MB0039 –Business Communication

Q.(1) What are the various types of communication? Describe the classification of nonverbal communication.

ANS. Types of Communication:- communication divided into two types, they are:

1.Verbal communication, 2.Non-verbal communication

(1).Verbal communication:- This type of communication occurs with the help of words. It provides the opportunity for personal contact and twoway flow of information. A large part of our communication, whether at work or outside, is verbal in nature. Verbal communication may be divided into two types. They are: (a)Oral communication, (b)Written communication

(2).Non-verbal communication – This type of communication may be defined as communication without words. It refers to any way of conveying meanings without the use of verbal language. The game of ’dumb charades’ is a perfect example. Non-verbal communication is generally unintentional, unlike verbal communication. All of us tend to communicate silently and unknowingly send signals and messages by what we do, apart from what we say. Gestures, facial expressions, posture and the way we dress, are all part of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication can have a greater impact than verbal communication, since ‘how you say something’ is sometimes more important than ’what you say’. Although non-verbal communication can affect both our personal and business relationships, it is particularly important in the workplace.

Classification of nonverbal communication:-

Facial expressions – Facial expressions can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and sadness. If you meet a long lost friend and say “I am very happy to meet you again”, but with a sad facial expression, it conveys the exact opposite meaning.

Eye movements – The eye movements such as wide open pupils express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear. The importance of eye contact with one’s audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye contact is an indication of intensity and interest, while lack of it can convey feelings of nervousness and guilt. As prolonged eye contact can intimidate people, it is not a good idea to stare at people. Different cultures perceive eye contact differently. In Asia, Latin America and Africa people avoid direct eye contact to show respect. Arabs use prolonged eye contact to measure trustworthiness.

Gestures – The gestures such as movement of the hands while giving a lecture or presentation indicates a high level of involvement in what you are saying. On the other hand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of nervousness and speaking with one’s hands in one’s pockets is considered to be casual or even rude.

Head movements – The head movements like nodding the head can convey interest, appreciation, agreement or understanding.

Some main points are given below;

Haptics:- Haptics refers to communication through touch. We can use touch to communicate affection, assurance, familiarity, comfort, sympathy and other emotions. Touching can also be interpreted as an assault. Hence, we must use touch as a communication tool carefully.

Proxemics:- Proxemics is derived from the word ‘proximity’ or closeness and is the communication term for personal space and distance. The space and distance which we choose to keep from people is also part of non-verbal communication. Each of us has our own inner and outer circles, which differ for different people.

Chronemics:- Chronemics refers to the study of usage of time. This includes our attitudes towards punctuality and willingness to wait. It also deals with the manner in which we structure our time and interactions. Perception of importance of time varies between individuals and cultures.

Q.(2) Describe any situation in your own experience where the communication failed because the listening was faulty. Identify the barrier to listening in this situation.

ANS.Experience:Once I was goes to market some urgent work. When I was purchasing some goods on the groce shop. A thief theft the bike of a person. The person running towards him and crying to catch him but nobody listen his voice. Because, market is very noiseableplace and thief run away. So that is the personal experience about the barriers of communication.

Identifying and explaining the barrier: Communication fails when the message received is not identical to the message that is sent. Several factors could interfere with the exchange of messages.

1.Noise barrier:- refers to all these factors that disrupt the communication and can be classified under the following types:

Physical noise:- Distracting sounds, poor acoustics, or just information overload could interfere with the listening process.

Physiological noise:- Hearing or other disabilities, fatigue, or physical illness could come in the way of both speaking and listening.

Psychological noise:- Sometimes emotions within the sender or receiver such as preoccupations, hostility, fear or lack of interest could interfere the speaking or listening process.

There are many other barriers to communication, an understanding and analysis of which are needed before coming up with ways to eliminate or minimise them.

2.Environmental barriers – An environmental barrier is the same as physical noise, which could be in the form of distracting sounds, an overcrowded room, poor facilities and acoustics, all of which may hinder the ability to listen to and understand the message.

