Q.

1 Describe any situation that you experienced where the

communication went wrong because the listening was faulty. Analyze
the situation by explaining the type of listening barrier. . How could this
barrier be overcome?
Ans.

Example: Most people are very average listeners who have developed poor listening habits that
are hard to shed and that act as barriers to listening. For example, some people have the habit of
“faking” attention or trying to look like a listener, in order to impress the speaker and to assure
him that they are paying attention. Others may tend to listen to each and every fact and, as a
result, miss out on the main point. Yet another habit is to avoid difficult listening and to tune off
deliberately, if the subject is too technical or difficult to understand. Sometimes, the subject itself
may be dismissed as uninteresting, because the listener does not want to listen.

Barriers to Listening

1. Physiological Barriers – This was discussed earlier under the barriers to communication.
Some people may have genuine hearing problems or deficiencies that prevent them from listening
properly. Once detected, they can generally be treated. Other people may have difficulty in
processing information, or memory related problems which make them poor listeners. Another
physiological barrier is rapid thought. Listeners have the ability to process information at the rate
of approximately 500 words per minute, whereas speakers talk at around 125 words per minute.
Since listeners are
left with a lot of spare time, their attention may not be focused on what the speaker is saying, but
may wander elsewhere.

2. Physical Barriers – These refer to distractions in the environment such as the sound of an air
conditioner, cigarette smoke, or an overheated room, which interfere with the listening process.
They could also be in the form of information overload. For example, if you are in a meeting with
your manager and the phone rings and your mobile beeps at the same time to let you know that
you have a message, it is very hard to listen carefully to what is being said.

3. Attitudinal Barriers – Preoccupation with personal or work related problems can make it
difficult to focus one’s attention completely on what a speaker is saying, even if what is being
said is of prime importance. Another common attitudinal barrier is egocentrism, or the belief that
you are more knowledgeable than the speaker and that you have nothing new to learn from his
ideas. People with this kind of closed minded attitude make very poor listeners.

4. Wrong Assumptions – The success of communication depends on both the sender and the
receiver, as we have seen in an earlier unit. It is wrong to assume that communication is the sole
responsibility of the sender or the speaker and that listeners have no role to play. Such an
assumption can be a big barrier to listening. For example, a brilliant speech or presentation,
however well delivered, is wasted if the receiver is not listening at the other end. Listeners have
as much responsibility as speakers to make the communication successful, by paying attention,
seeking clarifications and giving feedback.

5. Cultural Barriers Accents can be barriers to listening, since they interfere with the ability to
understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently. The problem of different
accents arises not only between cultures, but also within a culture. For example, in a country like
India where there is enormous cultural diversity, accents may differ even between different
regions and states. Another type of cultural barrier is differing cultural values. The importance
attached to listening and speaking differs in western and oriental cultures. Generally, Orientals
regard listening and silence as
almost a virtue, whereas Westerners attach greater importance to speaking. Therefore this would
interfere with the listening process, when two people from these two different cultures
communicate.

6. Gender Barriers Communication research has shown that gender can be a barrier to listening.
Studies have revealed that men and women listen very differently and for different purposes.
Women are more likely to listen for the emotions behind a speaker’s words, while men listen
more for the facts and the content.

7. Lack of Training Listening is not an inborn skill. People are not born good listeners. They
have to develop the art of listening through practice and training. Lack of training in listening
skills is an important barrier to listening, especially in the Indian context. Lee Iacocca, former
Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation in the US, was one of the first to
recognize the need for organized training programs in listening skills. Today, many organizations
both in India and abroad incorporate listening skills in their training programs.

8. Bad Listening Habits Most people are very average listeners who have developed poor
listening habits that are hard to shed and that act as barriers to listening. For example, some
people have the habit of “faking” attention or trying to look like a listener, in order to impress the
speaker and to assure him that they are paying attention. Others may tend to listen to each and
every fact and, as a result, miss out on the main point. Yet another habit is to avoid difficult
listening and to tune off deliberately, if the subject is too technical or difficult to understand.
Sometimes, the subject itself may be dismissed as uninteresting, because the listener does not
want to listen.

