Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester

AUGUST 2011 Master of Business Administration (MBA) Semester 1 MB0039 Business Communication (4 Credits) (Book ID: B1128) Assignment Set- 1

MB0039: Business Communication

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MB0039Business Communication- 4 Credits (Book ID: B1128) Assignment - Set- 1

Q.1 Explain the different types of communication with relevant examples. ANS: Communication is a process that involves exchange of information, thoughts, ideas and emotions. Communication involves a sender who encodes and sends the message, which is then carried via the communication channel to the receiver where the receiver decodes the message, processes the information and sends an appropriate reply via the same communication channel. Types of Communication Communication can occur via various processes and methods and depending on the channel used and the style of communication there can be various types of communication. Types of Communication Based on Communication Channels Based on the channels used for communicating, the process of communication can be broadly classified as verbal communication and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication includes written and oral communication whereas the non-verbal communication includes body language, facial expressions and visuals diagrams or pictures used for communication. Verbal Communication Verbal communication is further divided into written and oral communication. The oral communication refers to the spoken words in the communication process. Oral communication can either be face-to-face communication or a conversation over the phone or on the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken conversations or dialogs are influenced by voice modulation, pitch, volume and even the speed and clarity of speaking. The other type of verbal communication is written communication. Written communication can be either via snail mail, or email. The effectiveness of written communication depends on the style of writing, vocabulary used, grammar, clarity and precision of language. Nonverbal Communication Non-verbal communication includes the overall body language of the person who is speaking, which will include the body posture, the hand gestures, and overall body movements. The facial expressions also play a major role while communication since the expressions on a persons face say a lot about his/her mood. On the other hand gestures like a handshake, a smile or a hug can independently convey emotions. Non verbal communication can also be in the form of pictorial representations, signboards, or even photographs, sketches and paintings.

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Types of Communication Based on Style and Purpose Based on the style of communication, there can be two broad categories of communication, which are formal and informal communication that have their own set of characteristic features. Formal Communication Formal communication includes all the instances where communication has to occur in a set formal format. Typically this can include all sorts of business communication or corporate communication. The style of communication in this form is very formal and official. Official conferences, meetings and written memos and corporate letters are used for communication. Formal communications can also occur between two strangers when they meet for the first time. Hence formal communication is straight forward, official and always precise and has a stringent and rigid tone to it. Informal Communication Informal communication includes instances of free unrestrained communication between people who share a casual rapport with each other. Informal communication requires two people to have a similar wavelength and hence occurs between friends and family. Informal communication does not have any rigid rules and guidelines. Informal conversations need not necessarily have boundaries of time, place or even subjects for that matter since we all know that friendly chats with our loved ones can simply go on and on

Q.2 What are the general principles of writing especially business writing. ANS: The process of good writing involves three basic steps - preparing, writing, and editing. Practicing the following 16 principles will help you be a more effective writer. Business writing is different Writing for a business audience is usually quite different than writing in the humanities, social sciences, or other academic disciplines. Business writing strives to be crisp and succinct rather than evocative or creative; it stresses specificity and accuracy. This distinction does not make business writing superior or inferior to other styles. Rather, it reflects the unique purpose and considerations involved when writing in a business context. When you write a business document,you must assume that your audience has limited time in which to read it and is likely to skim. Your readers have an interest in what you say insofar as it affects their working world. They want to know the "bottom line": the point you are making about a situation or problem and how they should respond. Business writing varies from the conversational style often found in email messages to the more formal, legalistic style found in contracts. Writing that is too formal can alienate readers, and an attempt to be overly casual may come across as insincere or unprofessional. In business writing, as in all writing, you must know your audience.