3. Individual barriers – A major barrier to interpersonal communication is a tendency to judge, evaluate, approve, or disapprove the views of another person. This happens particularly in situations where we have strong feelings about something. In such cases, we tend to block out the communication and form our own viewpoints.

4.Organizational barriers – In organizations that are too hierarchical, that is, where there are multiple ‘layers’, messages may have to pass through many levels before they finally reach the receiver. Each level may add to, modify or completely change the message, so much so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver. In other words, there is likely to be loss of meaning and the message may not reach the receiver in the same way as it was intended by the sender.

5.Channel barriers– In the earlier section, it was pointed out that communication can fail due to any of the different elements going wrong. Wrong choice of channel is one of the main barriers to communication. Using a wrong medium of advertising, or conveying a message orally when a written letter would be more appropriate.

6.Linguistic and cultural barriers – When the sender of the message uses a language that the receiver does not understand, the communication will not succeed. Either the sender may be using different or foreign language, or the language used may be too highly technical for the receiver to understand.

7.Semantic barriers – The word ‘semantics’ refers to the meaning of words and the way in which they are used. For example, different words may have different meanings in different cultures. Failure to take this into consideration could lead to serious blunders.

8.Non-verbal barriers – This refers to the non-verbal communication that goes with a particular message. Non-verbal communication includes tone of voice, body language such as gestures and facial expressions, etc.

Q.(3) Describe any 5 types of presentations with examples and their target audience.

ANS.

Type/ Purpose of presentation Example Audience

Briefing and Information New online leave application procedure Employees

Orientation Orientation to new joinees Employees

Training How to operate a new software Employees

Reporting Research Findings Consumer satisfaction survey Superiors

Reporting Progress Report of weekly sales Superiors

Highlighting Company’s Achievements Reporting awards won by the Company Media

TV and Radio Interviews to describe Company Viewpoints

Describing company’s position on environmental issues

Society at large

Introduction Overview of the company New employees

Product Presentation Highlighting features of a new product Consumers, intermediaries

Project Proposal New project undertaken by the company

Bankers

Policy Proposal New mobile phone expense reimbursement policy

Superiors

Marking Special Occasions Presentation at company anniversary celebrations

Internal and external audiences

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

ANS. “A meeting is any focused conversation that has a specific agenda, especially but not only if it has been set up in advance.” This definition implies that meetings are not aimless discussions, but they require careful planning and revolve around a specific topic that is decided in advance. Therefore, while meetings may be more or less formal in the way they are conducted, they need to be planned, irrespective of the nature of the meeting.

There are some types of meetings:-

1. Task oriented meetings:- As the name suggests, this type of meeting is a special meeting that is called to discuss and make arrangements for a specific event. For example, the company is opening a new branch or new factory, which

will be inaugurated by a minister on a specific date. All the key people involved may be asked to attend the meeting, to discuss the arrangements that are being made for the inauguration. Specific tasks are assigned to each of the participants of the meeting.

2. Progress meetings:- These are periodic meetings that are called to review the progress being made on a particular front. For example, weekly meetings may be held to review sales progress or if a new project has been initiated, periodic meetings may be held to review the progress of different stages of the project.

3. Information sharing meetings:- In some organisations these types of meetings may be called regularly for the main purpose of exchanging information on a topic of relevance to the organisation. Such meetings may take place among co-workers or may also involve top management. For example:- The Managing Director of a company may call his senior managers to share information about the company’s joint ventures, overseas collaborations or plans for acquisition. A weekly meeting of top executives may be held to discuss the activities of the company’s international divisions. The members of the Research and Development (R & D) department may meet regularly to compare notes on the results of their research efforts.

4. Problem solving or decision making meetings:- This type of meeting is the most challenging, as it involves taking some kindof action, making major decisions or changing the existing policies and procedures. Therefore, all interests and departments of the organisation are represented at such meetings. They also tend to be time consuming. For example, the marketing strategy of the company may need to be revised, as sales are on the decline or a new product is to be launched and a meeting may be called to discuss the launch strategy. As problem solving meetings are the most complicated type of meetings, the guidelines offered in this unit are more relevant to these meetings.