We can overcome above barriers by taking following steps:

1. Create a Conducive Environment – To an extent, you can try to control the environment in
which communication takes place, so that listening can take place without any distractions.
Ensuring a proper sound system and acoustics so that the speaker is audible, avoiding places with
high levels of activity, loud noises from the outside environment and poor air conditioning
systems, shutting off mobile phones and telephones, are some of the ways in which you can
overcome some of the physical barriers to listening.

2. Select Face-to-face Channels – Listening is less accurate in the absence of face-to-face

communication. For example, listening to and understanding ideas correctly over the telephone is
much harder than through a face-to-face meeting. Take the case of calling a restaurant and
placing orders over the telephone for home delivery of a meal. The chances are that your orders
may not be understood correctly. Therefore, as far as possible, arrange face-to-face contact to
ensure more accurate listening.

3. Be Open-minded and Avoid Distractions – Listening is an exhausting activity which requires

the right attitude and mindset. You have to focus your attention completely on what the speaker is
saying, without letting your mind wander. This kind of concentration
can be developed through various techniques and through constant practice. In addition, it is also
important to rid yourself of the notion that you have nothing new to learn from the other person.
Even if it is a subject about which you may be knowledgeable, the speaker may offer a different
perspective or point of view. Therefore it is important to listen actively.
4. Use Nonverbal Cues to Indicate Active Listening – It is important to communicate to the
speaker that you are listening actively to what he is saying. This can be done even without verbal
communication. All the different aspects of nonverbal communication discussed earlier should be
used for maximum effect. For example, maintaining steady eye contact with the speaker, sitting
up with an erect posture, nodding now and then to show appreciation and understanding and
appropriate facial expressions are some of the ways in which your nonverbal communication can
indicate that you are involved in what the speaker is saying.

5. Use Verbal Communication to Indicate Active Listening – While nonverbal

behavior by itself can communicate that you are an active listener, it is also important to engage
in verbal communication with the speaker. Silence is often interpreted as lack of understanding or
attention. You need to seek clarifications, give feedback and suggestions, or just paraphrase in
your own words what the speaker has said, in order to convey that you have understood his
message.

6. Listen First Before Responding – Always let yourself finish listening before you begin to
speak. Avoid the tendency to formulate your own response, even before you have listened
completely to the speaker’s words. If you are too busy thinking about what to say next, you may
miss the main point that the speaker is trying to make. This also gives the speaker the impression
that you are preoccupied or rude.

7. Use the Speaker listener Gap Constructively – It was pointed out earlier that listeners have
the ability to absorb information faster than speakers’ rate of speech. This spare time
available to listeners is often misused by letting the mind wander and is one of the physiological
barriers to listening. One way of overcoming this barrier is to try to use this spare time to note
down what the speaker has said, review what has been said so far and anticipate what he may say
next. Thinking ahead of the speaker and trying to guess where his talk is leading is a good
strategy for effective
listening. This is not easy, but can be learnt through proper training.

8. Focus on the Verbal and Nonverbal Message – Listening involves not only hearing and
understanding the meaning behind the words, but also being alert to the nonverbal
behavior of the speaker. The importance of nonverbal cues has been emphasized throughout this
book. It is important to watch for any positive or negative messages that may be conveyed
through the speaker’s tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and outward appearance.

9. Focus on the Content, rather than the Delivery – In order to grasp the true meaning of what
the speaker is saying, it is important to concentrate on the content of the message, rather than on
how the message is delivered. For example, looking at the power point slides during a speaker’s
presentation may distract your attention from the main point that he is trying to convey. Similarly,
being over critical of the speaker’s accent or mannerisms may make you miss the essence of the
message.
Q.2 Briefly describe the kind of job that you would like to take up after
completion of your MBA. List out the main stakeholders that you would
have to communicate with, along with the reasons for communicating
with them and the appropriate channels of communication with each
stakeholder.
Ans.

After completion of MBA I would like to be a HR Manager.

Below are the main stakeholders with whom I would be communicating:-

1. Superiors

Reason of communication: - to communicate feelings about your job, unsolved problems with
coworkers and your suggestions for improvement of the organization.

