager may be setting up several interviews. Hence including
your name makes it easier for him/her to keep emails sorted. It is also helpful if your
email is forwarded to interviewers.
 Reason for writing: Get straight to the point with your response. Thank the person
you are replying to for inviting you to interview and immediately make it clear you
are accepting the request.
 Any requests: You should always bring several copies of your resume to your
interview. However, some companies may want some other credentials such as social
security card, portfolio of work, etc. on hand during the interview. In your email, you
can ask if there is anything that you should bring on the interview or if there is any
information you can share prior to the interview.
 Thank you: Do not forget to thank the email's recipient for the opportunity to
interview.
 Appropriate closing: End the message with an appropriate closing word or phrase
(such as Sincerely, or Regards,) and your full name. Include your phone number
below your name in case the interviewer needs to call you about anything.

An Example of Letter Accepting an Interview Invitation:

Sample Email Response 1
Subject Line of Email Message: Interview Confirmation Account Analyst Position –
Biju Joseph

Dear Mr. Anthony,

Thank you very much for the invitation to interview for the Account Analyst position.
I appreciate the opportunity and I look forward to meeting with Ajay Mathews on April
15th at 11 AM in your Quincy office.
If I can provide you with any further information prior to the interview please let me
know.
Best Regards,

Biju Joseph
biju.s.joseph@gmail.com
555-123-1234
Sample Email Response 2
Use text along these lines if the invitation you received included interview times for you
to choose among.
Ms. Anthony,
Thank you for inviting me to interview for a position as a sales officer with ABC
Company. I am very excited to be considered for this position, and I look forward to
having a chance to meet with you. Per the scheduling options suggested in your email, I
would like to schedule an interview with you on Thursday, April 15 at 11 a.m. It is my
understanding that the interview will take place in your Quincy office corporate office,
which is located at 1234 Ancy Arcade in Colombo. Please confirm if this time is
convenient for you, and that I have the correct location.
I look forward to meeting you in person and sharing information on how I can be an asset
to ABC Company.
Regards,

Biju Joseph
biju.s.joseph@gmail.com
555-123-1234

13.7 FOLLOW UP OF AN INTERVIEW

When you've finished your interview, you will often be told when you can expect to hear
back. If not, that's a question you should ask before the conversation is over. If that
amount of time passes and you haven't heard anything, it's reasonable to call or write to
check in. When you do not hear anything after you had interviewed for a job, it’s a sign
of bad news. You need to follow up and find out what's going on. At the same time you
also need to take care to see that you aren’t annoying. Here's how to handle this situation
effectively.
Most simple process of follow up of an interview has been explained below:

Send a Thank-you Note Immediately After the Interview

Send a thank you note right away, via mail or postal mail as it takes a few days to arrive
and serves as a positive reminder to get back to you. It's pretty simple, but very effective.
A thank you note is simply a polite and positive reminder that you exist. It will help your
interviewer(s) want to get back to you.
Send a Short, Polite Email to Check In
An email is less-intrusive and won't put your interviewer on the spot, so it is generally a
better way to ask the question.
It can be a little nerve-wracking to ask for an update when you were supposed to hear
back, as it feels like you are asking for bad news, but that isn't always the case. If you get
bad news, there will be other job opportunities, but sometimes you will find out that the
company needed an extra day because another interview was postponed or they simply
haven't had time to get back to everyone. You never know, and that's why you ask.
Regardless of what you decide to do, be sure to keep it short. Here's an example
Dear Ajay Mathew,
I just wanted to follow up in regards to my interview on 15th April, 2017 at 11:00 am. Do
you have an update, or do you need any further information from me? Please let me
know when you have a free moment.
Thank you.
Biju Joseph

Though this might seem to be a bit formal, you will want to make the note sound like
you and be as formal or casual as is appropriate for the situation. The content has to be
pretty straightforward.

13.8 ACCEPTING EMPLOYMENT

It is always advisable to accept a job offer via letter. A job acceptance letter allows you
to demonstrate your professionalism and make sure there is no confusion about the
precise terms of the offer, such as vacation time and other benefits. It is also an
opportunity to express your gratitude for being offered a position, as well as your
enthusiasm for taking on the new role.
Below is the guidance on how to write a letter accepting a job offer, as well as sample
acceptance letters.
What to Include in a Job Offer Acceptance Letter
Your letter can be brief, but should include the following:
 Thank you and appreciation for the opportunity
 Written acceptance of the job offer
 The terms and conditions of employment (salary, benefits, job title, etc.)
 Starting date of employment
The letter can be sent by email or postal mail. If you intend to send a hard copy through
the mail, format the letter as you would any business letter. Include your contact
information and phone number, even though it is on file with the employer.
When sending an email letter, put your name in the subject line (Your Name - Job Offer
Acceptance). This helps ensure that your message will be opened and read.
No matter which way you send the letter, make sure to address the letter to the person
who offered you the position.
Advice on Writing a Job Offer Acceptance Letter
Keep it brief: While you want to include all the most important information, this does
not mean your letter should be long. The employer is busy, so a concise letter that
includes all the necessary information is best.
Express your gratitude: Demonstrate how thankful you are for the opportunity.
Mention the reason why you are particularly excited to work for the company, such as
your desire to contribute to their sales team, or your passion for their mission. Again,
keep this polite but brief.
Edit as much before you send: Before you send your letter, be sure to
thoroughly proofread the letter. You do not want to create any last-minute reasons for the
employer to take back the job offer, such as a sloppy or unprofessional letter.

Example of a Letter Accepting a Job Offer - Hard Copy

John Christopher
76 Washington Street
Peterfield, CA 08055
(909) 555-5555
jonechristopher@gmail.com

Date

Dear Mr. Anthony,

As we discussed on the phone, I am very pleased to accept the position of Advertising

Assistant with Smithfield Granite and Stonework. Thank you again for the opportunity. I
am eager to make a positive contribution to the company and to work with everyone on
the Smithfield team.
As we discussed, my starting salary will be $45,000 and health and life insurance benefits
will be provided after 30 days of employment.
I look forward to starting employment on July 1, 20XX. If there is any additional
information or paperwork you need prior to then, please let me know.

Again, thank you very much.

Signature

John Christopher

Example of a Letter Accepting a Job Offer - Email

Subject line: John Christopher - Job Offer Acceptance

Dear Mr. Anthony,

It was wonderful to speak with you on the phone yesterday about the Marketing Director
role at XYZ Company. I am excited to formally accept this job offer. I am looking
forward to working with you, and the rest of the senior management team at XYZ, on
charting a new direction for marketing strategy.
As we discussed, my start date with be July 1, 20XX, with an annual salary of $45,000,
and three weeks of paid time off. This salary does not include health insurance, effective
on my start date.
I am looking forward to seeing you next Monday. Please let me know if there is any
paperwork or additional information you need from me beforehand, or if there is any
documentation I should bring along on my first day.
I am always available on email, but feel free to call if that's more convenient (555-555-
5555).
Again, thank you so much for this opportunity.

John Christopher.

13.9 RESIGNING FROM THE JOB

How to Resign From Your Job?
Whenever you resign from your job, it is essential that you resign with Professionalism
and leave a positive final impression of yours. You can resign from your job in a way
that reinforces your professional image and keeps current employer relationships positive
for the future.
You can resign and keep doors open for future opportunities by building, not destroying,
relationships with colleagues and customers. Following tips should be used to effectively
resign from your job while leaving a positive final impression in the minds and files of
your employer.
Make sure that you want to resign
Before you resign from your job, do a self-check.
 If you are leaving for another employer, make sure that you have your job offer letter.
Even with legal documents, employers have been known to renege on job offers.
Provide notice period to your employer so that he can arrange for some replacement.
 Are you resigning from your job without another job waiting? Be careful if you need
employment income. Good jobs are tough to find. You may want to rethink your
decision until you have a job in hand or you will have to be prepared for getting
unemployed.
Though it is easier to search a job when you are unemployed as you have lots of time
at your disposal, but employers show a preference for hiring employees who are
successfully employed – by someone else, often doing a job similar to that of their
open position. Do not spoil your chances for a new job when you resign.
 At times, superiors are really annoying. They make your life stressful. Do not walk
out in a snit or make a spur of the moment decision to resign that you will regret later.
You can maturely and secretly job search while you’re currently employed. Do not
leave or give notice until you are ready to resign from your job. Meantime, you may
want to hold onto your job.
Prepare to Resign from Your Job
You never know how your employer will react when you resign from your job, although
your employer’s past behaviour when other employees have resigned, may give you a
reasonable expectation.
You do not know if you will get a chance to give notice period to your boss or not. So it
is better to organize your current projects, and clean up your business and personal work
space, computer, and desk drawers before you resign.
You don’t want to remove family pictures, for example, because that would spark
suspicion that you are job searching or preparing to resign, but do remove work samples
and other items that will help you in your next job.
Remove personal information from company property like laptops and cell phones. Make
sure that you have your address and phone lists and work samples that you will need
going forward in your career.
Some employers will kindly give you copies of personal information that you have
stored on your computer, cell, and other electronic devices after you resign. Some won't.
So be prepared for the worst case scenario before you resign from your employment.

Resign by Notifying Your Boss

The first step is to intimate your boss verbally that you intend to resign. Your boss or the
Human Resource Managers, as the case may be, will likely ask you for a resignation
letter. This letter is for your permanent employee file and for your employer to prove that
you resigned and were not fired or laid off.
You may be frustrated and likely to get impulsive, but think positively. Take care to see
that you leave a positive final impression. Give reasons for your resignation to your boss.
Avoid negative reflections. Thank your boss for all of his or her help and support. Make
positive statements about your experience with the company, how much you learned, the
opportunities that your job provided, and so forth.
You have absolutely no reason to burn bridges that may prove useful later in your career,
by leaving a negative final impression when you resign.
The same goes for Human Resources and your resignation letter. Polite, positive, and
brief are keys to how you need to resign from your job. Write professionally and in a
forward-thinking manner when you resign.

Offer Assistance with the Job Transition When You Resign

Two weeks' notice is standard and expected practice when you resign from your job.
Your employer may not take you up on it, and you may find yourself walked to the
company door when you resign, but you need to offer your help and transition assistance
as a courtesy.
Offer to train your successor or the person who will replace you. Write manuals and
operating procedures that describe the steps that you followed in key components of your
job, if you do not have these developed already.
As far as possible do not keep any tasks pending. You can even offer to continue to
answer questions and help when you have started with your new employer, with his or
her permission, of course unless you help during off-work hours.
Your efforts to make the transition seamless for your employer when you resign will be
remembered and appreciated.
Do keep your start date commitment to your new employer. Do not start on the wrong
foot with your new employer to appease your former employer when you resign.

Follow an Employment Ending Checklist When You Resign

Use the employment resignation checklist to prepare yourself for your last day. Plan to
turn in any company owned property you use: your laptop, cell phone, keys, door cards,
and badges. Pack up your personal office items and remove a few every day so that you
avoid a last minute overload.
Prepare your exit questions involving benefits. Clear all your dues with the company.
Likewise, see to it that company has made all payments to you. Ask for a reference
letter. Make sure that you are connected with colleagues, bosses, and friends on LinkedIn
and Facebook. Former colleagues change jobs, move on, and become difficult to contact
over time. Plan to periodically stay in touch even as you move into the next chapter of
your employment.

Participate in the Human Resources Exit Interview When You Resign

Exit interviews may be taken as constructive criticisms. Depending upon your employer,
however, you may want to respond to the questions asked cautiously. If you have
genuine ideas for improvement that might benefit the employees who remain, respond
positively to the improvement questions.
The exit interview is not an occasion, however, to abuse your former boss, complain
about how you were treated by the company or air your grievances about why you
resigned.
The time to have shared these issues was when you were employed and able to affect
your job and company. At an exit interview, the only thing these opinions affect is how
the employer will regard you upon leaving.
Just as you resigned from your job verbally to your boss, wrote your resignation letter,
and spent your final two weeks, professional, positive, polite behaviour rules the day.
Never leave the organization with bad impression.
Say Goodbye with Class and Professionalism When You Resign
At the end of the notice period, you will have the opportunity to email a formal note to
say goodbye to your colleagues. Make sure that you include a brief statement about
where you are going to seamlessly close this chapter in your employment history. You
will also want to include a personal email address and a personal phone number where
colleagues can stay connected and reach you if needed.

Sample, Simple Resignation Letter

This is a simple employee resignation letter to use when you quit your job.

If your employer is like most, he or she will want official documentation that you
resigned.

So, do not be surprised when you tell your manager that you are leaving and the first
item requested is a resignation letter for your employee file. Here is your sample letter.
Date
Name of Supervisor
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear ______(Name of Immediate Supervisor)

The purpose of this letter is to resign from my employment with Company Name. My
last day is (probably two weeks from the date of the letter).
I wish you nothing but success going forward and will miss working with you and many
of my co-workers and customers. My employment with Company Name has been an
opportunity to both learn and to contribute. I will take many positive memories with me
to my new employment.
Again, best wishes for a positive future. Please call on me if there is anything I can do to
help ease the transfer of my work or to help train your new employee.
Regards,

Employee Signature

Employee Name
UNIT-14 IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
Learning Objectives
1. To make the meaning of impression management clear.
2. To suggest tips to make a great first impression.
3. To make students aware about various techniques and tactics of impression
management.

CONTENTS:
14.1 MEANING OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
14.2 MAKING A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
14.3 IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
14.4 TACTICS OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENET/ HOW PEOPLE SELECT WAYS TO
MANAGE OTHERS’ PERCEPETION OF THEM
14.5 EMPLOYEE IMPRESSIONS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
14.6 TACTICS USED BY EMPLOYERS

14.1 MEANING OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

Impression management refers to the activity of controlling information to steer others’
opinions in the service of personal or social goals. Although people can manage impressions
of almost anything (e.g., a clothing brand, a political position), people most commonly
manage the impressions others form of themselves, a subtype of impression management that
is often termed self-presentation.
Impression management is not risk-free, however. Becoming excessively concerned over
others’ opinions can cause anxiety, thereby increasing health problems. Sometimes, there is
risk of getting caught of inappropriate presentation. Conversely, if done properly, impression
management may sometimes be effective as well.
Impression management can also be used prosocially to benefit friends. People commonly
describe their friends in ways that help to support their friends’ desired images. Thus,
impression management can be undertaken to create one’s positive image in society.
14.2 MAKING A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION

Your first encounters, whether they are in your career or social life, create your first
impression wherever you go, and this first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or
undo, making those first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for all the
relationships that follows. Hence it is important to know how to create a good first
impression.
The key to a good impression lies in present yourself appropriately.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so the ‘picture’ that you first present in
front of others say much about you to the person you are meeting. This starts with your
appearance.
Formal dressing, if done correctly helps you create the first impression. Remember, you
seldom get a second chance. While you dress up, take care to see that it helps you enhance
your personality. An individual with a pleasing personality is respected and appreciated by
all. He can easily charm anyone and win people over. Make sure your clothes fit you well.
You need to feel comfortable in your dress. Too tight and revealing clothes make you talk of
the workplace for all wrong reasons. Casuals, chunky jewellery, stacks of bangles, multiple
chains /bracelets are strict no at workplaces. Donning the right business attire will not only
help you make a mark of your own but also climb the success ladder in the shortest possible
time span.
Besides, personal grooming is equally important. Donning an expensive business suit will not
help, if you are not neat and clean. Personal grooming is essential for everyone irrespective of
the gender and nature of profession. Personal hygiene, if neglected can ruin your personality.
One needs to smell good at the workplace. Apply a mild perfume. Make sure your grooming
is appropriate and helps make you feel "the part".
Also, follow the below mentioned tips to create your positive first impression:

A Word about Individuality

The good news is you can usually create a good impression without losing your individuality.
If you feel comfortable in your regular formal attire and simple jewellery then there is no
need to follow the mob at the gathering. You can have your unique mark or identity. Yet take
care to express your individuality appropriately within that context.