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In most cases, the business letter will be the first impression that you make on someone. Though business writing has become less formal over time, you should still take great care that your letter s content is clear and that you have proof read it carefully. Simple vs. Complex Words As far as possible the sender should select words that are within the receivers vocabulary. If the words used are outside the vocabulary of the receiver, the latter may either not get the message at all, get the wrong message by guessing the meaning incorrectly or wonder whether the sender intentionally selected a complicated word for making an impression. Therefore, it is better to rely on plain, simple words. Jargon, Slang and Metaphors Jargon refers to technical terms that belong to a particular subject area or discipline. For example, medical jargon would include terms that only medical practitioners and not lay person might understand. Slang refers to casual words that are not accepted and recognized in a Standard English dictionary. A metaphor is a figure of speech and refers to colorful comparisons which evoke visual images. Parts of Speech In the same way that use of big, complicated words may result in receipt of the wrong message, use of small words in the wrong way grammatically could have the same result. Such problems exist in all parts of speech categories. Pronouns and Active versus Passive voice Personal pronouns (like I, we, and you) are important in letters and memos. In such documents, it is perfectly appropriate to refer to yourself as I and to the reader as you. Be careful, however, when you use the pronoun we in a business letter that is written on company stationery, since it commits your company to what you have written. When stating your opinion, use I; when presenting company policy, use we. The best writers strive to achieve a style that is so clear that their messages cannot be misunderstood. One way to achieve a clear style is to minimize your us e of the passive voice. Although the passive voice is sometimes necessary, often it not only makes your writing dull but also can be ambiguous or overly impersonal. Focus and specificity Business writing should be clear and concise. Take care, however, that your document does not turn out as an endless series of short, choppy sentences. Keep in mind also that "concise" does not have to mean "blunt"you still need to think about your tone and the audience for whom you are writing. Consider the following examples: After carefully reviewing this proposal, we have decided to prioritize other projects this quarter. Nobody liked your project idea, so we are not going to give you any funding. Business letters: where to begin Reread the description of your task (for example, the advertisement of a job opening, instructions for a proposal submission, or assignment prompt for a course) . Think about your purpose and what requirements are mentioned or implied in the description of the task. List these requirements. This list can serve as an out line to govern your writing and help you stay focused, so try to make it thorough. Next, identify qualifications, attributes, objectives, or answers that match the requirements you have just listed. Strive to be exact and specific, MB0039: Business Communication Roll No. : 541110058 Page 4

Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester avoiding vagueness, ambiguity, and platitudes. If there are industry- or field-specific concepts or terminology that is relevant to the task at hand, use them in a manner that will convey your competence and experience. Avoid any language that your audience may not understand. Your finished piece of writing should indicate how you meet the requirements you ve listed and answer any questions raised in the description or prompt. 1. Know your objective Think before you write. What's your goal? Make sure you fully understand the assignment. Are you writing a one-paragraph executive summary or a five-page report? Try answering this question: What specifically do I want the reader to know, think, or do? 2. Make a list Write down the ideas or points you want to cover. Why? This helps you get started in identifying the key ideas you want to discuss. If you have trouble getting started, try discussing your ideas with someone else."Kicking an idea around" often helps you clarify your objective and fine-tune what you are trying to accomplish. 3. Organize your ideas Just as it's difficult to find what you want in a messy, disorganized desk drawer, its hard to find important ideas in a poorly organized message. Here are a few ways you can organize your ideas: Importance - Begin with the most important piece of information and then move on to the next most important. Chronological order - Describe what happened first, second, third. Problem-Solution - Define the problem, and then describe possible alternatives or the solution you recommend. Question-Answer - State a question and then provide your answer. Organize your ideas so the reader can easily follow your argument or the point you are trying to get across. 4. Back it up Have an opinion but back it up - support with data. There are a number of ways you can support your ideas, including explanations, examples, facts, personal experiences, stories, statistics, and quotations. It's best to use a combination of approaches to develop and support your ideas. 5. Separate main ideas Each paragraph should have one main point or idea captured in a topic sentence. The topic sentence is normally the first sentence in the paragraph. Each paragraph should be started by an indentation or by skipping a line. 6. Use bullets or numbers If you are listing or discussing a number of items, use bullets or number your points like I have done in this paper. Here's an example of using bullets. Join the Business Club to: Increase sales