Appropriate channel of communication: - through oral face-to-face channels

2. Peers

Reason of communication: - Information sharing

Appropriate channel of communication: - The most appropriate channel of communication

between peers is the oral face-to-face channel, since it helps to build good rapport and improves
work relationships.

3. Subordinates

Reason of communication: - performance appraisal and feedback, reward and recognition

aspects, subject to good performance.

Appropriate channel of communication: - Appropriate channels of communication with

subordinates may be both oral and written, depending on the situation. Communicating about
organizational procedures is best done through written communication; On the other hand,
performance appraisal and feedback should be done through an oral one-to-one meeting and
discussion.

4. Employees/Unions

Reason of communication: - welfare aspects, disciplinary aspects and terms of employment

Appropriate channel of communication: - written channels such as written contracts are the
most appropriate channels.
Q.3 Select a business article from any business publication of
approximately 500 words in length. Evaluate it in terms of : a)
Appropriate level of readability b) Use of jargon, slang and metaphors
c) Common errors in English. Is it well or poorly written, in your
opinion?

Ans.

Companies Are People, Too

By: Anna Muoio

Forget all the talk about corporate culture. It's time to analyze your company's
personality. This diagnostic will help. Plenty of business gurus -- especially New Age
thinkers such as Arie de Geus, Peter Senge, and Margaret Wheatley -- have argued for
years that companies aren't just boxes and bubbles on org charts. Instead, they've argued,
companies are more like biological organisms -- living things that learn, evolve, and
eventually die. Are you ready to take this biological worldview to the next level?
According to marketing consultant Sandy Fekete, companies can best be understood
when thought of as people -- as unique creatures with their own values, their own
personalities, and sometimes, if her clients really get into the spirit, their own names.

"Most people assume that a company's personality matches its CEO's personality," says
Fekete, 43, founder of Fekete + Company, a marketing-communications firm based in
Columbus, Ohio. "But that's not true. An organization has its own ways of being."

Fekete's job is to help her clients understand their company's personality -- its strengths
and its weaknesses. Her main tool is a diagnostic called, appropriately, "Companies Are
People, Too." The 74-question test draws on several bodies of work: the legendary
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument; the principles of psychoanalyst Carl Jung; and
insights from William Bridges's book "The Character of Organizations" (Consulting
Psychologists Press, 1993). So far, people in 63 organizations ranging from museums to
construction firms to medical practices have put pen to paper to scrutinize their
companies' personalities. Actually, make that 64: Fast Company couldn't resist the chance
to take the test

It may sound like psychobabble, but the idea behind the tool is fairly simple: An
organization, like a person, has preferred ways of focusing energy, gathering information,
making decisions, and structuring work. Once people inside an organization understand
those preferences, argues Fekete, they can do a better job of articulating their company's
identity and values, and they can figure out better ways to work and to communicate.
Some of her clients even elect "keepers of the personality" -- volunteers who make sure
that their organization is clear about the attributes that it prizes.
"Change comes from awareness," Fekete says. "Once you figure out who you are, you
can begin to differentiate yourself from your competitors."

Elford Inc., a family-owned commercial-construction company, used the tool several

years ago -- and created a fictitious character, Pop, with eating habits, clothes, and
favorite TV shows that are meant to capture the company's personality. What are some of
Pop's best traits? He's a "superdependable leader" who "always follows through on
commitments." What does he need to work on? He "may use energies anticipating dire
events that do not occur."

Dixon Schwabl Advertising Inc., a fast-growing agency based in upstate New York, has
actually undergone a personality change as a result of using the tool. After taking the test
for the first time, the agency created a character, named Samm, to embody the company's
strengths and weaknesses. But a year later, after the agency worked on its weaknesses,
Samm gave way to Jaz. "Samm was too deadline-focused," muses Lauren Dixon, 45,
founder and president of Dixon Schwabl. "We're still driven to meet our deadlines, but
not at the risk of compromising the creative. We needed a different character to personify
who we had become."

A:- Appropriate level of readability:- The above article is very simple in reading and
do not have any complex terms.

B:- Use of jargon, slang and metaphors:- There is frequent use of jargon, slang and
metaphors like:- We're, It's, Inc etc.