Have a Winning Smile on Face

There is nothing like a smile to create a good first impression. A warm and confident smile
will put both you and the other person at ease. So smiling is a winner when it comes to great
first impressions. But be careful with this. People who take this too far can seem insincere
and smarmy, or can be seen to be ‘lightweights.’

Be Open and Confident

Body language has lot to do with creating first impression. Use your body language to
project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand straight, smile (of course), make eye
contact, greet with a firm handshake. All of this will help you project confidence and
encourage both you and the other person to feel better at ease.
Almost everyone gets a little nervous when meeting someone for the first time, which can
lead to nervous habits or sweaty palms. By being aware of your nervous habits, you can try to
keep them in check. And controlling a nervous jitter or a nervous laugh will give you
confidence and help the other person feel at ease.

Small Talk Goes a Long Way

Conversations are based on verbal give and take. You may prepare questions you have for the
person you are meeting for the first time beforehand. Or, take a few minutes to learn
something about the person you meet for the first time before you get together and initiate
conversation.

Be Positive
Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism or in the case of nervousness. Strive to
learn from your meeting and to contribute appropriately, maintaining an upbeat manner and a
smile.

Be Courteous and Attentive

It goes without saying that good manners and polite, attentive and courteous behaviour help
make a good first impression. In fact, anything less can ruin the one chance you have at
making that first impression. So be on your best behaviour.
One modern manner worth mentioning is to turn off your cell phones. What first impression
will you create if you are already speaking to someone other than the person you are meeting
for the first time? Your new acquaintance deserves 100% of your attention. Anything less
will create a lesser than good first impression.

Be on Time

Someone you are meeting for the first time is not interested in your excuses for running late.
Plan to arrive a few minutes early. And allow flexibility for possible delays in traffic or
taking a wrong turn. Arriving early is much better that arriving late. It is the first step in
creating a great first impression.

Be Yourself, Be at Ease

If you are feeling uncomfortable and on edge, the other person is most likely to feel
uncomfortable. This is sure to create the wrong impression. If you are calm and confident, so
the other person will feel more at ease, and so have a solid foundation for making that first
impression a good one.

Present Yourself Appropriately

Of course, physical appearance matters a lot. The person you are meeting for the first time
does not know you and your appearance is usually the first clue he or she has to go on. This
does not mean necessarily for you to look like a model to create a strong and positive first
impression.

14.3 IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

The following are effective impression management techniques that can be applied in
organizations:

1. Conformity: Agreeing with someone else’s opinion in order to gain his or her
approval.
Example: A manager tells his boss, ‘You are absolutely right on your reorganizations
plan for the western regional office. I couldn’t agree with you more’.
2. Excuses: Explanations of a predicament creating event aimed at minimizing the
apparent severity to the predicament.
Examples: Sales manager to boss. ‘We failed to get the ad in the paper on time, but no
one responds to those ads anyway’.
3. Apologies: Admitting responsibility for an undesirable event and simultaneously
seeking to get a pardon for the section
Example: Employee to boss, ‘I’m sorry I made a mistake on the report Please forgive
me’.
4. Self-Promotion: Highlighting one’s best qualities downplaying one’s deficits and
calling attention to one’s achievements.
Example: A salesperson tells his boss: ‘Matt worked unsuccessfully for three years to
try to get that account I sewed it up in six weeks. I’m the best closer this company
has’.
5. Flattery: Complementing others about their virtues in an effort to make one self
appear perceptive and likeable.
Example: New sales trainee to peer. ‘You handled that client’s complaint so tactfully!
I could never have handled that as well as you did’.
6. Favours: Doing nice for someone to gain that person’s approval.
Example: Sales person to prospective client, ‘I’ve got two tickets to the theatre tonight
that I can’t use. Take them. Consider it a thank you for taking the time to talk with
me’.
7. Association: Enhancing or protecting one’s image by managing information about
people and things with which one is associated.
Example: A job applicant says to an interviewer, “What a coincidence. Your boss and
I were roommates in college”.
In terms of performance ratings, the picture is quite different. Ingratiation is positively
related to performance rations, meaning that those who ingratiate with their
 supervisors get higher performance evaluations. However, self promotion appears to
backfire – those who self promote actually seem to receive lower performance
evaluations.

14.4 TACTICS OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENET/ HOW PEOPLE SELECT

WAYS TO MANAGE OTHERS’ PERCEPETION OF THEM

Impressions are important. People form impressions about others based on dress, educational
background and place where they live in. Consciously or unconsciously every human being
attempts to create an impression in minds of other people explicitly or implicitly.
Whereas social perception is concerned how one individual perceives other individuals and
attribution is how people explain their own and others behaviour, impression management
(sometimes called self-presentation) is the process by which people attempt to manage or
control the perceptions others form of them.
There is often a tendency for people to try to present themselves so as to impress others in a
socially desirable way. Thus impression management has considerable implication for one to
build image and be successful. People attempt to create impressions through using the self
concept, desired and undesired identity images, role constraints, targets value and current
social image.
For example, do they directly tell their boss things such as “I” am really competitive and
want to get ahead or do they make indirect statement such as “I really like racquetball; it is
really competitive.” One research evidence indicating that managers who are high self
monitors (regulate and control themselves based on situational and interpersonal cues) are
more sensitive and responsive to adjusting their self presentation or impressions. These high
self monitors were found to be more likely to be promoted but they are also more likely to
change employers or to make a job related move to different state or country.

14.5 EMPLOYEE IMPRESSIONS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

There are two basic strategies of impression that employees use. If employees are trying to
minimise responsibility for some negative event or to stay out of trouble, they may employe a
demotion-preventive strategy. The demotion-preventive strategy is characterised by the
following:
Explanation: These are employees attempts to excuse or justify their actions. Example,
excuses are not feeling well or not getting something done on time because of another higher
priority assignment.
Acknowledgement When there is no logical way out, the employee may apologise to the
boss for some negative event. Such an apology not only gives the impression that individual
is sorry but also indicates that it will not happen again. The employee is big enough to face
up to a problem and solve it.
Disconnect: When employee are indicatory associated with something that went wrong (for
example they are members of a committee or work team that made a bad decision), they may
secretly tell their boss that they fought for the right thing but were overruled. Employees
using this approach try to remove themselves both from the group and from responsibility for
the problem.
If they are seeking to maximise responsibility for a positive outcome or to look better than
they are really are, then they can use a promotion enhancing strategy. The promotion
enhancing strategies involve the following:
Connecting with Seniors: Under this approach, employees feel that they have not been
given credit for a positive outcome. They make sure that it is known through formal
channels. Or they may informally note to key people that they are pleased their suggestions
or efforts worked out so well.
Presenting future perspective: Here employees may have received credit but they point
out that they really did more and had a bigger impact than originally thought. For example
their effort or idea not only served a customer well or met a difficult deadline, but can be
used in the future to greatly increase profits.
Hardships presentations: In this strategy, employees identify either personal (health or
family) or organisational (lack of resources or cooperation) obstacles they had to overcome to
accomplish an outcome. They are trying to create the perception that because they obtained
the positive outcome despite the big obstacles they really deserve a lot of credit.
Showing Affiliations: Here the employee makes sure to be seen with the right people at the
right time. This creates the perception that the employee is well connected and is associated
with successful projects.
Above strategies help construct impressions or perceptions. The motivation on the part of
employees may or may not be a deliberate attempt to enhance themselves in terms of political
power, promotions, and monetary rewards. Specific impression management strategy that is
used will depend on the situation (e.g. employment interview, performance appraisal or
training sessions). Thus managers should be aware of deliberate manipulation of perceptions
when making evaluations of their people. By the same token, such impression management
could be positively used to get ahead in an organisation or keep good relations with
customers.

14.6 TACTICS USED BY EMPLOYERS

Here are some guidelines that have been offered for managers that will help them recognise
various impression management tactics and the motives behind them:
One should be on the look out for high probability impression management strategies. For
example, recruiters should be careful to separate pure self-promotion and legitimate claims of
competence, and those in positions of power or status should be aware of subordinates efforts
to ingratiate themselves (buttering up the boss and apple polishing).
There should be an attempt to minimise personal, situational and organisational features that
foster undesirable impression management. For example, organisation in which task
performance is not well defined and/or resources are scare tend to generate relatively highly
of ingratiation.
One should look for ulterior motives and avoid being over influenced by impressional
management. For example, a manager who is able to distinguish between pure self-
promotion and true competence is less likely to be biased by an invalid claim when
appraising a staff members’ performance.
In conclusion, make every effort to put your best foot forward - but never at the cost of your
identify or integrity.
 LEADERSHIP

UNIT-15 LEADERSHIP
Learning Objectives
1. To highlight importance of leadership to students.
2. To discuss about various types of leadership styles.
3. To focus on qualities of a successful leader as well as team leader.

CONTENTS:
15 LEADERSHIP
15.1 IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP
15.2 QUALITIES OF A LEADER
15.3 LEADERSHIP STYLES
15.4 TEAM PLAYERS
Leadership is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behavior
and work of others towards accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. Leadership
is the ability of a manager to induce the subordinates to work with in a specific manner.
In the words of Stoner, “Leadership is the process of directing and influencing the task
related activities of group members.”
According to Keith Davis, “Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined
objectives enthusiastically. It is the human factor which binds a group together and motivates
it towards goals.”

15.1 IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP

Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and

to achieve organizational goals. The following points justify the importance of leadership in a
concern.
 1. Initiates Action: Leader is a person who communicates the policies and plans to the
subordinates from where the work actually starts.
2. Motivation: The task of a leader is that of a motivator. He motivates the employees
with economic and non-economic rewards and thereby gets the work from the
subordinates.
3. Providing Guidance: A leader also acts as a guide to his subordinates. Guidance here
means instructing the subordinates the way they have to perform their work
effectively and efficiently.
4. Creating Confidence: Another task of a leader is to imbibe confidence among his
subordinates. This can be done by explaining them clearly their roles and giving them
guidelines to achieve the goals effectively. It is also important to hear the employees
with regards to their complaints and problems.
5. Building Morale: Morale denotes willing co-operation of the employees towards
their work and getting them into confidence besides winning their trust. A leader
helps subordinates boost up their morale so that they co-operatively perform with best
of their abilities towards achievement of organizational goals.
6. Builds Work Environment: Manager has to get work done from people. An efficient
work environment helps in sound and stable growth. Therefore, human relations
should be kept into mind by a leader. He should have personal contacts with
employees and should listen to their problems or grievances and make efforts to solve
them. He should treat employees on humanitarian terms.
7. Co-ordination: Co-ordination can be achieved through reconciling personal interests
with organizational goals. This synchronization can be achieved through proper and
effective co-ordination which should be primary motive of a leader.

15.2 QUALITIES OF A LEADER

Becoming a leader means growing expertise in whatever industry the person is working;
being willing and able to share the insight with people. Apart from this teaching others to
apply so they don’t make the same mistake.
1. Be a Positive Role Model: Leaders action set a tone for what is appropriate behavior
in the workplace. The leader may establish rules of conduct or have expectation for
how staff should behave at work and what action will not be tolerated. To encourage
these specific actions the leader must demonstrate them.
2. Be Humble: A leader shares the credit for the successful projects with the team. If the
leader makes the mistake he/she should readily except and apologies. The leader
shows the willingness to seek answers from other sources. Accepting that individuals
make mistakes will create a more cooperative atmosphere in the company.
3. Practice Effective Communication: A leader should give attention to his employees.
He should maintain the confidential of the conversation. The staff should know the
expectations of the leader. A leader should address all the misunderstandings.
4. Find a Mentor: A confident leader realizes that there is always more to learn and
will turn to a trusted friend or colleague for their opinion 0of a given issue or to
receive feedback o their job performance. Seeking advice from someone with more
experience is not a sign of weakness.
5. Be Emotionally Aware: Business is ultimately about dealing with people. Emotions
usually reveal the deeper, most important and relevant points of personal interaction.
6. Encourage Creativity: A leader should give his employers the opportunity to present
fresh new ideas openly and empower them to make their ideas to the next level by
giving positive feedback and constructive advice
 7. Passionate about Work: Leader must demonstrate a commitment to the goals of the
company. If the leader wants his employees to be dedicated, first he should be more
dedicating. He should not hesitate to speak passionately about what he believe in
8. Think Positive: Thinking and acting positive go hand –in –hand. A good leader
remains confident when things went wrong. He embraces failure and inspires his team
to consider such events as opportunities to learn.
9. Challenge the Staff: Employees become bored and dissatisfied if they are performing
the same task and projects each day. A good leader gives his staff new challenges that
are within their abilities, and provide constructive feedback.

15.3 LEADERSHIP STYLES

A type of behaviour adopted by a manager towards his subordinates in the organization is
known as a style of leadership. Generally a type of leadership style is identified on the basis
of extent of use of authority and participation of subordinates in the decision making process.
The type of leadership style adopted by a particular manager depends upon his philosophy,
his personality, experience, his values, business situation and characteristics of subordinate
group. The following are the major leadership styles:
A) Styles Based on Traditional Theories
Power Orientation: The power orientation refers to the “degree of authority” that a leader
adopts to influence the behavior of his subordinates. These are also known as traditional
styles of leadership. Based on this, the leadership styles can be further classified as:
1. Autocratic Leadership
2. Laissez-Faire Leadership
3. Participative Leadership
4. Democratic Leadership

1. Autocratic Leadership
In this authoritarian style there is concentration of authority in the hands of one person or in
the hands of a small group of persons at top level. Therefore, the autocratic leadership style
allows managers to make decisions alone without the input of others. Managers possess total
authority and impose their will on employees. No one challenges the decisions of autocratic
leaders. The belief that only the top level managers can make matured decisions and lack of
faith and trust in subordinates are responsible for the adoption of this type of leadership style.
This leadership style benefits employees who require close supervision. Creative employees
who thrive in group functions detest this leadership style.