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Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester Gain new marketing ideas Make new friends Give back to your profession 7. Write complete sentences A sentence is about someone doing something - taking action. The someone maybe a manager, employee, customer, etc. The "doing something - taking action" can include mental processes such as thinking, evaluating, and deciding, or physical actions such as writing and talking. A good rule to practice is to have subjects closely followed by their verbs. 8. Use short sentences Sentences should be a maximum of 12 to 15 words in length. According to the American Press Institute, sentences with 15 or fewer words are understood 90% of the time. Sentences with eight or fewer words are understood 100% of the time. 9. Be precise and accurate Words like "large," "small," "as soon as possible," "they," "people," "teamwork, and "customer focus" are vague and imprecise. The reader may interpret these words to mean something different than what you intended. Reduce communication breakdowns by being specific and precise. Define terms as needed. The reader may not understand certain acronyms and abbreviations. 10. Use commas appropriately Use a comma to separate the elements in a series of three or more items: His favorite colors are red, white, and blue. Use a comma to set off introductory elements: After coffee and donuts, the meeting will begin. Use a comma to separate adjectives: That tall, distinguished, good-looking professor teaches history. 11. Use the correct word Here are several words that cause confusion. You're is a contraction for "you are" Your means possession, such as "your coat." It's is a contraction for "it is." Its indicates possession. Their means possession/ ownership-"their house." There means location. They're is a contraction for "they are. 12. Avoid redundancies It is a redundancy to use multiple words that mean or say the same thing. For example, consider the following: Redundant My personal beliefs Beliefs are personal, so just state, My beliefs Redundant I decided to paint the machine gray in color. Gray is a color, so just state, I decided to paint the machine gray . MB0039: Business Communication Roll No. : 541110058 Page 6

Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester 13. Numbers When using numbers in the body of your paper, spell out numbers one through nine, such as "Three men decided" When using numbers 10 or above it's proper to write the number, such as "The report indicated 68 customers"

14. Have a conclusion Would you really enjoy watching a movie or sporting event that had no conclusion? No. The conclusion ties your points together. The reader wants to know the final score - the bottom line message. 15. Edit your work Read what you have written several times.On your first read,focus on organization and sentence structure. Shorten long sentences. Cross out unnecessary words and phrases. Reorganize material as needed. Read it again and make sure commas are used appropriately and that there isa punctuation mark at the end of every sentence. Read it a third time and focus onword choice.Are there certain words that are vague or unclear? Replace them with specific words. Read what you have written aloud to yourself or to a friend to see if he or she (and you) can understand it and improve it in any way. A significant part of good writing involves editing. Very few people can sit down and write a perfect paragraph on their first try. It requires multiple rewrites.

Summary You don't have to be a great writer to be successful manager/leader. However you must be able to clearly and succinctly explain your thoughts and ideas in writing. Strive to be simple, clear, and brief. Like any skill, "good writing" requires practice, feedback, and ongoing improvement.

Q.3 How would you prepare yourself for an oral business presentation? ANS: Delivering a formal presentation can be either fairly stress-free or nerve-wrecking. Your level of comfort can depend on the size of your audience, the critical spectators attending your presentation, or the feedback that you may anticipate. Whatever you may find as a cause for concerns about speaking before a group, never let it be your knowledge about what you will speak. With thorough and effective research about your subject, you will discover that you are already half way prepared to address your listeners. The following steps can complete your preparation. Giving an effective oral presentation requires preparation. Preparing for an oral presentation is just as important as delivering the presentation; without preparation the oral presentation will not be delivered effectively. The oral presentation needs to organized and well thought out. Therefore, set aside time to work on your oral presentation.

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1. It is important to define the purpose of presentation. Know exactly what is required and expected when you will be presenting. Know how long the presentation must be, what type of visual aid is required, and your audience.

2. Pick a topic, if one was not provided. Depending on the situation, a topic may not be given. Pick a topic that you are familiar with, one that your audience can easily understand and that will meet the requirements of the oral presentation. The topic should be easily searchable and have reliable sources. 3.The key idea of presentation need to be expressed. Determine the purpose of the oral presentation. The purpose of an oral presentation varies because it depends on the message you will convey. 4. Making a good presentation alone is not enough. It also has to be tailored to your listeners. Analyze the audience, and think about their expectations. Consider the age, values, gender and education level of the audience. 5. Research the topic, gathering relevant material and take notes. Take detailed notes about everything that pertains to the topic. This is a time consuming process and requires a fair amount of research. 6. Write a rough draft of your oral presentation. The rough draft will only be used to organize the information obtained from doing research and to write the note cards. 7. Prepare visual aids for the oral presentation. Some presentations require a PowerPoint, while others require a transparency; follow the requirements given. Keep visual aids simple. Your visual aids should help the audience understand the topic better. Include graphs, charts, pictures or a video clip in your visual aid if it will help your audience understand your topic better. Do not use visual aids that are not directly connected to your topic. 8. Prepare note cards using your rough draft. Your note cards should be numbered in the order you will use them. Do not write complete sentences because you will not read directly from your MB0039: Business Communication Roll No. : 541110058 Page 8

Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester note cards. Only take notes, preferably in bullet format, on the note cards. Note cards should be easily read, if needed; therefore, do not overcrowd any note card with too many bullet points. Use as many note cards as necessary without overcrowding any. 9. Practice and time your presentation. If your presentation needs to fall within a specific time frame, practice and time your presentation using a stopwatch. Use your note cards as a guide to help you remember everything that needs to be said. Do not read directly from your note cards. 10. Delivering the presentation effectively. Once the presentation has been adequately prepared in terms of content, selection of proper appropriate style of delivery is important i.e. it can be brief, simple, memorized or can be presented by reading out notes. 11. Remember that, at this point, there should be no reason to lose confidence. If you've studied your subject, grasped a clear understanding of it, and followed the tips above, you have the tools to conquer any sharp sensation that you may feel in the pit of your gut going before any group.

Q.4 You are a team manager having 15 members in your team. Two of your key team members are on 3 weeks leave. You have to call for a monthly team meeting within a week. How effectively you would plan and carry out this meeting? ANS. As pointed out earlier, meetings need to be planned in advance, so that they are successful. Before any planning can be done however, a basic question to be asked id whether to hold a meeting at all. The answers to be followed questions would help to decide whether a meeting is necessary in the first place Can the matter be decided or discussed over the telephone? Can the matter be expressed in writing, in the form of a memo, or an email message? Are key people available to attend the meeting and are they prepared? Is the time allotted for the meeting sufficient? If the answers to the first two questions are yes and the answers to the other two questions are no, there is no purpose in calling a meeting. Once the need for a meeting has been determined, the next step is to start planning the meeting. First of all, the type and number of participants should be decided. A problem solving meeting should included representatives from all departments, since the decision would otherwise be incomplete. Shareholders, who are the owners of the company, should also be included. In terms of number, the size of the group could be anywhere between seven and eleven members. An exception to this is an information sharing meeting. Where the number could be larger, So that a maximum number of people benefit from the information. The second and most important step in planning a meeting is to indicate the purpose or agenda of the meeting to the participants in advance. An agenda is essentially a list of topics that will be discussed during a meeting. In the works of Adler and Elmhurst, A meeting without an agenda is like a ship at sea without a destination or compass: no one aboard knows where is it headed. An agenda is prepared by the Chairperson of the meeting, or the person who calls the meeting. Apart from a mist of topics, a comprehensive agenda should also include the following: MB0039: Business Communication Roll No. : 541110058 Page 9

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Apart from a mist of topics, a comprehensive agenda should also include the following-

1. The time, venue and duration of the meeting- The starting time and length of the meeting needs to be indicated, so that participants know how much to prepare and can plan their other activities and meetings accordingly 2. A List of participants- It is important to let all members know who will be attending the meeting. So that they know who to expect.

3. Background information- This could be in the form of new information, repetition of facts as a reminder, or a brief explanation of the important of the meeting. 4. A clear list of items and goals- These should be included in order to ensure that the meeting has an outcome. Participants need to have a clear idea of their role in the meeting. Goal should be stated so that they sound specific, result-oriented and realistic. 5. Advance preparation by participants- A good agenda tells participants how to come prepared for the meeting- for example, by reading an article, bringing important documents, collecting facts or jotting down their ideas on a particular issue. In case certain members have to prepare in a specific way, this can be mentioned on their individual copy of the agenda.

In general, the items to be discussed are listed in the descending order of priority in the agendai.e. from the most important to the least important items. Sometimes, the simple issues may be listed first and then the more complicated issues.