C:- Common errors in English:- There is no error in the article regarding verbs,
spelling mistakes etc.

According to my opinion this article is perfectly written.

Q.4 Briefly distinguish between the different types of reading. Which
are the types of reading that you would be required to do most often, as
a student of management?
Ans.

Types Of Reading
As mentioned earlier, we read in different ways, depending on the purpose for which we are
reading a text. Let us look at a few types of reading.

Skimming
Let us say that you are a student of management; and as suggested by your professor, you need to
buy a reference text book on Investment Management, or to write a paper on Computer Graphics.
You go to a book store and see a rack full of books, with the same title, but different authors. You
do not have time to read the pages before deciding on buying the book. Therefore, you quickly go
through the contents, title page and the blurb (This is a short piece of writing on the cover of a
book that reviews and promotes the book). By now, you have decided to buy one book. This type
of reading that you do in the book store is known as “skimming.” Thus, skimming may be
defined as “looking over a text/book quickly, in order to get a general or superficial idea of
the content.”

Scanning
As you read a text, editorial or an article, you may suddenly come across a word that is not
familiar to you. Naturally, you would like to know the meaning of the word, for your own benefit.
So you get the dictionary and carefully find the word. You see the spelling, pronunciation,
meaning and also the various uses of the same word (if any). This type of careful reading to find
out the specific, clear details, is known as “scanning.” In this case, you do not just run your eyes
across the page, but look into the information for specific details.

Extensive Reading
As we have already mentioned, our way of reading is influenced by the purpose of our reading.
Most of us have the habit of reading especially when we are free, or have a lot of leisure time. We
might get hold of a novel, a comic strip, or a magazine. When we read for the pure pleasure of
reading, it is known as “extensive” reading. However, it should not be given less priority, because
it is extensive reading. It is enjoyable, as well as informative. Here, we practice rapid reading to
get a global/overall understanding of the matter.

Intensive Reading
When we read shorter texts like a research paper for getting specific details or information, we
read slowly with a lot of concentration. This is known as intensive reading. When you read a
book as a resource material for research, you read it intensively because the overall understanding
is not the objective or purpose of our reading. When you read an article in order to write a review
on it, you read it intensively. We use all the skills of reading when we do intensive reading.

Loud And Silent Reading

Most of our day-to-day reading is done silently. When we read an article or an advertisement, we
are engaged in the process of deriving meaning from the passage. Actually when we read aloud,
our concentration is divided between reading and speaking. This makes reading difficult and may
cause problems in understanding the matter. However, there are situations when we may have to
read things aloud when others do not have access to them – for example, notices and
circulars.
We need to read the instructions aloud to students or employees, so that there is no confusion
later. Apart from these extraordinary situations, most of the time the natural way of reading is
silent reading, which is ideal and helps comprehension.

As a student of management we would be required Skimming type of Reading most often.

Q.5 Evaluate email as a channel of internal communication, explaining
its advantages and disadvantages. List out five ways in which email
messages could be made more effective.
Ans.

Communicating Through Email

Although email is a tool for external communication, it is also regularly used within an
organization, in place of telephone and face-to-face contact. This is because email
is instantaneous and allows you to send messages that others can pick up at their convenience.
Besides, email also makes it possible to send messages to people anywhere in the world and to
people who are otherwise impossible to reach. While the other forms of written communication
are highly formal in nature, email is more informal and spontaneous. It is therefore easier to write
an email message than it is to write a business letter or a report, where greater attention has to be
paid to the language, style and tone. Since email is quick, easy to use and spontaneous, it can also
help to improve personal relationships in the workplace.

Advantages of Email

1. Relatively low cost of fulfillment. The physical costs of email are substantially
less than direct mail.
2. Direct response medium encourages immediate action. Email marketing
encourages click through to a website where the offer can be redeemed
immediately this increases the likelihood of an immediate, impulsive response.
3. Faster campaign deployment. Lead times for producing creative and the whole
campaign lifecycle tends to be shorter than traditional media.
4. Ease of personalization. It is easier and cheaper to personalize email than for
physical media and also than for a website.
5. Options for testing. It is relatively easy and cost effective to test different email
creative and messaging.
6. Integration. Through combining email marketing with other direct media which
can be personalized such as direct mail, mobile messaging or web personalization,
campaign response can be increased as the message is reinforced by different
media.