Autocratic Leadership can Further be Classified into Different Types us under:

A leader using power, threats, pressure and such negative tools of motivation for goal
achievement is known as coercive autocrat. A leader who makes all decisions himself but for
getting co-operation of the subordinates uses tools like appreciation, praise, request and other
positive motivational tools is known as Benevolent Autocrat. There are some leaders who
pretend to welcome the voice of subordinates in the decision making process but ignores their
suggestions and behave in their own way. This style is known as manipulative autocracy.

Advantages of Autocratic Leadership:

1. It facilitates quick decisions.

2. Business secrets can be preserved.
3. It proves a blessing during emergency situations as it facilitates taking quick decision.
4. Where a subordinate group is totally dependent only on the leader and do not want to
participate in decision making process chances of success for autocracy are bright.

Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership:

1. There is every possibility of misuse of power.

2. The advantage of different view points is not available.
3. During emergency the autocrat may not get the co-operation of the subordinates.
4. Company will be deserted by the ambitious and intellectual employees.
5. It does not develop leadership qualities in subordinates.
6. Vacuum is created in case the leader dies. There is no second line of defence.

2. Laissez-Faire
Laissez-faire leadership is quite opposite to autocracy. The autocracy stands at one end and
laissez-faire leadership on the other end. Both stand at two extreme ends. A laissez-faire
leader lacks direct supervision of employees and fails to provide regular feedback to those
under his supervision. Highly experienced and trained employees requiring little supervision
fall under the laissez-faire leadership style. However, not all employees possess those
characteristics. This leadership style hinders the production of employees needing
supervision. The laissez-faire style produces no leadership or supervision efforts from
managers, which can lead to poor production, lack of control and increasing costs. This
leadership style is most convenient for a business enterprise which has many factories or
branches at different places and decisions are to be made in the context of local conditions.

3. Participative
Often called the democratic leadership style, participative leadership values the input of team
members and peers, but the responsibility of making the final decision rests with the
participative leader. Participative leadership boosts employee morale because employees
make contributions to the decision-making process. It causes them to feel as if their opinions
matter. When a company needs to make changes within the organization, the participative
leadership style helps employees accept changes easily because they play a role in the
process. This style meets challenges when companies need to make a decision in a short
period.
4. Democratic
Democratic style believes in decentralisation of authority. It encourages subordinates to
express their opinion in decision-making as well as in implementing the decision. Leaders
can thus take benefit of knowledge and experience of subordinates. However, the decisions
are taken by the leaders. Thus, decisions are arrived at by consultation. As opinions and
suggestions of all are taken into consideration before arriving at decisions, this style generally
results in delay in decision-making. Besides, preserving business secrets is also not possible
in this style of leadership.

B. Leadership Styles Based on Modern Theories

1. Transactional Style

Managers using the transactional leadership style receive certain tasks to perform and provide
rewards or punishments to team members based on performance results. Managers and team
members set predetermined goals together, and employees agree to follow the direction and
leadership of the manager to accomplish those goals. The manager possesses power to review
results and train or correct employees when team members fail to meet goals. Employees
receive rewards, such as bonuses, when they accomplish goals.
2. Transformational Style

This style of leadership requires the involvement of management to meet goals. Leaders
focus on the big picture within an organization and delegate smaller tasks to the team to
accomplish goals.The leadership styles based on the charismatic and transformational
theories are classified into three categories:
5. Envisioning: This style believes in showing future desired picture to subordinates with
which they can identify. Envisioning generates excitement. This style creates and shows
future vision to subordinates and believes in setting high goals and expectation.
6. Energising: This style believes in generating energy, motivation and excitement to
subordinates. This style also includes inculcating confidence, seeking, finding and using
success.
7. Enabling: The leader helps the followers psychologically to act or perform in the face of
challenging goals. This style includes empowering, expressing personal support and
empathising.

Transformational Style of Tannenbaum and Schmidt and Rensis Likert:

Transformational style presented by Tannenbaum and Likert have been explained below:
1. Leadership as a continuum: This model is given by Tannenbaum and Schmidt, who
believed that there are several leadership styles that range between two extremes of
autocratic and free-rein, which are shown below:

Likert’s Management System: Rensis Likert along with his associates studied the
 patterns and behavior of managers to identify the leadership styles and defined four
systems of management. These four systems are: Exploitative Authoritative,
Benevolent Authoritative, consultative system and participative system. For a detailed
description of these systems click on the link below:
2. Likert’s Four systems of Management
 Exploitative Authoritative System: In this type of management system, the
responsibility lies with the people in higher positions in the hierarchy. Here, the
subordinates are not involved in the decision-making process. The superior has no
trust and confidence in his subordinate and imposes decisions on him leaving no room
for further discussions.In this system, the communication flows downwards, i.e. from
the superior to the subordinate and hence there is a lack of communication and
teamwork. The management is only concerned with the completion of work; it uses
any means or threats to get the work completed through the subordinates.
 Benevolent Authoritative System: Like exploitative authoritative system, here also
the responsibility lies with the people at the upper echelons of the hierarchy and the
only difference is that the motivation is based on the rewards, not on fear and threat.
The superior has that much trust and confidence in his subordinates which is required
in a master-servant relationship. In this system, the subordinates are given rewards for
their participation and the communication may flow upwards i.e. from subordinate to
superior, but restricted to what the superior wants to hear. Thus, in the benevolent
authoritative system also, the subordinates do not feel free to discuss job-related
issues with the superior. This results in the lack of communication and a little
teamwork.
 Consultative System: In this management system, the superior has substantial but not
complete, trust and confidence in his subordinates and constructively uses the views
and opinions given by them. Here, the motivation is based on rewards and the amount
of the individual’s involvement in the decision-making process. The consultative
system is characterized by a great flow of information both horizontally and
vertically. The subordinates feel free to discuss job-related issues with the superiors
and hence, the upward flow of communication is more into the consultative system
than a benevolent system. But still, the decisions are made by the senior people in the
hierarchy.
  Participative System: In the participative system, the management has full
confidence in his subordinates and encourages them to participate actively in the
decision-making process. Here, the subordinate feels absolutely free to discuss any
issue related to a job with his superior. This system is characterized by a good
teamwork and teams are linked with people, who are the members of more than one
team and such people are called as “linking pins”. The subordinates get motivated
through rewards for their participation in the decision-making process.

With these four systems of management, Likert studied seven variables Viz. Leadership,
motivation, decision-making process, communication, interaction-influence, control
process and goal setting.
15.4 TEAM PLAYERS

What is a team player: team players are not only those who play in the sports team, they
are also people who work for an organization. A team player is a person who plays or
works well as Qualities of a good team player:
i. Communicate Constructively: Teams need people who speak up and express their
thoughts and ideas clearly, directly, honestly and with respect for others and for the
welfare of the team.
ii. Listen Actively: Good listeners are essential for teams who can absorb, understand and
consider ideas and points of view from other people without arguing at every point
iii. Functions as an Active Participant: Good team players come prepared for team
meetings and listen as well as speak up in the discussions. They are fully engaged in the
work of the team and do not sit passively.
 iv. Share Openly and Willingly: Good team players are willing to share information,
knowledge and experience. They keep other team other team members acquitted with
information and expertise.
v. Cooperation: Cooperation is the act of working with other and acting together to
accomplish a job. Good team players despite differences they may have with others team
members concerning style and perspective, figure out ways to work together.
vi. Shows Commitment to the Team: Strong team care about the work, the team and the
teams work. They want to give a good effort and they want the other team members to do
the same.
vii. Works as a Problem Solver: Good team players are willing to deal with a all kind of
problems. They are problem solvers not problem dwellers, problem blamers or problem
avoiders. Team players get problems out in the open for discussion and then collaborate
with others to find solutions and form action plans.
viii. Treats in Supportive Manner: Team players treat fellow members with courtesy and
consideration not just some of the time but consistently. In short they deal with other
people in professional manners.
UNIT- 16 CONFLICT
Learning Objectives
1. To familiarize students with the concept of management of conflict.
2. To discuss various types, causes, stages and sources of conflict in
organisation.
3. To highlight factors affecting conflict styles.
4. To elucidate various levels of conflict in organisation.
5. To make students aware about the steps to minimize organizational conflict.

CONTENTS:
16.1 INTRODUCTION TO CONFLICT
16.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF CONFLICT
16.3 TYPES OF CONFICT
16.4 CAUSES/ REASONS/ SOURCES OF CONFLICTS
16.5 FACTORS AFFECTING CONFLICT STYLES
16.6 LEVELS OF CONFLICT IN AN ORGANISATION: 4 Levels
16.7 STAGES IN CONFLICT (OR) CONFLICT PROCESS

16.1 INTRODUCTION TO CONFLICT

Conflict is, in general, perceived as something negative and detrimental to any organization.
This is true to a large extent but is not the absolute truth. To understand conflict in
organizational behaviour, first of all we need to understand various approaches or point of
views towards conflict.
According to Robbins, Conflict is a process that begins when one party perceives that
another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affects, something that the 1st
party cares about.

Similarly, Greenberg and Baron define conflict as a process in which one party perceives that
another party has taken or will take actions that are incompatible with one's own interests.

There are three different point of view, or we can say approaches, as far as conflict is
concerned. They are as follows:-
1. The Traditional View: It suggests that any type of conflict is bad and so must be avoided.
This term had a negative connotation in the traditional view. It was largely seen as an
outcome of lack of good communication and trust between people as well as inability of the
managers to comprehend and respond to the need of the employees under them.

2. The Human Relations View: As per this approach, conflict is a natural inevitable
phenomenon and, so can't be eliminated completely from any organization. Here, conflict
was seen in a positive light as it was suggested that conflict may lead to an improvement in a
group's performance.

3. Interactionist View: The most recent approach i.e. the interactionist view says that some
level of conflict is very much necessary for a group to perform effectively. A harmonious and
cooperative group can be rendered static, indifferent and nonresponsive to the needs for
change and innovation. As per this view, conflicts can be divided into two categories:-

a) Functional form of conflict – This is also called constructive form of conflict as it supports
the goals and objectives of the group.

b) Dysfunctional form of conflict – It is also called destructive form of conflict as this kind of
conflict negatively affects a group's performance, which in turn impacts the organization in a
direct or indirect way.

Functional form of conflict can be differentiated from dysfunctional form of conflict on the
basis of following three:

1. Task conflict – It is related to the content and goals of the work.

2. Relationship conflict – It is related to interpersonal relations.
3. Process conflict – It is related to how the work gets done

The various studies have revealed that:

a) Low-to-moderate levels of task conflict are healthy for the group and organization as it
stimulates discussion of ideas which leads to better participation and outcome.
b) Low level of process conflict is also beneficial in getting the things done effectively.
c) In general, relationship conflicts have been found to be destructive. The ego clashes and
rivalries between employees often do a lot of harm to the group as well as organization.

16.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF CONFLICT

1. Conflict is a Process: Conflict occurs in ‘layers’. First layer is always misunderstanding.
The other layers are differences of values, differences of viewpoint, differences of interest,
and interpersonal differences. It is also called a process because it begins with one party
perceiving the other to oppose or negatively affect its interests and ends with competing,
collaborating, compromising or avoiding.
2. Conflict is Inevitable: Conflict exists everywhere. No two persons are the same. Hence
they may have individual differences. And the differences may be because of values or
otherwise, lead to conflict. Although inevitable, conflict can be minimized, diverted and/or
resolved. Conflict develops because we are dealing with people’s lives, jobs, children, pride,
self-concept, ego and sense of mission. Conflict is inevitable and often good, for example,
good teams always go through a “form, storm, norm and perform” period.
3. Conflict is a Normal Part of Life: Individuals, groups, and organisations have unlimited
needs and different values but limited resources. Thus, this incompatibility is bound to lead to
conflicts. The conflict is not a problem, but if it is poorly managed then it becomes a
problem.
4. Perception: It must be perceived by the parties to it, otherwise it does not exist. In
interpersonal interaction, perception is more important than reality. What we perceive and
think affects our behaviour, attitudes, and communication.
5. Opposition: One party to the conflict must be perceiving or doing something the other
party does not like or want.
6. Interdependence and Interaction: There must be some kind of real or perceived
interdependence. Without interdependence there can be no interaction. Conflict occurs only
when some kind of interaction takes place.
7. Everyone is Inflicted with Conflict: Conflict may occur within an individual, between
two or more individuals, groups or between organisations.
8. Conflict is not Unidimensional: It comes into different ways in accordance with degree of
seriousness and capacity. At times, it may improve even a difficult situation.

16.3 TYPES OF CONFICT

Conflicts can be of different types as described below:
 6. On the Basis of Involvement:
Conflicts may be intrapersonal (conflict with self), interpersonal (between two persons) and
organisational. Organizational conflict, whether real or perceived, is of two types -
intraorganizational and interorganizational. Interorganizational conflict occurs between two
or more organizations.
Different businesses competing against each other are a good example of interorganizational
conflict. Intraorganizational conflict is the conflict within an organization, and can be
examined based upon level (e.g. department, work team, individual), and can be classified as
interpersonal, intragroup and intergroup.
Interpersonal conflict-once again-whether it is substantive or affective, refers to conflict
between two or more individuals (not representing the group of which they are a part of) of
the same or different group at the same or different level, in an organization.
Interpersonal conflict can be divided into intergroup and intergroup conflict. While the
former— intragroup-occurs between members of a group (or between subgroups within a
group), intergroup-occurs between groups or units in an organization.
7. On the Basis of Scope:
Conflicts may be substantive and Affective. A substantive conflict is associated with the job,
not individuals, while an affective conflict is drawn from emotions. Substantive conflicts may
be over the facts of a situation, the method or means of achieving a solution to the problem,
ends or goals, and values. Thus it includes task conflict and process conflict in its scope.
Procedural conflicts can include disagreements about factors such as meeting dates and times,
individual task assignments, group organization and leadership, and methods of resolving
disagreements. Unresolved procedural conflicts can prevent work on collaborative projects.
Substantive conflict can enhance collaborative decision-making. Substantive conflict is also
called performance, task, issue, or active conflict.
On the other hand, an affective conflict (also called as relationship or opposite of agreeable
conflict) deals with interpersonal relationships or incompatibilities and centres on emotions
and frustration between parties.
Affective conflicts can be very destructive to the organisation, if remains unresolved.
Relationship conflict comes under the scope of affective conflicts. An affective conflict is
nearly always disruptive to collaborative decision-making. The conflict causes members to be
negative, irritable, suspicious, and resentful.
For example, when collaborators disagree on the recognition and solution to a task problem
because of personal prejudices (e.g. prejudices stemming from strong social, political,
economic, racial, religious, ethnic, philosophical, or interpersonal biases) they are seldom
able to focus on the task.
The two concepts are related to each other. If one could make a distinction between good and
bad conflict, substantive would be good and affective conflict would be bad. Substantive
conflict deals with disagreements among group members about the content of the tasks being
performed or the performance itself.