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AGENDA
DATE : TO : March 5th 2012 (Name of all meeting participants) (Name of Chairperson) Planning for the inauguration of new Kuwait office Monday, March 10th, from 9:30 to 11am Fourth floor Conference Room

FROM : SUBJECT : TIME : VENUE :

BACKGROUND : The inauguration of the new Kuwait Office will take place on March 15th, as previously scheduled. Completion of the following tasks will keep us on target and ensure that the new office becomes functional. We will discuss the following items: 1. Office Equipment Needs: (Name of the person responsible for making a presentation and initiating discussion) 2. Office Decoration: (Name of person responsible for making a presentation and initiating discussion) 3. Advertising and publicity: (Name of person responsible for preparing advertisements and pas releases).

Q. 5 Distinguish between circulars and notices along with formats.

ANS. Circulars and notices are also written forms of communication within the organization. The difference between a circular and a notice is that circulars are announcements that are distributed to small or selective groups of people within the organization, whereas notices are meant for a larger group of people.

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Example If a manager wants to call a meeting of heads of departments, he will pass around a circular only to the heads, requesting them to attend that meeting. On the other hand, notices generally contain information or announcements that are meant for all the employees of an organization. Example A list of declared holidays for a calendar year is a notice, since the information is relevant to all employees. A notice is therefore a legal document that has to be put up on an official notice or bulletin board.

Let us examine another example of a circular and a noticeImagine that you are the President of the Student Committee in a management college and wish to hold a meeting to plan for the Annual Management Fest of the college. You will have to send some information to those whom you want to involve in organizing the Fest. You may not want all the students to be involved initially, since it may take a lot of time and there may be too many suggestions. Instead, you may choose to invite only the committee members to discuss details such as the date, venue, duration, how to get sponsors and so on. For this purpose, you may send a circular only to the student committee members, requesting them to attend the meeting. During the meeting, the date and venue may be finalized and various smaller committees may be formed, such as a reception committee, stage committee and so on. You may also decide to get each student to contribute a nominal amount for the Fest. In order to announce these details and to ask for student contributions, you may then put up a notice on the official college notice board, which all students can see and respond to. A sample circular and notice are given below.

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March 4, 2012 TO: All Departmental Heads

CIRCULAR
Safety Aspects in Science Laboratories The purpose of this circular is to emphasize the importance of safety in research laboratories. All laboratory supervisors are responsible for the safety of research scientists in their charge. It is their duty to draw their attention to any safety hazard that pertains to a particular activity. In this context, supervisors should be familiar with relevant guidelines on laboratory safety and they should be careful at all times to observe standard safety procedures, when practical activities are being conducted in the laboratory. Please bring this circular to the notice of the supervisors concerned and to the notice of the representatives as appropriate, for transmission to individual research less space scientists. General Manager HR

Note that a circular, like a memo is brief and to the point. It has a caption that indicates the message to be conveyed, like a memo, there is no formal salutation or close.

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MANIPAL UNIVERSAL LEARNING Manipal Towers, Bangalore

March 11, 2012 REF: ADM/N/4499

NOTICE
Sub: Manipal Family Day Celebrations
This is to inform all employees of MUL that a Manipal Family Day celebration will be held at Manipal County on Friday March 14 th , between 10 am and 7 pm. A pickup and drop back facility is being organized for all employees and their family members. In view of the celebrations, this will be a holiday. Instead, Saturday, March 15 th will be a working day to compensate for this holiday. All are encouraged to attend and make the event a success.

SENIOR MANAGER, HR
The above notice is meant for all employees of the organization. It has a reference number, date and a subject, similar to a memo. The notice covers two different issues related to one subject. Employees are first informed that a holiday has been declared to celebrate Manipal Family Day. Then the same notice mentions a different working day to compensate for this holiday. Sometimes, under special circumstances, notices may also be sent to individual employees. An example of this type of notice is the Show Cause Notice, which is sent when an employee is found to be guilty of major misconduct. The notice mentions the allegations against the employee and asks for a written explanation within a specified time, failing which the action that would be taken against him/her (e.g., being suspended from the job)is stated. Notices are read by a large number of people and can also be used as evidence in court cases. Therefore, care must be taken when writing them. They have to be worded very precisely and clearly, to make sure that there is no ambiguity. They should also be brief and to the point. The tone should be firm, but not offensive and arrogant. Depending on the type of notice, the duration of display of a notice is specified under various legal provisions.