Disadvantages of Email

1. Deliverability. Difficulty of getting messages delivered through different internet

service providers (ISPs), corporate firewalls and web mail systems.
2. Render ability. Difficulty of displaying the creative as intended within the in-box
of different email reading systems.
3. Email response decay. Email recipients are most responsive when they first
subscribe to an email. It is difficult to keep them engaged.
4. Communications preferences. Recipients will have different preferences for
email offers, content and frequency which affect engagement and response. These
have to be managed through communications preferences.
 5. Resource intensive. Although email offers great opportunities for targeting,
personalization and more frequent communications, additional people and
technology resources are required to deliver these.

Below are the five ways in which email message could be made more effective:-

1. Avoid “shouting” – Shouting in an email message refers to use of all capital letters in the
text. All caps make it difficult to read a message and are therefore considered to be rude, like
shouting.

2. Avoid symbols and acronyms – Symbolic messages using punctuation marks, known as
“emoticons” (for example, : ) for a smiley face!) should be avoided, especially in business related
email messages. Similarly, abbreviations such as BTW (by the way) should be avoided since they
sound over casual and may not be understood by everyone.

3. Use friendly salutations and signoffs – Although these are not strictly required in email
communication as in business letters, a salutation such as “Dear John” and a signoff such as
“Warm Regards”, helps to make the tone friendly and personal.

4. Respond promptly – In the case of business related emails, it is important to respond

promptly, especially when communicating with superiors. Even if you are hard pressed for time,
are out of town or out of the office, you can set an automatic email response to your received
messages, which will mention that you will be responding in detail on a specific date.

5. Avoid personal messages at work – Do not make use of the office facility to send personal
email messages. Since confidentiality of the message is not guaranteed, it may lead to
embarrassment later.
Q.6 How are business reports different from business letters? In your
opinion, which is the most important step in report preparation and
why?
Ans.

Business Report

• A report is divided into four areas:

o Terms of Reference- This section gives background information on the
reason for the report. It usually includes the person requesting the report.
o Procedure- The procedure provides the exact steps taken and methods
used for the report.
o Findings- The findings point out discoveries made during the course of
the report investigation.
o Conclusions- The conclusions provide logical conclusions based on the
findings.
o Recommendations- The recommendations state actions that the writer of
the report feels need to be taken based on the findings and conclusions.
• Reports should be concise and factual. Opinions are given in the "conclusions"
section. However, these opinions should be based on facts presented in the
"findings".
• Use simple tenses (usually the present simple) to express facts.
• Use the imperative form (Discuss the possibility ..., Give priority ..., etc.) in the
"recommendations" section as these apply to the company as a whole.

Business Letter

• The Start:

Dear Mr, Ms (Mrs, Miss VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to
use Mrs or Miss)

• Thanking the Potential Customer for His/Her Interest:

Thank you for your letter of ... inquiring (asking for information) about ...
We would like to thank you for your letter of ... inquiring (asking for information)
about ...

• Providing Requested Materials:

We are pleased to enclose ...

Enclosed you will find ...
We enclose ...

• Providing Additional Information:

 We would also like to inform you ...
Regarding your question about ...
In answer to your question (inquiry) about ...

• Closing a Letter Hoping for Future Business:

We look forward to ... hearing from you / receiving your order / welcoming you
as our client (customer).

• Signature:

Yours sincerely (remember use 'Yours faithfully' when you don't know the name
of the person you are writing and 'Yours sincerely' when you do.

According to us Summary is the most important section of the report as per the
following:-

First, you begin with the title section. If it is a short report, it will include only the front
page; for a longer one, you must put here Terms of Reference, Table of Contents and so
on. Do not neglect the Summary. It is the most important section of report. Many people,
especially senior managers, are not interested in reading all the report. They will
concentrate on the Summary, expecting to see there all the main points, the main
conclusions and the main recommendations. It is advisable to write this part as a stand
alone document. Also, keep the language you use as simple as possible, so anybody can
read it and understand it. Avoid copying the points for the Summary directly form the
report as it does not work too well.