3. On the Basis of Results:

Conflict can be Constructive or Destructive, creative or restricting, and positive or negative.

Destructive conflicts are also known as dysfunctional conflicts, because such conflicts
prevent a group from attaining its goals.
Conflict is destructive when it takes attention away from other important activities,
undermines morale or self-concept, polarises people and groups, reduces cooperation,
increases or sharpens difference, and leads to irresponsible and harmful behaviour, such as
fighting, name-calling.
On the other hand, constructive conflicts are also known as functional conflicts, because they
support the group goals and help in improving performance. Conflict is constructive when it
results in clarification of important problems and issues, results in solutions to problems,
involves people in resolving issues important to them, causes authentic communication, helps
release emotion, anxiety, and stress, builds cooperation among people through learning more
about each other; joining in resolving the conflict, and helps individuals develop
understanding and skills.

4. On the Basis of Sharing by Groups:

Conflicts may be Distributive and Integrative. Distributive conflict is approached as a

distribution of a fixed amount of positive outcomes or resources, where one side will end up
winning and the other losing, even if they do win some concessions.
On the other hand, integrative – Groups utilizing the integrative model see conflict as a
chance to integrate the needs and concerns of both groups and make the best outcome
possible. This type of conflict has a greater emphasis on compromise than the distributive
conflict. It has been found that the integrative conflict results in consistently better task
related outcomes than the distributive conflict.
 5. On the Basis of Strategy:

Conflicts may be competitive and cooperative. Competitive conflict is accumulative. The

original issue that began the conflict becomes irrelevant. The original issue is more of a
pretext than a cause of the conflict. Competitive conflict is marked by the desire to win the
fight or argument, even if winning costs more and causes more pain than not fighting at all.
Costs do not matter in competitive conflict, and therefore, irrationality remains its main mark.
Competitive conflict is characterized by fear, which is one of the important ingredients in a
conflict becoming irrational. If one is personally invested in the outcome, this too leads to
irrational conclusions, especially if issues of self-esteem, whether personal or national, are
involved.
Competitive conflict can either begin by, or be rationalized by, conflicts of ideology or
principle. Even more, when the desire to win overtakes any specific reason for the conflict,
irrationally develops.
Importantly in history, when powers are roughly equal, such as the World War I alliances
were, conflict that becomes competitive and irrational nearly always develops. In economic
competition customers are the winners and the firms may be at risk. But in sports competition
is encouraged.
In a cooperative situation the goals are so linked that everybody ‘sinks or swims’ together,
while in the competitive situation if one swims, the other must sink. A cooperative approach
aligns with the process of interest-based or integrative bargaining, which leads parties to seek
win-win solutions. Disputants that work cooperatively to negotiate a solution are more likely
to develop a relationship of trust and come up with mutually beneficial options for settlement.
 On the Basis of Rights and Interests:
Conflict of rights means where people are granted certain rights by law or by contract or by
previous agreement or by established practice. If such a right is denied, it will lead to conflict.
Such a conflict is settled by legal decision or arbitration, not negotiation.
On the other hand conflict of interests means where a person or group demands certain
privileges, but there is no law or right in existence. Such a dispute can be settled only through
negotiation or collective bargaining.

16.4 CAUSES/ REASONS/ SOURCES OF CONFLICTS

Conflicts may be caused by any one or more of the following reasons:

1. Cognitive (Recognition and Understanding) Dissonance (Difference of opinion): It is a
conflict between convergent (ability to narrow the number of possible solutions to a problem
by applying logic and knowledge) and divergent thinking (thinking outwards instead of
inward).
2. Status: Status is a state, condition, or situation. When there is a need for status and a “wrong”
person is promoted.
3. Incongruence: A party is required to engage in an activity that is incongruent with his or her
needs or interests.
4. Incompatibility: A party holds behavioural preferences like attitudes, values, skills, goals,
and perceptions, the satisfaction of which is incompatible with another person’s
implementation of his or her preferences. Economics: Insufficient remuneration to
employees.
5. Stress: Conflicts from stress from external sources; i.e., functional or dysfunctional
situations, poor or inadequate organisational structure and lack of teamwork.
6. Seeking Power: Often a conflict for power struggle takes place when everyone wants to be a
leader and nobody wants to be a follower.
7. Weak Leadership: Conflict is bound to result if someone of less stature leads a more
qualified and experienced worker.
Arbitrary interpretation and application of rules and policies: Lack of transparency and
openness creates dissatisfaction among the affected people.

16.5 FACTORS AFFECTING CONFLICT STYLES

1. Gender:
Some of us use assertive conflict modes because of our gender and particular kind of
socialisation. Some males, because they are male, were taught to “always stand up to
someone, and, if you have to fight, then fight”. If one was socialized this way he will be more
likely to use assertive conflict modes versus using cooperative modes.
2. Self-concept:
The way we think and feel about ourselves and opinions about others affects as to how we
approach conflict with the other person.
3. Expectations:
If we believe that our team or the other person wants to resolve the conflict, we would be
positive to resolve the conflict?
4. Position/Power:
Where do we stand in power status relationship with the person we are in conflict? It means
whether the other man is equal to, more than, or less than us in status.
5. Life Experience:
Through knowledge and experience we might have gained skills about conflict and “conflict
management understanding”. It enables us to determine what conflict mode to use with the
particular person with whom we are in conflict.
6. Communication skills:
The basic of conflict resolution and conflict management is how effectively we communicate.
People using effective communication will be able to resolve conflicts with greater ease and
success.

16.6 LEVELS OF CONFLICT IN AN ORGANISATION: 4 Levels

There are four important levels of conflicts in organisation, i.e (1) Individual Level
Conflict/ Intrapersonal Conflict, (2) Interpersonal Conflict, (3) Group Level Conflict,
and (4) Organisation Level Conflict.
(I) Individual Level Conflict / Intrapersonal Conflict:
Management should keep in mind that all individuals have conflict within themselves.
Conflict arises within an individual whenever his drives and motives are blocked or he is
confronted with competing roles and goals and he is unable to take decisions.

Factors of Conflict in Individuals:

1. Unacceptability: Sometimes an individual is not able to accept alternatives provided to

him by organization. Thus, he gets frustrated.
2. Incomparability: When an individual is not able to compare probable results of various
alternatives available to him, he gets frustrated.
3. Uncertainty: When an individual has to groom in an environment of uncertainty, he gets
frustrated. In a state of uncertainty, the individual feels frustrated which is ultimately
reflected in conflict.
The main reasons of Intrapersonal Conflict are:
1. Cognitive Dissonance: Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort (psychological
stress) experienced by a person who simultaneously holds two or more
contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. A person is faced with cognitive dissonance
 when he has to perform an action that contradicts with his personal beliefs, ideal and
values.
2. Negative Inequity: Feelings of inequity is a person’s perception of whether he or she
receives adequate rewards to compensate for his or her contribution in organisation.
Negative inequity is when a person feels that he is receiving much less compensation
than what he is contributing to organisational goals.
3. Decision Making: Trying to make a decision may also create three basic types of
intrapersonal goal conflict.
(i) Approach -Approach Conflict:
Approach-Approach conflict is a situation which arises when an individual
approaches two or more equally attractive but mutually exclusive goals. He cannot
make a choice as to which one is better of the two e.g. a person has to choose between
accepting a promotion in the present organisation and taking a desirable job with
another organisation. This type of conflict has least impact on the organisational
behaviour.
(ii) Approach-Avoidance Conflict:
Approach-Avoidance conflict is a situation in which a single goal has both positive as
well as negative characteristics. He is motivated to approach the goal because of the
positive characteristics but simultaneously compelled to avoid it because of its
negative characteristics. For example, a person may be offered a promotion carrying
much higher pay and status, but away from his home town.
(iii) Avoidance-Avoidance Approach:
Avoidance-Avoidance conflict arises when an individual has to choose between two
alternatives each with negative aspects. Both the alternatives are equally unattractive.
For example, a person may dislike his present job but the alternative of resigning and
looking for another job may be equally unattractive.
Ordinarily if both the goals are unattractive it is comparatively easier to resolve
conflict by avoiding both of them. But, in certain situations, it may not be possible to
avoid both the goals. In such a situation, the goal having comparatively lesser
negative element may be retained and the other abandoned. Avoidance- Avoidance is
not an easy task though both have negative elements.
(II) Interpersonal Conflict:
Interpersonal conflict involves conflict between two or more individuals. All conflicts are
basically interpersonal conflicts because most of the conflicts involve conflict between a
person in one organisation or a group and another person in other organisation or a group.
According to Whetten and Cameron there are four sources of interpersonal conflict.

(1) Personal Differences:

Personal differences can be a major source of conflict between individuals. Individual differ
because of one’s upbringing, cultural and family traditions, family background, education
experience and values.

(2) Information Deficiency:

Lack of information can be another source of interpersonal conflict. This type of conflict
often results from communication breakdown in the organisation.

(3) Role Incompatibility:

Another source of interpersonal conflict can be role in compatibility. In today’s inter

functional organisations, many managers have functions and tasks that are interdependent and
the individual roles of these managers may be incompatible.

(4) Environment Stress:

The interpersonal conflict can also be due to environmental stress. Stress from environment
arises because of scarce or shrinking resources, downsizing, competitive pressures and high
degree of uncertainty. Interpersonal conflicts have a tendency to resolve themselves because
the conflicting parties are not in a position to remain tense for a very long time. Time is the
healing factor for these conflicts. In case the inter-personal conflicts are of persisting nature it
can be resolved through counselling, effective communication, win negotiation and
transactional analysis. Management must analyze the reasons for conflict and resolve to
create an atmosphere of openness and mutual trust in the organisation.
(III) Group Level Conflict:
A group consists of two or more persons who are in interaction with each other, have a well
defined structure of role and status relations and have a system values and norms of
behaviour for the smooth working of the group. Groups not only affect the behaviour of their
members, rather they have impact on other groups and the organisation as a whole. In this
process of interaction, two types of conflict arises (A) Intra group and (B) Inter group.

(A) Intra Group Conflict:

Intra group conflict arises when differences crop up between the members of the group. The
individual may want to remain in the group for social needs but may disagree with the group
methods. Intra-group conflict may arise in three ways.
(i) When the group faces a new problem
(ii) When new values are imported from the social environment into the group and
(iii) When a person’s extra group role comes into conflict with his intra group role.
Intra group conflict is like the interpersonal conflict with the difference that the persons
involved in the conflict episode belong to a common group. The causes are similar to those of
interpersonal conflicts.

(B) Inter Group Conflict:

Conflicts between different groups in the organisation are known as intergroup conflicts.
Inter-group conflict may also be stated in terms of organisational conflict.
Causes of intergroup conflict may be summarized under four heads:
(i) Absence of joint decision making
(ii) Difference in goals
(iii) Difference in perception and
(iv) Difference in goals as well as perception.

(IV) Organisational Level Conflict:

All the conflicts discussed in the preceding discussion relate to conflicts within the
organisational settings. Intra organisational level conflict occur between organisations which
are in some way or the other dependent upon each other. Such conflict can occur along the
vertical and horizontal dimensions.
Inter-organisation conflict is conflict between two or more organizations that results from
relations between them. The hostile takeover of one organisation by another is a form of this
conflict. This conflict also occurs due to competition between two organisations.

(V) Functional Conflict and Dysfunctional Conflict:

When a conflict produces positive results, it is called functional conflict. In some situations,
conflict can be beneficial. Conflict within a group can help members resolve problems and
move the group forward to a more effective stage of development. In some cases, conflict can
even produce creative and innovative results.
Conflict can also produce negative effects such as decreased performance, lowered
satisfaction, aggression, hostility, stress and anxiety. It wastes time, energy and effectiveness.
This can be harmful. This is called dysfunctional conflict.

Managers must try to live with this type of conflict. If the conflict is properly handled it can
be constructive in achieving the results. It can act as a stimulus it may be a challenge and
motivational force to keep the organisation moving.

16.7 STAGES IN CONFLICT (OR) CONFLICT PROCESS

In 1967, Pondy developed a process model of conflict which is very useful in understanding
how conflict starts and what stages it goes through. Pondy identifies five stages in what he
calls a "conflict episode".
1. Latent conflict
2. Perceived conflict
3. Felt conflict
4. Manifest conflict
5. Conflict aftermath.
 This model is portrayed in the following figure :
1. Latent Conflict: Latent conflict is the stage in which factors exist in the situation which
could become potential conflict inducing forces. Four basic types of latent conflict are :
(i) Competition for scarce resources
(ii) Drive for autonomy
(iii) Divergence of goals
(iv) Role conflict.
2. Perceived Conflict: Conflicts may, sometimes, arise even if no conditions of latent
conflict exist. This is the stage when one party perceives the other to be likely to thwart or
frustrate his or her goals. The case in which conflict is perceived when no latent conflict
arises, is said to result from the parties misunderstanding each other's true position. Such
conflict can be resolved by improving communication between the groups.
3. Felt Conflict: Felt conflict is the stage when the conflict is not only perceived but
actually felt and cognized. For example, A may be aware that he is in serious argument with
B over some policy. But this may not make A tense or anxious and it may have no effect,
whatsoever, on A's affection towards B. The personalization of conflict is the mechanism
which causes many people to be concerned with dysfunctions of conflict. In other words, it
makes them feel the conflict. There are two reasons for the personalization of the conflict:
(i) The inconsistent demands on efficient organization and individual growth which is
caused within the individual. Anxieties may also result from crisis or from extra-
organizational pressures. Individual need to vent these anxieties in order to maintain internal
equilibrium.
(ii) Conflict becomes personalized when the whole personality of the individual is involved
in the relationship. Hostile feelings are most common in the intimate relations that
characterize various institutions and residential colleges.
 4. Manifest Conflict: Manifest conflict is the stage when the two parties engage in
behaviours which evoke responses from each other. The most obvious of these responses are
open aggression, apathy, sabotage, withdrawal and perfect obedience to rules. Except for
prison riots, political revolutions and extreme labour unrest, violence as a form of manifest
conflict is rare. The motives towards violence may remain but they tend to be expressed in
less violent forms.
16.8 STEPS IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Conflict has many causes and can end in several possible outcomes. There are many ways of
resolving conflicts, and the resolution can be initiated by any one of several sources, such as
one of the parties to the conflict, a third party or the parties' managers. In conflict situations,
the following steps should be taken:

1. Make a Diagnosis
First, it must be determined whether the conflict is functional or dysfunctional. If it is
functional, no resolution is necessary; if it is dysfunctional, resolution methods should be
applied. Second the cause of the conflict should be diagnosed because resolution techniques
are not equally effective in all situations. Conflict diagnosis can be conducted in several
ways. Diagnosis is likely to be most accurate when it is conducted by a third party who is not
directly involved in the conflict. To conduct the diagnosis, the goals, priorities,
interdependence, and expectations of the conflicting parties must be assessed. This can be
done through interviews, questionnaires, or observation.