Q.(5) You are going to face a job interview for the post of Manager-operations. Which aspects you will keep in mind while facing the interview?

ANS. Aspects to be kept in mind during job interview:-

Opening formalities- Since it is important to create a good first impression, the way you great and introduce yourself is important. Using the name of the interviewer correctly, giving a firm handshake, waiting till you are asked to be seated and sitting with an erect posture are common courtesies that should be observed to project a good image.

Non-verbal communication- It was emphasized that in face to face communication; non verbal cues can enhance communication and convey a positive message. Apart from a firm handshake and erect posture, your non-verbal behavior should indicate that you are confident & attentive to what the interviewer is saying. Direct eye contact, facial gestures and nodding to show that you are listening are all important aspects of non-verbal communication that should be observed during the interview.

Group interview- A group interview is one where a panel of interviewers interviews a single applicant. The group may comprise people from different functional areas in the organization, such as HR, Marketing and Finance. When asked a question by one of the group members, it is common courtesy to make eye contact with and address your responses to all the interviewers.

Two-way interview- Although the applicant’s task is primarily to listen and the interviewer’s job is primarily to ask question, it is in the hands of the applicant to make the communication a two way process. Apart from answering questing, the interviewee should show interest in the job and the company by asking relevant question, wherever possible.

Honesty and humility- It is important to be honest and to avoid giving vague answers or beating around the bush, if you do not know the answer to a particular question. Employers appreciate honesty, rather than over-smart answers. Humility is equally important. For example, when asked about your weakness, do not state that you have no weakness. Another point to remember is to avoid exaggeration.

Positive answers- Do not speak ill of your previous employers. If asked about your previous experiences, you may give honest feedback, but you should do so tactfully. Your answers should always end on a positive note.

Salary discussion- Any discussion on salary should be initiated by the interviewer and not by the interviewee, especially during the initial interview. When asked about your salary expectations, you should indicate a range, rather than a specific figure. Therefore, you should have found out the general salary range for candidate with your qualifications and experience, before the interview. Only then can you give a reasonable response to the question.

Closing the interview- How you close the interview is as important as how you open it. Normally, the interviewer gives a signal when the interview is over, either through body language, or by making a comment on the next step for action. At this point, you must thank the interviewer, give another firm handshake and say that you look forward to hearing from the company soon.

Q.(6) Write short notes on:-

a) Internet b) Intranet

ANS. (a) Internet:- The Internet is a worldwide network of computers connecting thousands and thousands of computers across the globe. It is formed by the joining of many smaller networks around the world to form the largest network in the world. The computers of the Internet are connected through telephone lines, satellite links, modemand through many other means. The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to link several billion devices worldwide. It is an international network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government packet switched networks, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and applications of the World Wide Web, the infrastructure to support email, and peer-to-peer networks for file sharing and telephony. The origins of the Internet date back to research commissioned by the United States government. The Internet has no centralized governance in either technological implementation or policies for access and usage; each constituent network sets its own policies. Only the overreaching definitions of the two principal name spaces in the Internet, the Internet Protocol address space and the Domain Name System, are directed by a maintainer organization, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The technical underpinning and standardization of the core protocols is an activity of the  Internet Engineering Task Force, a non-profit organization of loosely affiliated international participants that anyone may associate with by contributing technical expertise.

(b) Intranet:- An intranet is a communication network that operates on an internal network that is exclusive to a particular organisation. This means that only the employees of an organisation have the authority to access it. This is as opposed to an ’extranet’, which is also an internal or private website, but where access privileges are also extended to external stakeholders of the company, such as customers, suppliers, partners and others. Although the intranet is better suited for large organisations where distributing information is an enormous task, a number of smaller companies today are also using this form of internal communication. Simply defined, the intranet is a tool for distributing and sharing information of different types within the company. For example, weekly reports, goals, human resources related information such as employee benefits and declared holidays, interactive forms, vacation requests, supply orders, company policies and even memos and notices can be posted on the intranet. Apart from large organisations, the intranet is particularly suited for ’virtual’ companies that have only an online presence, as well as companies with frequently travelling employees and off-site workers, as communicating with such employees becomes a challenge.