2. Select the Appropriate Response

A person may respond to conflict using a competing, accommodating, avoiding,
compromising, or collaborating response. After examining the situation, conflicting parties
should select the response that will help them resolve the conflict. Different situations require
different responses. It is common for people to have dominant response styles, but they must
be flexible and able to use whichever of the five responses is likely to be the most effective.

3. Select the Appropriate Conflict-Resolution Tactics

Several conflict resolution tactics can be used by those involved in the conflict or by third-
party mediators. Resolution tactics should be matched to the desired outcome. Different
tactics can be used to achieve other outcomes such as compromise. It is not uncommon for a
combination of several tactics to be selected, and thus, the resolution technique consists of
several tactics used by all parties to the conflict.

4. Implement the Resolution Technique

Careful implementation of conflict-resolution is required because conflict situations are
highly sensitive and require expertise for resolution. Frequently, a more experienced third
party is recruited to implement conflict-resolution process.

5. Follow Up
As in all problem-solving situations, managers and associates must follow up to ensure that
the conflict was, in fact, resolved.
UNIT- 17 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Learning Objectives
1. To reflect conflict management strategies
2. To make students aware about the steps to minimize organizational conflict.

CONTENTS:
17.1 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
17.2 STYLES AND TECHNIQUES OF MANAGING INTERPERSONAL CONFLICTS
17.3 METHODS OF MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS

17.1 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

The following are the major conflict management strategies:
Accommodating
The accommodating strategy essentially entails giving the opposing side what it wants. The
use of accommodation often occurs when one of the parties wishes to keep the peace or
perceives the issue as minor. For example, a business that requires formal dress may institute
a "casual Friday" policy as a low-stakes means of keeping the peace with the rank and file.
Employees who use accommodation as a primary conflict management strategy, however,
may keep track and develop resentment.

Avoiding

The avoidance strategy seeks to put off conflict indefinitely. By delaying or ignoring the
conflict, the avoider hopes the problem resolves itself without a confrontation. Those who
actively avoid conflict frequently have low esteem or hold a position of low power. In some
circumstances, avoiding can serve as a profitable conflict management strategy, such as after
the dismissal of a popular but unproductive employee. The hiring of a more productive
replacement for the position soothes much of the conflict.

Collaborating

Collaboration works by integrating ideas set out by multiple people. The object is to find a
creative solution acceptable to everyone. Collaboration, though useful, calls for a significant
time commitment not appropriate to all conflicts. For example, a business owner should work
collaboratively with the manager to establish policies, but collaborative decision-making
regarding office supplies wastes time better spent on other activities..

Compromising

The compromising strategy typically calls for both sides of a conflict to give up elements of
their position in order to establish an acceptable, if not agreeable, solution. This strategy
prevails most often in conflicts where the parties hold approximately equivalent power.
Business owners frequently employ compromise during contract negotiations with other
businesses when each party stands to lose something valuable, such as a customer or
necessary service.

Competing

Competition operates as a zero-sum game, in which one side wins and other loses. Highly
assertive personalities often fall back on competition as a conflict management strategy. The
competitive strategy works best in a limited number of conflicts, such as emergency
situations. In general, business owners benefit from holding the competitive strategy in
reserve for crisis situations and decisions that generate ill-will, such as pay cuts or layoffs.

17.2 STYLES AND TECHNIQUES OF MANAGING INTERPERSONAL

CONFLICTS
Because interpersonal conflict is inherent in the nature of today's complex working, it is
necessary that employees should resolve their conflicts in beneficial ways. The various styles
for minimizing or resolving interpersonal conflict can be classified under four types of
approaches:

1. Lose-lose Approach: This approach does not deal directly with the conflict. None of the
parties to the conflict get what they want. Sometimes the lose-lose approach ignores the
conflict and does not try to reduce it.

2. Win-lose Approach: This approach makes one party to the conflict a clear winner and the
other party a clear loser. This approach leaves a conflict aftermath that can result in a
new conflict episode.
3. Compromise Approach: It occurs when both parties give up something in order to
receive something else.

4. Win-win Approach: This occurs when both parties get what they want. The various
methods to resolve interpersonal conflict are discussed below:

No manager should avoid a conflict, hoping it will go away. It would be better to ask the
participants to describe specific actions they want the other party to take. It would be
beneficial to have a third party (meaning a non-direct superior with access to the situation)
involved. Finally, it is advisable not to meet separately with people in conflict.
A manager should take following actions to minimize conflicts:
1. Regular Review of Job Descriptions:
With the pace of change the job description must also change. But this will be possible only
when the job descriptions are regularly reviewed.
2. Establish Rapport and build Relationship with all of Your Subordinates:
For it, meet them at regular intervals; ask them about their achievements, problems, and
challenges.
3. Regular Reports:
A manager must get progress report about his subordinates regularly, indicating
achievements, current needs and future scenario.
4. Training:
Every manager needs to be provided training in interpersonal communication, conflict
management, and delegation of authority.
5. Mutual Development of Procedures:
For routine tasks, the procedures should be developed keeping in mind the inputs received
from employees. If possible, encourage them to write. Such written procedures should be
distributed to all concerned. If the need be, concerned employees be trained in those
procedures.
6. Holding Regular Meetings:
The managers need to hold regular management meetings to inform subordinates about new
initiatives to be taken and the progress of current programmes.
7. Anonymous Suggestion Box:
Consider such a box in which employees can provide suggestions.
8. Interpersonal Orientations
Each person tends to exhibit one of four interpersonal orientations-a dominant way of relating
to people. These help in reducing conflict.

Interpersonal orientations stem from a combination of two viewpoints. First, how do people
view themselves? Second, how do they view other people in general? The combination of
either a positive response (OK) or a negative response (not OK) to each question results in
four possible interpersonal orientations:

 I'm not OK—You're OK.

 I'm not OK—You're not OK.
 I'm OK—You're not OK.
 I'm OK—You're OK.

The desirable approach to conflict and the one that involves the greatest likelihood of healthy
interactions is "I'm OK—You're OK." It shows healthy acceptance of self and respect for
others. It is most likely to lead to constructive communications, productive conflict, and
mutually satisfying confrontations.

17.3 METHODS OF MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS

Conflict has many faces. It is a constant challenge for managers. The managers should turn
their attention to the active management of both functional and dysfunctional group conflicts.
Some important methods and techniques of managing organizational conflicts are discussed
below:

1. Emphasizing Superordinate Goals

An organizational goal that is more important to both parties in a conflict than individual or
group goals is a superordinate goal. Superordinate goals cannot be achieved by an individual
or by one group alone. One effective technique for resolving conflict is to appeal to a
superordinate goal-in effect, to focus the parties on larger issues on which they both agree.
2. Expanding Resources
If the conflict's source is common or scarce resources, providing more resources may be a
solution. Of course, managers working with tight budgets may not have the luxury of
obtaining additional resources. Neverthless, it is a technique to be considered.
3. Changing Personnel
Sometimes a conflict is prolonged and severe, and efforts at resolution fail. In such cases, it
may be appropriate to change personnel. Transferring or firing an individual may be the best
solution, but only after due process.

4. Changing Structure
Another way to resolve a conflict is to change the structure of the organization. One way of
accomplishing this is to create an integrator role. Creating the integrator role is a way opening
dialogue between groups that have difficulty communicating. Using cross functional teams is
another way of changing the organization's structure to manage conflict.

5. Reducing Differentiation
Another way to minimize dysfunctional conflict is to reduce the differences that produce the
conflict in the first place. Staff can be rotated across different departments.

6. Improving Communication and Understanding

Communication is critical to effective conflict management. By motivating employees to
share information, they develop the right perceptions of each other than if they rely on
stereotypes and emotions. Direct communication and dialogue meetings provide a better
understanding of the other person's or department's work environment and resource
limitations.

7. Mutual Personnel Exchange

This method involves increasing the communication and understanding between groups by
exchanging personnel for a time. The assumption underlying this strategy is that the
exchanged personnel can learn about the other group and communicate their impressions to
their original group. This method provides only a temporary solution. Sometimes, the
exchanged personnel may be treated as outsiders, which may result in their knowledge and
opinions not being fully utilized.

8. Reducing Task Interdependence

Conflict increases with the level of interdependence so minimizing dysfunctional conflict
might involve reducing the level of interdependence between the parties.
9. Clarifying Rules and Procedures
Some conflicts arise from ambiguous decision rules regarding the allocation of scarce
resources. Consequently, these conflicts can be minimized by establishing rules and
procedures.Careful and detailed attention to just and equitable personnel policies and
procedures may help to reduce areas of conflict.

10. Non-Monetary Rewards

Where financial resources are limited, it may be possible to pay greater attention to non-
monetary rewards. Examples are: job design; more interesting, challenging or responsible
work; increased delegation or empowerment; flexible working hours; attendance at courses or
conferences; unofficial perks or more relaxed working conditions.

11. Development of Group Processes and Skills

Attention to the composition of groups and to factors which affect group cohesiveness may
reduce dysfunctional conflict. Managers should encourage a better understanding of one's
own behaviour, the other person's point of view, communication processes and problem-
solving.

12. Supportive Leadership

A more participative and supportive style of leadership and managerial behaviour is likely to
assist in conflict management. A participative approach to leadership and management may
also help to create greater employee commitment.

13. Socio-Technical Approach

Viewing the organisation as a socio-technical system, in which psychological and social
factors are developed in keeping with structural and technical requirements, will help in
reducing dysfunctional conflict.

14. Reduce Ambiguities and Jurisdictional Disputes

There are many ways to decrease ambiguities. Clear and non-conflicting goals clarify
responsibilities so that each employee and unit does not interfere or compete with the work of
the others. Good job descriptions can also clarify duties and expectations so there is little
dispute about who is responsible for what. Preparing organization charts and discussing who
has the authority to make certain decisions can clarify reporting relationships.
15. Rotate Personnel
Rotating personnel through different departments helps them to develop a fuller
understanding of each unit's responsibilities and problems. Then, when the employee returns
to his original unit, a basis for cooperation exists.

16. Change Reward Systems

The way rewards are administered may decrease the chances of conflict erupting. Managers
can be reinforced with positive feedback and good performance appraisals when they
promote harmony. Even financial rewards such as bonuses can be consistent with conflict
reduction.

17. Cohesiveness
Group cohesiveness is a "we feeling" that binds group members together. A certain amount
of cohesiveness can turn a group of individuals into a smooth-running team. It avoids the
chances of conflict. It creates positive and cooperative attitudes in the group.

18. Building Cross-Cultural Relations

Cross-cultural conflict is common in global organizations. Managers should build cross-
cultural relationships among various groups just to resolve this type of conflict.

19. Confronting and Negotiating

Some conflicts require confrontation and negotiation between the parties. Both these
strategies require skills on the part of the negotiator and careful planning before engaging in
negotiations. Negotiation is a joint process of finding a mutually acceptable solution to a
complex conflict. Managers should try to adopt the integrative negotiation approach that
focuses on the merits of the issues and seeks a win-win solution.
20. Adopting Win-Win Situation Tactics
Resolving conflicts through ‘win-lose’ tactics does not produce permanent solutions. These
tactics may prove costly for both the parties. They destroy commitment, trust and welfare of
the parties. Hence, managers should try to follow the ‘win-win’ approach.
UNIT 18 - PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
Learning Objectives
1. To familiarize students with the concept of personality development.
2. To elucidate career planning and personality development.

CONTENTS:
18.1 PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
18.2 WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT?
18.3 CAREER PLANNING AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
18.4 PROFILE OF GREAT AND SUCCESSFUL PERSONALITIES
18.5 PERSONALITY EXERCISE

18.1 PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

An individual becomes a burden on his/her organization when he fails to perform additional
tasks beyond his/her regular key responsibility areas. Multitalented employees definitely have
an edge over those who restrict themselves only to a particular task and fail to contribute in
other departments and areas. Organizations tend to retain those who show active interest in
attending various training programs, seminars or relevant workshops in order to constantly
upgrade their knowledge and acquire additional skills.
In today’s scenario, individuals are expected to actively participate and contribute in
other departments as well and also overall productivity of the organization. A front office
executive is no longer expected to attend only phone calls throughout the day. He/she needs
to constantly upgrade his/her skills and take active interest in other related departments as
well such as administration, logistics, office transportation and so on. Constant up gradation
of knowledge is the need of the hour.
Personal development plays a crucial role in one’s career growth. An individual who
can contribute not only in his area of expertise but other domains as well are bound to get
quick promotions and lucrative incentives and rewards. Personal development is imperative
not only for career growth but also for mere survival in the organization. No organization
would like to retain an individual who is resistant to changes and fails to perform in
unpredictable and unforeseen situations.
 Personal development helps you set goals and expectations for yourself. Any
individual without a vision in life not only fails to deliver but also gets easily lost in the
crowd. It is important to set expectations for yourself. There is a scope of improvement
always. Never ever feel that you are the best and you know everything. There are many
things under the sky which we still do not know and need to find.
Personal development makes you a confident and mature professional, two extremely
important qualities for career growth. It helps you smile even in the worst circumstances.
Upgrading oneself with time is extremely important as it not only prepares you for the
present but also for the future. Personality development helps one in building his/her career.

18.2 WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT?

A Personality Development is today has become but a new buzzword for its essence and truly
possessing a good personality will help a lot in achieving the goals. The impressive
personality, confident in opinion with pleasing behavior and positive attitude will help you
achieve desired goals synergizing the recourses available very easily.
 Good Communication is a Must: Obviously, a good and effective communication will help
you express the things very conveniently in a convincing and best way. A person with good
communication skills will always succeed in passing his/her thoughts and to convince the
people to get tasks done cordially. People are judged most of the time by
their communication skills so one needs to hone the communication skill to go higher in the
career path.
 Clothing and Attire also Matter: with a dirty and scruffy appearance no one should expect
the acceptance as desired. Attire has great say in impression on the people. Tidy and neat
clothing appeals and makes a fine impression. Like, if you are going to be interviewed for a
Job you must be in proper dressing formally. The dressing has the first impression and helps
you become confident.
 Knowledge: Knowledge makes everything perfect. Personality without knowledge is
incomplete per say. It’s like making a fizz which is ineffective in all the ways all the forms
and becomes mere show-off without knowledge. Knowledge makes things solid. Knowledge
helps you become aware and take the steps accordingly. Knowledge gives you confidence.
 Body language: Body Language, has a great share in personality development, is a non-
verbal form of communication and consists of body movements, eye-contacts while
communicating others, posture, facial expressions, and gestures, etc. A good and positive
 body language helps you impress the work and people around which obviously, in turn, helps
in your career management.
 To be More Passionate: Being more passionate, you would achieve more. Being
passionate about your goals and targets in life is important. The personality of the passionate
person will be more assertive and energetic than the person who is shy and comfortable in life
and not bothering about making any change forward in life.
 Be Patient: There must be no hurry getting the things done if it has been planned beforehand.
Going by plan step by step makes things clear and gets your goal nearer to you. Patience
bears fruits always. Just plan the things, and go ahead without bothering about the final result
as it has to be completed successfully.
 Become Better Individual: Be good! To be good you cost nothing by the way. Goodness
helps in many ways. It helps boost your moral. Goodness is appreciated and the person with
is trusted and believed all the while. Good people easily reach higher the ladder.
 Handle Your Emotions: Don’t do any things being in emotional attachment. Decisions
taken in the flares of emotions will not be sound. You must control your emotions and be
sound all the time. We understand by the word ‘emotions’ that the feelings that we
experience within us such as love, pride, happiness, guilt, anxiety, loneliness, anger, regret,
excitement, shame, etc. Emotions are the main influencing factor behind the every decision,
work and task but if not controlled properly, they have potential to harm the things.
 Outlook towards Life: Simply be positive! Be open-minded and have a holistic approach
toward the outer world. Attitude towards the things in control of you and the uncontrolled too
matters most. Perception of the things also matters the most. You will see the world filled
with happiness if that very happiness has been in your perception. Life becomes easy with a
positive attitude and it helps go forward in your career.
 Positive Thoughts and Actions: People are impressed very well if you are action-oriented.
There will be no value for mere speeches and thoughts. Thoughts are well interpreted and
appreciated they are based on actions. Positive thoughts charge the environment and have a
synergic effect.

18.3 CAREER PLANNING AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Career is viewed as a sequence of position or job occupied by a person during the

course of his lifetime. The implicit assumption is that an individual can make a difference in
his destiny over time and can adjust in ways that would help him to enhance and optimize the
potential for his own career development.
Edwin B. Flippo defines a career as, “a sequence of separate but related work activities that
provide continuity, order and meaning in a person's life.” Thus, a career may be defined as a
sequence of jobs that constitute what a person does for a living.
According to Schermerborn, Hunt, and Osborn, ‘Career planning is a process of
systematically matching career goals and individual capabilities with opportunities for their
fulfillment’.

You need to first know what your goals and objectives are. Ask yourself as to why do
you need personal development? Why do you have to take the pain of attending training
sessions, or taking time out to upgrade your knowledge? What is your vision in life? Personal
development planning refers to the process of creating a detailed action plan as to what
should be an individual’s course of action and how should one approach to gain as much
knowledge as he can and acquire additional skills. Without a proper plan, trust me, you would
end up in a big zero. Do not look for shortcuts in life. It is always better to adopt a step by
step approach. Never do anything in a rush.
Let us go through various steps in the whole process of personal development planning:
1. Know Your Goals and Aspirations in Life: What do you want to be in your life and
where would you like to see yourself five years down the line? Remember, goals need
to be realistic. Write your goal on a piece of paper. You need to be very clear and
confident about it. Be honest to yourself.
2. Do a SWOT Analysis of Yourself: Understand your strengths. There are very few
people who actually know their weaknesses and areas of improvement. Sit and jot
down what all new things you would like to learn which would eventually help in
your career.
3. Understand What Would be the Best Available Option: Understand what would
be the best available option which would help you acquaint with the latest
developments in your respective fields or keep you abreast with latest technologies,
softwares and so on. Is it reading books or surfing various websites or discussing with
colleagues or for that matter enrolling in various additional courses? You need to be
very clear about the medium.
4. Thorough Research is Extremely Important: Do sit with your superiors, friends or
someone you really look up to for their advice and guidance. Take their suggestions
 and understand if you really need to spend money on a particular course and would
you be able to earn back the entire amount? If you are taking admission in a particular
course, do not forget to check its authenticity and relevance so that you do not have to
regret later.
5. Be Extremely Focussed in Life: Never lose hope. Learn to accept failures with a
smile and make sure you do not repeat them.
6. Be Patient Enough: Give your hundred percent to whatever you do. Anything done
half heartedly yields no results.
7. As You Learn New Things and Acquire New Knowledge, Try to Implement the
Same in Your Day to Day Work as Well: Find out whether newly acquired skills
have actually made your work easier or not. Regular monitoring of work is essential.
Take regular feedbacks from your Bosses.
8. Do not get Demotivated: Do not get demotivated if the results are not positive at the
first attempt. You need to give yourself some time.

18.4 PROFILE OF GREAT AND SUCCESSFUL PERSONALITIES

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CEO of India's Biggest Biotechnology Company

Born: March 23, 1953

Achievement: Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd; Felicitated with Padmashri
(1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005). Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the Chairman & Managing
Director of Biocon Ltd, India's biggest biotechnology company. In 2004, she became India's
richest woman.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was born on March 23, 1953 in Bangalore. She had her schooling at
Bishop Cotton Girls School and Mount Carmel College at Bangalore. After completing her
B.Sc. in Zoology from Bangalore University in 1973, she went to Ballarat University in
Melbourne, Australia and qualified as a master brewer.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw started her professional career as trainee brewer in Carlton & United
Beverages in 1974. In 1978, she joined as Trainee Manager with Biocon Biochemicals
Limited in Ireland. In the same year, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw founded Biocon India in
collaboration with Biocon Biochemicals Limited, with a capital of Rs.10,000. She initially
faced many problems regarding funds for her business. Banks were hesitant to give loan to
her as biotechnology was a totally new field at that point of time and she was a woman
entrepreneur, which was a rare phenomenon.

Biocon's initial operation was to extract an enzyme from papaya. Under Kiran Mazumdar
Shaw's stewardship Biocon transformed from an industrial enzymes company to an integrated
biopharmaceutical company with strategic research initiatives. Today, Biocon is recognized
as India's pioneering biotech enterprise. In 2004, Biocon came up with an IPO and the issue
was over-subscribed by over 30 times. Post-IPO, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw held close to 40% of
the stock of the company and was regarded as India's richest woman with an estimated worth
of Rs. 2,100 crore.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious awards. These include ET
Businesswoman of the Year, Best Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, Ernst & Young's
Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare, Leading Exporter,
Outstanding Citizen, Technology Pioneer, etc. Government of India also felicitated her with
Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005).

Richard Branson's Personality and Competition

Richard Branson at Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer planned

Born: 18 July 1950

Birthplace: Surrey, England
Best known as: Founder of the Virgin business empire. A billionaire businessman with a taste
for derring-do, Richard Branson is the founder and CEO of the mega-corporation known as
the Virgin Group. Branson's first business was music: he began selling records by mail order
in 1970, opened a shop in London in 1971, and in 1972 added a music studio. Virgin Records
was launched a year later and soon became force in the music business, signing hot 1970s
and '80s acts like the Sex Pistols, Phil Collins and Boy George. Rather than rest on his
laurels, Branson branched out into a dizzying array of businesses bearing the Virgin name:
Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Megastores (sellers of music and books), Virgin Mobile
(phone service), along with cosmetics, car sales, health clubs, and many other concerns.
Jovial, aggressive, and never shy about self-promotion, Branson put himself at the forefront
of the Virgin publicity machine and made himself one of the best-known businessmen in
Britain and the world. Branson also has made a hobby of record-breaking travel adventures:
in 1986 he made the fastest-ever crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on his boat Virgin Atlantic
Challenger II and a year later became the first to cross the Atlantic in a hot air balloon in his
Virgin Atlantic Flyer. In the 1990s he also joined fellow-businessman Steve Fossett in several
failed attempts to circle the globe non-stop in a hot air balloon. In 2006 he made headlines by
pledging to devote all personal profits from his transportation companies for 10 years to
developing renewable energy technologies. Branson's autobiography, Losing My Virginity,
was published in 1998. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999.

Extra credit: The first artist to sign with Virgin Records was Michael Oldfield, whose album
Tubular Bells was featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Exorcist and subsequently
sold over 15 million copies... According to his autobiography, Branson is dyslexic... Virgin
Music was sold to Thorn EMI in 1992; Branson started a fresh label, V2, in 1996.

Branson formed Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984, launched Virgin Mobile in 1999, Virgin
Blue in Australia in 2000. He was 9th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2006, worth just over £3
billion. Branson wrote in his autobiography of the decision to start an airline:

"My interest in life conies from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and
trying to rise above them..from the perspective of wanting to live life to the full, I felt that 1
had to attempt it".

In 1992, Branson took what many saw as being one of his riskier business exploits by
entering into the railway business. Virgin Trains won the franchises for the former Intercity
West Coast and Cross-Country sectors of British Rail. Launched with the usual Branson
fanfare with promises of new high-tech tilting trains and enhanced levels of service, Virgin
Trains soon ran into problems with the rolling stock and infrastructure it had inherited from
British Rail. The company's reputation was almost irreversibly damaged in the late 1990s as
it struggled to make trains reliably run on time while it awaited the modernization of the West
Coast Main Line, and the arrival of new rolling stock.

Virgin acquired European short-haul airline Euro Belgian Airlines in 1996 and renamed it
Virgin Express. In 2006 the airline was merged with SN Brussels Airlines forming Brussels
Airlines. It also started a national airline based in Nigeria, called Virgin Nigeria. Another
airline, Virgin America, began flying out of the San Francisco International Airport in August
2007. Branson has also developed a Virgin Cola brand and even a Virgin Vodka brand,
which has not been a very successful enterprise. As a consequence of these lacklustre
performers, the satirical British fortnightly magazine Private Eye has been critical of Branson
and his companies (see Private Eye image caption).

After the so-called campaign of "dirty tricks" (see expanded reference in Virgin Atlantic
Airways), Branson sued rival airline British Airways for libel in 1992. John King, then
chairman of British Airways, counter-sued, and the case went to trial in 1993. British
Airways, faced with likely defeat, settled the case, giving £500,000 to Branson and a further
£110,000 to his airline and had to pay legal fees of up to £3 million. Branson divided his
compensation (the so-called "BA bonus") among his staff.

On 25 September 2004, Branson announced the signing of a deal under which a new space
tourism company, Virgin Galactic, will license the technology behind Spaceship One—
funded by Microsoft co-Founder Paul Allen and designed by legendary American
aeronautical engineer and visionary Burt Rutan—to take paying passengers into suborbital
space. Virgin Galactic (wholly owned by Virgin Group) plans to make flights available to the
public by late 2009 with tickets priced at US$200,000 using Scaled Composites White Knight
Two.

Branson's next venture with the Virgin group is Virgin Fuels, which is set to respond to
global warming and exploit the recent spike in fuel costs by offering a revolutionary, cheaper
fuel for automobiles and, in the near future, aircraft. Branson has stated that he was formerly
a global warming sceptic and was influenced in his decision by a breakfast meeting with Al
Gore. Branson has been tagged as a "transformational leader" in the management lexicon,
with his maverick strategies and his stress on the Virgin Group as an organization driven on
informality and information, one that is bottom-heavy rather than strangled by top-level
management.
18.5 PERSONALITY EXERCISE

There are no right or wrong answers, so be honest so that you will really increase your self
awareness. We suggest dong this exercise in pencil or making a copy before you write on it.
We will later explain why.

Identify each of the 25 statements according to how accurately it describes you. Place the
number 1-7 on the line before each statement.

Like me Somewhat like me Not like me

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

_____ 1. I step forward and take charge in leaderless situations.

_____ 2. I am concerned about getting along well with others.
_____ 3. I have good self-control; I don’t get emotional and get angry and yell.
____ 4. I’m dependable; when I say I will do something, it’s done well and on time.
_____ 5. I try to do things differently to improve my performance.
_____ 6. I enjoy competing and winning; losing bothers me.
_____ 7. I enjoy having lots of friends and going to parties;
_____ 8. I perform well under pressure.
_____ 9. I work hard to be successful.
_____ 10. I go to new places and enjoy traveling
_____ 11. I am outgoing and willing to confront people when in conflict.
_____ 12. I try to see things from other people’s point of view.
_____ 13. I am an optimistic person who sees the positive side of situations (the cup is
half-full).
_____ 14. I am a well-organized person.
_____ 15. When I go to a new restaurant, I order foods I haven’t tried.
_____ 16. I want to climb the corporate ladder to as high a level of management as I can.
_____ 17. I want other people to like me and to be viewed as very friendly.

_____ 18. I give people lots of praise and encouragement; I don’t put people down and
criticize.
_____ 19. I conform by following the rules of an organization.
 _____ 20. I volunteer to be the first to learn/do new tasks at work.
_____ 21. I try to influence other people to get my way.
_____ 22. I enjoy working with other more than working alone.
_____ 23. I view myself as being relaxed and secure, rather than nervous and insecure.
_____ 24. I am considered to be credible because I do a good job and come through for
people.
_____ 25. When people suggest doing things differently, I support them and help bring it
about; I don’t make statements like: it will not work, we never did it before,
who else did it, or we can’t do it.

To determine your personality profile, below (1) place the number 1-7 that represents
your score for each statement. (2) Total each column.

Surgency Agreeableness Adjustment Conscientiousness Openness to

experience
35 35 35 35 35
1 ____ 2 ____ 3 ____ 4 ____ 5 ____
6 ____ 7 ____ 8 ____ 9 ____ 10 ____
11 ____ 12 ____ 13 ____ 14 ____ 15 ____
16 ____ 17 ____ 18 ____ 19 ____ 20 ____
21 ____ 22 ____ 23 ____ 24 ____ 25 ____

The higher the total, the stronger is the personality dimension that describes your personality.
What is your strongest and weakest dimension? Find out.
 A Case Study:

‘This job is not right for me. I would like to have more inputs on decisions that affect me,
more chance to show what I can do. I do not get enough feedback to tell me if I am doing a
good job or not and the firm keeps people in the dark about where it is headed. Basically, I
feel like an interchangeable part most of the time.’
In reply to the question whether the firm could have done anything to retain Sridhar, he
replied ‘probably not’.
Why do so many promising employees leave their jobs? And why do so many others stay on
but perform at minimal levels for lack of better alternatives? One of the main reasons-
Sridhar’s reasons- can be all but invisible, because it is so common in so many organizations;
a systematical failure to keep good people. Sridhar doubts that his firm will ever change.

Questions
1. Do you thing that Sridhar’s self-esteem had anything to do with his leaving the firm?
2. Which theory of personality does best describe Sridhar’s behavior?
3. What lessons can this firm learn from the case of Sridhar? What can and should it
now do?

Hints:

Sridhar doubts that his firm will ever change, but other organizations are taking positive steps
to focus on and enhance employee retention. As a result, they are reducing turnover,
improving quality, increasing productivity, and saving on their training costs.
Companies should worry about people like Sridhar. By investing in them they may actually
reduce turnover, save on training costs, increase productivity, improve quality and reap the
benefits of innovative thinking and teamwork.
Human resource professionals and; managers can contribute to corporate success by
encouraging employees’ empowerment, security, identity, and competence. How? By
recognizing the essential components of keeping their best people and by understanding what
enhances and diminishes those components.
Organizational Applications of personality: The Corporate world is much concerned with the
personality of the staff and persistent efforts are made to meet the match between job
performers and job. How is it done?
The task of the manager becomes easy if there is a perfect match between the job and the job
performer. This can be done by proper recruitment and selection. The second method for
matching the two is proper training and development at regular intervals. The third dimension
of matching jobs and individuals is promotion where personality counts a lot.

Reliance Industries Limited is the highly vertically-integrated petrochemical company and

has achieved phenomenal growth in a relatively short period of time. Reliance looks for
people who have capabilities for entrepreneurship, risk taking, and will to win-hallmarks of
the Reliance culture
UNIT 19: CAREER PLANNING
Learning Objectives
1. To make students aware about the features, objectives, benefits and limitations of
career planning.
2. To discuss various phases of individual as well as organisational career planning.
3. To provide tips for a successful career plan.

CONTENTS:
19.1 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF CAREER PLANNING
19.2 FEATURES OF CAREER PLANNING
19.3 OBJECTIVES OF CAREER PLANNING
19.4 BENEFITS OF CAREER PLANNING
19.5DIFFERENT PHASES IN THE CAREER OF AN EMPLOYEE
19.6STAGES/STEPS IN CAREER PLANNING/DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM
19.7THE LIMITATIONS AND DRAWBACKS OF CAREER PLANNING
19.8 TIPS TO HELP ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL CAREER PLANNING

19.1 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF CAREER PLANNING

Career planning is an ongoing process through which an individual sets career goals
and identifies the means to achieve them. The process by which individuals plan their
life’s work is referred to as career planning.
The term 'career denotes all the jobs that are held during one's working life. It is
viewed as a sequence of positions held by an individual during the course of his
lifetime.
Edwin B. Flippo defined a career as “a sequence of separate but related work
activities that provide continuity, order and meaning in a person's life.”
19.2 FEATURES OF CAREER PLANNING
1. Career planning is an ongoing process. It is an organisational activity.
2. It is concerned with identifying personnel today and preparing them for future
vacancies likely to arise with the help of training. It is, thus, an important function of
personnel management.
3. It helps individuals develop skills required to fulfill different career roles.
4. It strengthens work-related activities in the organisation.
 5. It defines life, career, abilities, and interests of the employees. Thus, it is concerned
with identifying their strengths and limitations.
6. It can also give professional directions, as they relate to career goals. The company
maintains the counseling centers and conducts training programmes for its employees.
7. It not only helps in achieving organisational goals but also aims at development of its
employees.

19.3 OBJECTIVES OF CAREER PLANNING

Career Planning seeks to meet the following objectives:
i. To identify positive characteristics of the employees; It aims at offering careers and
not jobs to the employees so that talent can be attracted and retained in the
organisation.
ii. To cater to the immediate and future human resources’ need of the organisation on a
timely basis.
iii. To develop awareness about each employee’s uniqueness; to prepare them for future
vacancies, and thus, to motive the employees and to boost up their morale.
iv. To correct wrong placement. If an employee after being appointed is placed on a
wrong job, the error is corrected by career planning.
v. To respect feelings of other employees. This can be done by providing jobs of their
choices, likings and capacities. This way it aims at reducing employee turnover.
vi. To map out careers of various categories of employees suitable to their abilities, and
their willingness to be 'trained’.
vii. To attract talented employees to the organisation; to use human resources effectively
and achieve greater productivity.
viii. To train employees towards team-building skills.
ix. To create healthy ways of dealing with conflicts, emotions, and stress. Thus, its
objective is to resolve grievances at the earliest possible; to provide environment for
the effectiveness, efficiency and growth of its employees and to motivate them to
contribute effectively towards achieving the objectives of the organisation.

19.4 BENEFITS OF CAREER PLANNING

Career planning is beneficial to the individual as well as to the organisation. These benefits
are discussed below:
Benefits to the Individual
1. The process of career planning helps an individual to have knowledge of various
opportunities for growth in the organisation where he is doing job.
2. This knowledge helps him to take decision regarding various courses of actions that
would help him to be promoted to higher positions.
3. It also encourages an employee’s growth and development.
4. When an employee is assured of future growth prospect in the organisation itself, he
would prefer staying there instead of frequently changing jobs. This gradually leads to
his increased knowledge, experience and seniority.
5. Every employee has a desire to grow and scale new heights in his workplace
continuously. If there are enough opportunities, he can pursue his career goals and
exploit his potential fully. He feels highly motivated and his morale can be boosted
when the organisation shows him a clear path.
6. It provides a sense of affiliation with the organisation and a feeling that the
organisation is interested in the individual’s development.
7. It helps the individual to discover his own talents, needs and motives related to work.
8. It satisfies the employee’s esteem needs.

Benefits to the Organisation

1. Career planning ensures a constant supply of promotable employees with required
skill, knowledge and talent.
2. The efficient policies and practices of the organisation helps it in attracting and
retaining highly skilled and talented employees.
3. By attracting and retaining the people from different cultures, the organisation
enhances cultural diversity.
4. It helps in improving the loyalty of employees.
5. Career planning reduces labour turnover and absenteeism. Organisations are not going
to benefit from high employee turnover. New employees mean additional selection
and training costs.
6. Every organisation prepares succession planning towards which career planning is the
first step.
7. It provides assurance of adequate supply of qualified personnel.
8. It helps management in taking decisions regarding the type of training to be provided
to employees; budget to be allotted for training; nature of training etc.
9. It can always create a team of employees prepared enough to meet any contingency.
10. Career planning helps the management in correcting wrong placements. If an
employee after being appointed is placed on a wrong job, the error is corrected by
career planning.
11. It contributes significantly to the reduction of costs.
12. A good career planning protects the interests of its employees which, in turn, results
in promotion of organisational goodwill.

19.5 DIFFERENT PHASES IN THE CAREER OF AN EMPLOYEE

Most working people go through career stages and it has been found that individual’s
needs and expectations change as the individual moves through these stages.
1. Exploration Stage: This is the stage where an individual builds expectations about
his career. Some of them are realistic and some are not. But the fact is that these could
be a result of the individual's ambitions. This stage is the period roughly from ages 15
to 24, during which an individual seriously explores various occupational alternatives.
The person attempts to match these occupational alternatives with his or her own
interests and abilities resulting from education, leisure activities, and work.
Exploration stage happens prior to employment and hence, it has least concern for an
organisation. Following factors normally shape the children’s future career options:
•Careers of parents
•Interests of parents
•Expectations of parents from their children
•Financial resources of parents
2. Establishment Stage: This could be at the stage where the individual gets his first
job, gets accepted by his peers, learns in this job, and also gains the first tangible
evidence of success or failure. This stage is like going uphill. The
establishment/advancement stage tends to occur between ages 25 and 44. In this stage,
the individual commits some mistakes, learns from mistakes and gradually reaches to
his “peak performance”. Opportunities for job challenge and use of special
competencies are desired in this stage. He has made his or her career choice and is
concerned with achievement, performance, and advancement. During this period, the
individual continually tests his personal capabilities and ambitions against those of the
 initial occupational choice. The employee strives for creativity and innovation
through new job assignments. Employees also need a certain degree of autonomy in
this stage so that they can experience feelings of individual achievement and personal
success.
3. Mid-Career Stage: An individual, at this stage, is no longer seen as learner and
hence, any mistake committed in this stage is taken seriously. The individual is
penalized for the mistakes committed. At times, the person may feel stagnant. The
individual's performance levels either continue to improve, or levels, or even
deteriorates.
4. Late Career: This is regarded as a pleasant phase, where one is allowed to relax and
play the role of an elderly statesman in the organisation. The person now enjoys
“seniority position” where he does not have to learn anything new. Rather, he teaches
and gives suggestions to his juniors.
At times, people start getting stagnant in this position. As a result, they feel “out
of the place” and realize that they are no longer required in the organisation. Thus, it
is not a satisfactory stage for those who have stagnated in this stage.
5. Decline: As retirement becomes an inevitable reality, in the decline stage, there is
frequently a period of adjustment, where many begin to accept reduced levels of
power and responsibility. This is the stage where the individual is heading towards
retirement. Some retirement planning may ensure smooth transition from working life
to retired life. Some organisations conduct training programmes for their retiring
employees. Some enthusiastic retired persons may select to continue any job for
keeping themselves busy.

19.6 STAGES/STEPS IN CAREER PLANNING/DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM

The career planning process involves the following steps:
1. Identifying Individual Needs and Aspirations:
Most individuals are unclear about what their career goals, aspirations and anchors
are. The human resource professionals need to assist them by showing what kind of
work would suit them, taking their skills, experience, and aptitude into account. At
times workshops/seminars are conducted to assist them. Psychological testing,
simulation exercises, etc. are also applied. They help employees set career goals,
identify career paths and uncover specific career development activities. To assist
employees in a better way, organisations construct a data bank consisting of
 information on the career histories, skill evaluations and career preferences of its
employees (known as skill or talent inventory).
2. Analyzing Career Opportunities:
Once career needs and aspirations of employees are known, the organisation has to
provide career paths for each position. Career paths show the possibility of career
progress provided the employees perform well. Career paths change over time, of
course, in tune with employee’s needs and organisational requirements.
3. Aligning Needs and Opportunities:
After identifying individual needs and aspirations and after analyzing career
opportunities for employees, it is necessary to align individual needs with
opportunities. For this purpose, it is necessary to identify the potential of employees
and then undertake career development Programmes. Through performance
appraisal, the potential of employees can be assessed to some extent. Such an
appraisal would help reveal employees who need further training, employees who can
take up added responsibilities, etc. After identifying the potential of employees certain
developmental techniques such as special assignments, planned position rotation,
supervisory coaching, job enrichment, understudy programs can be undertaken to
update employee knowledge and skills.
4. Establishing Realistic Goals: Both personal and professional goals should be
formulated to plan one’s career. The personal goals enable a person to enter the
profession and then professional goals help an individual reach higher height. The
setting of performance goals helps in identifying flexibility in career goals i.e. with
the change in environment or situations the goals should be revised. Care should be
taken to see that short term goals are in consistent with long term goals.
5. Formulating Career Strategies: A good career planning requires a systematic
analysis of the environment for opportunities. Both inside and outside environment
influence career planning process. The strategies regarding employees’ promotion,
training, development, transfer etc should be formulated in such a way that it leads to
development of employees, lead them to job satisfaction, the company is benefitted,
organisational stability is maintained and organisational as well as individual goals
are achieved.
6. Preparing Action plans:
A comprehensive action plan has to be prepared to uncover gaps. These need to be
bridged through individual career development efforts and organisation supported
 efforts from time to time. Experts in career management are consulted and even
employees may be consulted before a final plan is prepared. This will guide the
employees in knowing where and when they are going to be promoted.
7. Implementing the Plans: If the plan prepared remains only on paper, then it is meaningless. The
management must support it whole heartedly and should provide necessary resources for its
effective implementation. Undue delay may result in wastage of time, energy and resources.
8. Periodic Review: After initiating these steps, it is necessary to review the whole thing
every now and then. This will help the employee know in which direction he is
moving, what changes are likely to take place, what kind of skills are needed to face
new and emerging organisational challenges. From an organisational standpoint also,
it is necessary to find out how employees are doing, what are their goals and
aspirations, whether the career paths are in tune with individual needs and serve the
overall corporate objectives, etc. All these data will help the management in
evaluating the plan and take corrective actions, if required.

19.7 THE LIMITATIONS AND DRAWBACKS OF CAREER PLANNING

Though career planning has befitted all sections of the society, there are certain barriers in its
effective implementation. The following are its main limitations:
i. Career planning can becomes a reality only when opportunities for vertical mobility are available.
Some low-level jobs are such that there is no much scope for advancement. It is not suitable for
such organisations.
ii. In a developing country like India, changes in environmental factors such as government policy,
public sector development, growth of backward areas, etc influence business and industry.
Therefore, career plans for a long period may not be effective.
iii. Sometimes, circumstances may develop in such a manner that the company may not be in the
position to continue with the business. Thus, contingencies or natural calamities make the career
plans ineffective.
iv. In family business houses, members of the family expect to progress faster in their career than
their professional colleagues.
v. In a country like where now females have started plunging in the employment market, there issues
and constraints need to be considered while planning career for the entire organisation.
vi. Needs of people go on changing with life stages of employees and their families. These changing
needs of employees throughout their life cycle complicate the career issues.
 vii. Systematic career planning might become difficult due to favouritism and nepotism in
promotions, political intervention in appointments, etc
viii. Career opportunities for certain categories reach the declining stage due to the influence of the
technological or economic factors. Solution for such a problem is career shift.

19.8 TIPS TO HELP ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL CAREER PLANNING

The following measures can be taken to make career planning successful:
i. Top Management Support: No plan or programme can succeed without the active
support of top management. So also, career planning can be successful only with the
active support of top management.
ii. Expansion: In order that employees may progress in the company, it should have
enough higher positions. This expansion should be done gradually and in phased
manner.
iii. Motivated and Hardworking Staff: To make career planning a success, it is
essential that employees must be committed, loyal and hardworking.
iv. Scientific Recruitment: An employee must be selected for the job on the basis of his
ability, aptitude, skills and competencies. The recruitment should be done in scientific
manner.
v. Proper Age Balance: Age-wise composition of employees should be done.
Generally, it is advisable to select young people for lower posts while for managerial
posts, middle-aged persons may be preferred. As far as possible, fix age limits for
various positions.
vi. Proper Counselling: Proper counselling should be provided to employees to enable
them to make correct choices of their careers.
vii. Management of Career Stress: Efforts should be made to reduce stress to
employees. At times, employees may not find them suitable for the jobs for which
they are appointed. They may be shifted to other posts with proper guidance. Policy of
internal promotions and transfers go a long way in making career planning a success.
viii. Conducting Career planning Workshops: Career planning and development
workshops should be conducted at regular intervals to enhance skills and
competencies of employees. One of the keys to job and career success is having a
unique set of accomplishments, skills, and education that make the organisation better
than all its counterparts.
ix. Fair Promotion Policy: There should be an equitable policy for promoting
employees. In addition, there should be systematic training for those who are trainable
and willing to learn higher skills.
x. Publicity of Career Paths: The company must widely publicise its career planning
and development programmes, the career paths, the training and development
facilities available for career growth etc. so that it would attract talent to it.
xi. Set Specific Goals: Be as specific as you can in outlining the steps in achieving your
short-term and long-term career-related goals by developing your own career action
plan.
xii. Trust Intuition: Trust not only the facts of your gathered information but also your
intuition.
UNIT-20 JOB INTERVIEW
Learning Objectives
1. To make the concept of personal interview clear to students and to make them
aware of various steps while facing personal interview.
2. To discuss various features and purpose of group discussion.
3. To highlight various personality traits assessed in group discussion.
4. To teach students formal styles of communicating in group discussion.

CONTENTS:
20.1 HOW TO FACE PERSONAL INTERVIEW?
20.2 GROUP DISCUSSION
20.3 FEATURES OF GROUP DISCUSSION
20.4 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF GROUP DISCUSSION
20.5 PERSONALITY TRAITS ASSESSED IN GROUP DISCUSSION
20.6 HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN GROUP DISCUSSION?
20.7 HOW TO GET BEST OF GROUP DISCUSSION?

The hallmark of a personal interview is that it is typically conducted one on one; at most, one
other person asking interview questions or simply observing may be present, but generally it
is more individualized. A job interview may be considered a type of personal interview, since
the interviewer will be asking the job candidate questions about himself or herself in the
interest of determining if he or she would be a good fit for the position. "Personal" does not
necessarily mean personal questions, particularly in a job interview in which certain types of
questions are illegal; it may simply mean questions regarding one's individual working style
and experiences.

20.1 HOW TO FACE PERSONAL INTERVIEW?

Step 1: Before the Interview
Landing the interview is an accomplishment in its own right. But you still have a lot of prep
work to do if you want to walk away with the job.
Research the Company
First, you’ll need to research the target company. Know the organization’s history, products,
services, locations, mission statements and corporate culture. Go through the company’s
website, editorials and annual reports. Read up on their ongoing projects, future plans and
ultimate goals. Try to figure out the size of company, how many employees they have and
what kind of work environment they offer. Research the people with whom you will be
working in the organization. You’ll use this information to demonstrate your knowledge of
the company during the interview.
Research the Interviewer
If you are given the recruiters’ name beforehand, look into their social media profiles
(Linkedin, Facebook, etc.). Try to find out their title, experience and overall personality. This
will give you more confidence to face him/her in person. If possible, try to find out the type
of interview that is going to be conducted i.e. whether it is going to be a group interview or
depth interview or stress interview etc. This will help you prepare questions.
Prepare Questions
Once you research the company, prepare a list of probable questions that are likely to be
asked by the interviewer. Practice your responses. This will help ease your nerves when it’s
time for you to face the interview. Next, prepare a list of questions that you need to ask the
interviewer. Prepare questions about the role expectations, the culture, growth opportunities–
anything that will give you a clearer picture of what it would be like to work for this
organization. Asking questions shows you are not only engaged in the interview, but
interested and already thinking about your future with this company. Schedule a mock
interview with Career Services or attend an Interviewing Skills Workshop.
Prepare Copies of Important Documents
Make copies of your resume/CV and other important documents (cover letter, list of
references, etc.) in advance. Arrange them in proper order. You don’t want to be scrambling
to get your documents organized the day of the interview! Most recruiters will bring a copy
of your submitted documents to the interview, but if they fail to, you will be a step ahead.

Step 2: Day of the interview

Dress for success
As a general rule, it’s best to dress in formal wear, or at the very least, business casual. Dress
ought to be neat and tidy. It has to be formal. Men, if you do not own a suit, wear a nice dress
shirt and slacks. Women have a little more flexibility, but you can’t go wrong with a nice
blouse, blazer and a long skirt (trousers are also acceptable). Accessories are fine too, in
moderation. . Make up has to be moderate and suitable to the dress and skin. Neutral colours
such as black, gray, brown and blue are suitable for both men and women.
Eat Something
Too many candidates make the mistake of not eating before interviewing and suffer from a
lack of attentiveness as a result. Before you go into the interview, eat a meal that contains
vitamin E, omega 3 and antioxidants. This will improve brain functionality and help you stay
alert.
Arrive Early
Be prompt and make sure to arrive at least 15-25 minutes before the interview begins.
Arriving early sets the tone that you are a professional and will be reliable if offered the
position. Do not use your phone or other mobile devices to pass time when waiting. Instead,
you should spend this time practicing your prepared questions and responses in your head.
Answering the Questions
Be polite and pleasant to everyone with whom you come into contact as soon as you are
called for an interview. Offer a firm handshake look the person in the eye with an enthusiastic
smile!
Listen keenly to the interviewer. Respond completely to all aspects of a question. Ask for
clarification if necessary. Speak clearly and with confidence when interviewing. Play up your
strengths and translatable skills to show how you could be a potential asset to the target
company. Keep your answers short, simple and honest. Do not try to be over smart— instead
present yourself as a confident and sensible professional. Never use slang words or criticize a
former employer when interviewing. Use proper English/grammar (e.g., “yes” versus
“yeah”). Be aware of your body language. Be positive; do not complain about a former
employer, job, or academics. Avoid questions on salary, benefits, or vacation. Focus on what
you can do for the employer. Ask for a business card at the end of the interview, or write
down the employer’s contact information.

Step 3: After the Interview

Leaving the Interview

After the interview has concluded, shake hands with the interviewer(s) and thank them for
their time. If they don’t tell you when they will contact you going forward, ask about their
expected decision-making period. Keep your head held high and leave with confidence.
Make a list of questions that were asked to you in the interview. Evaluate your
performance and think over how you can improve your performance. Note down any specific
comments or your answers, your resume or specific aspect of your experience that you may
use in following up with the employer.

Following up

After an appropriate amount of time (approximately 24 hours), you need to follow up with
the recruiter. Send each interviewer a thank-you note. Structure your thank you letter. Thank
the interviewer for his/her time and attention. Thank-you letters can be hard copied/ typed,
hand written or e-mailed. Be sure to keep your letter format formal and concise. Seventy-five
percent of interviewers confirmed that thank-you notes impact their decision process. So do
yourself a favour and send a well-written, personalized response that reiterates why you’re
the best candidate for the position.
Knowing exactly what is expected of you before, during and after an interview will put you
in the best position to prove you are the best candidate for any job.

20.2 GROUP DISCUSSION

The word discussion is derived from the Latin root discutere, which means to shake or
strike. Discussion is an activity in which a subject or theme is thoroughly shaken and
examined. A group discussion can be defined as a formal discussion among nearly ten
participants in a group. It is a methodology used by an organization or business schools to
judge whether the candidates possess certain personality traits or skills required by the
organization. Thus Group Discussion involves enquiry and examination on a particular
theme among group members. At group discussion, various members contribute to the
theme with arguments in favour and against. Despite their contradictory arguments, the
discussion attempts to find the solution of the problem.
In group discussion methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic and then
asked to discuss it among themselves for 15-20 minutes. As in football or hockey game,
where different players play like a team passing the ball to other members and aim of a
common goal, Group discussion is also based on team work that incorporates views of
different team members to reach a common goal.

20.3 FEATURES OF GROUP DISCUSSION

a. Purpose: The group discussion has a clear purpose. If the purpose is not clear, members
will indulge in frivolous and aimless talking. With this, time and energy of the
participants wasted.
b. Planning: Group discussion is always planned in advance. Its agenda is prepared which
states the theme to be discussed. For this, notice is given in advance that specify the date,
time and venue of the meeting.
c. Participation: Since group discussion is co-operative pooling of available information,
each individual member of the group is encouraged to participate and contribute to the
discussion. Often a discussion is dominated by a handful of members. But others can
actively listen.
d. Free Communication: Free and flawless communication is essential to ensure the
effectiveness of the discussion.
e. Leadership: Every group discussion has to be led by a leader whose role is to navigate
the discussion like a ship through troubled waters. In fact leadership is indispensable for
group discussion.

20.4 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF GROUP DISCUSSION

Following are the main purpose and objectives of group discussion:
1. Solving Problem: Group discussion organized by business organizations to generate
creative ideas particular problem. With contribution with various members, problem is
solved in better and effective way.
2. Building Consensus: Building organizations deliberately organize group discussion to
arrive at decisions which are in the overall interest of the organization. With group
discussion, consensus to build regarding particular decision is built which contributes to
the commitment of members.
3. Assessment of Candidates Leadership Qualities and Communication Shill: Group
discussions are used by organizations to assess the natural ability of different candidates
and their communication skill. Through group discussion, this assessment can be done in
lesser time and resources.
20.5 PERSONALITY TRAITS ASSESSED IN GROUP DISCUSSION
Here are some of the important personality traits of candidate that are assessed in G.D.:
1. Team spirit
2. Leadership
3. Reasoning ability
4. Flexibility
5. Assertiveness
6. Initiative
7. Creativity
8. Listening and empathy
9. Awareness
1. Team Spirit: The managers are supposed to work in team and to promote the sense of
team spirit among various members. They work as a team members in the beginning and
become team leaders in the later on stage.
2. Leadership: Leadership is the process of influencing others through speech and actions.
In group discussion we find that there are certain participants who do not speak much and
are unable to establish a proper rapport; they are not natural leaders. There are certain
participants who get emotionally charged or behave in arrogant manner. Such people fail
to influence others. But natural leaders discuss the topic assertively (not aggressively) by
touching the various aspects of the issue, listen other patiently, and steer the discussion in
positive direction. But mere coordination in a group discussion is not enough, it is
secondary role. The primary role is to contribute to the group discussion with new ideas
and opinions and to steer the conversation towards a goal.
3. Reasoning Ability: The person contributing to discussion should have reasoning ability.
He or she should present the point with solid and sound arguments.
4. Flexibility: The participants of the G.D. should be open to other ideas as well as to the
evaluation of his or her idea. He or she should not take rigid stand or be emotionally
attached to the topic. By taking stand in terms of “Yes” or “No” means giving the decision
without discussing the topic at hand or listening to the views of other members of the
team. The best approach is to take the views in very objective and impartial manner with
cool and detached mind.
5. Assertiveness: The person contributing to the G.D. should put forth his or her point in
very empathic, positive and confident manner. Being assertive does not mean being
aggressive with negative body language. Aggressive persons force their arguments
whereas assertive persons demonstrate positive body language without forcing the
arguments upon other. A weak, submissive and passive person cannot be a successful
leader. Assertive person can bring order to a choice group, encourage balanced
participation and lead the discussion to a positive end.
6. Initiative: Usually in G.D., there are no formal leaders to conduct the discussion.
Someone in the group has to take the initiative to perform the required role as leader. The
participant can demonstrate the ability to initiate by initiating the proceeding of the
 discussion, by creating a conductive environment of interaction, by pointing the area of
agreement and disagreement and by keeping the discussion on the right track.
7. Creativity: Creativity is the ability to think beyond the accepted line of thought and to
explore the unknown territories of the knowledge. An idea or a perspective that opens
horizons for discussion in G.D. topic is always appreciated. Moreover managers are
supposed to be more creative. They should demonstrate their ability to think beyond the
defined box of thinking.
8. Listening and Empathy: Listening other’s view point properly and empathically
contributes towards one’s success in group discussion. Listening does not mean being
passive, submissive or weal. It means taking the broad view print of the situation. But in
G.D., one should try to strike a proper balance between expressing the ideas and imbibing
ideas of others.
9. Awareness: The participants in the G.D. should be aware about the micro and macro
environment in the light of which the topic is discussed. One’s awareness and knowledge
always contribute a lot to one’s success in G.D.

20.6 HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN GROUP DISCUSSION?

Each member of the group must follow the following rules to contribute to the group
discussion:
(1) Plan the topic in advance by searching the material with facts and figures.
(2) Listen patiently and emphatically to the arguments of others.
(3) Try to shrike the problems than personalities.
(4) Ensure that the voice is audible to other participants.
(5) Avoid criticizing the others in destructive way.
(6) Try to build consensus in the group with co-operative and collaborative efforts.
(7) Be as a natural as possible and do not try to be someone you are not.
(8) Seek clarification if you have any doubts regarding the subject before the discussion
commences.
(9) Keep your body language, gestures and mannerism positive.
(10) Do not lose your cool. Be calm and balanced mind while pursuing the discussion.
(11) Show the leadership qualities by motivating other members to speak and by steering the
discussion towards common goal.
Advantages
Group discussion provides the following advantages:
 1. Group discussion helps to assess the natural leadership qualities of different persons.
2. Group discussion helps to generate more useful ideas and information.
3. Group discussion leads to matured and sound decision-making.
4. Group discussion increases the commitment of members for a particular decision.
Disadvantages
Group discussion suffers from following disadvantages:
1. In short span of time, it is difficult to access candidate’s natural leadership qualities. With
group discussion his or her eloquence of speech and knowledge of subject can evaluated. But
for effective leaders, there are lots many qualities like dedication, devotion, ability to work
tirelessly etc. these qualities cannot be assessed in very short duration.
2. In group discussion (where it is used for group decision making), it is possible that some of
the members whose voice has not been heard, may feel resentment.
3. Sometimes it happen those bad decisions are taken at group because of ‘mob-mentality’ of
the members of ‘mass unconsciousness’. “Unconsciousness or madness is exception in
individuals but rule in groups”, Fredrick Nietzsche aptly remarks.

20.7 HOW TO GET BEST OF GROUP DISCUSSION?

To ensure that any discussion is held in constructive and purposeful way, it is important
consider the following points:
1. The theme of the discussion should be conveyed well in advance.
2. There should be adequate arrangement for sitting, sound system, etc.
3. The environment of the discussion should be conducive.
4. The members of the group should behave in very responsive and responsible way. They
should ensure that discussion is not side tracked from the main them.
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Organisational Behaviour – G. S. Sudha
Organisational Behaviour- P. Subha Rao
Organisational Behaviour- K. Ashwathappa
Human Resource Management (2008) by Sree Rama Rao
Personality Development & Reputation by Elizabeeth B. Hurlock