Q. 6 You are a sales manager for a particular brand of mixer and blender. Frame a sample bad news letter telling a customer about that her claim for the product replacement is rejected on the grounds that the product didnt have any defect during the sale.

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Date : 10th of Feb 12

Dear Customer ,

Sub : Reference your letter on product replacement On behalf of my company ABC Ltd., I write this letter to kindly inform you that the guarantee we warrant on all our products is limited only to any manufacturing defect on our part. The product which you have sent us claiming for replacement, due to the defect which exists on the product sold seems to have occured due to the operating conditions of the product for which we do not entertain the customer holding the Company liable. It is with immense regret I write to you that the product cannot be replaced by holding the company responsible for the defect. Nevertheless, out of Goodwill towards customers, we can make arrangements to repair the damaged product, for which the company can only bear 50% of the defective part replacement and the remaining 50% needs to be borne by you.

Best Regards, XYZ. Sales Manager - ABC Ltd.

Note that in above letter, the bad news, namely the refusal to grant the replacement to the customer is conveyed indirectly. The company tries to compensate for the bad news by offering 50% on the defective spare part replacement.

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MB0039 Business Communication - 4 Credits (Book ID: B1128) Assignment - Set- 2

Q.1 As a part of top management team, how would you communicate to your shareholders about the companys expansion plans? ANS: Shareholders are important internal stakeholders of an organization, since they are the owners of the company. Since the capital required is huge, there are no proprietors and partners any more. As organization grows, shareholding is widely scattered. Therefore, it is essentials to retain the shareholders, confidence in the companys management, through effective communication with them on a regular basis. There are two situations when shareholder communication is extremely vital 1. If a company is doing well and wants to expand its scope of operations, or diversify into unrelated areas. In this case, good shareholder relations can help to raise the required capital and minimize borrowing from banks and financial institutions. 2. If a company is going through a crisis or difficult times, more communication with shareholders is needed. Take the example of coke and Pepsi during the pesticide controversy. In such a situation, the company should be open with its shareholders and explain the problem clearly, including the steps being taken to overcome the crisis.

Crisis communication is am important, but often overlooked area of shareholder communication. Lack of communication during a crisis encourages the grapevine among shareholders and leads to false rumors. For example, Rumors may spread that the company is going to close down. On the other hand, if you tell the truth, changes are that your shareholders will stand by you.

The appropriate media for communication with shareholder include both oral and written periodic mailers should be sent to all shareholders, giving a fair and truthful representation of the companys results and progress on various fronts. In areas where there is an aggregation or concentration of shareholders, shareholder meeting and conferences should be held, making presentations on the companys progress. When the company is going through a crisis, shareholders should be taken on project site and factory visits, to show them the measures that are being taken to solve the problem.

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COGNIZANTS COMMUNICATION WITH SHAREHOLDERS

Cognizant is a leading provider of IT services, based in New Jersey, USA. They have won national acclaim in the US financial media for being one of the most shareholder friendly companies in the US. In a survey where respondents were asked to rate various companies on criteria such as financial performance, communication with shareholder, investor relations and quality of corporate governance, Cognizant was ranked the highest.

Shareholder friendly companies were described was described by respondents as those that are known for their policy of openness and high quality of communication with their shareholders.

RELIANCES COMMUNICATION WITH SHAREHOLDERS

In India, one out of every four investors is a shareholder of Reliance.

The company has set up a firm of chartered Accountants as Internal Security Auditors, to audit the transactions and communication with shareholders.

The board of directors of the company has also appointed shareholders/Investors Grievance Committee, for examining and responding to shareholders complaints with regard to transfer of shares, non-receipt of balance sheet, declared dividends, etc. The committee also makes recommendations on how to improve the overall quality of investor services.

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Q.2 ABC Ltd. wants to communicate about its corporate image to all its stakeholders and also to the general public. As an advisor, how do you recommend them to do it?

ANS: External Business communication is an excellent form of communication about the corporate image to all its stake holders and general public through advertising and news releases. A press release or a news release is a story that highlights new developments in an organization and is carried free by the medium in which it appears. It is a form of publicity, which is a part of public relations. It has a powerful impact on public opinion and highly credible. Press or News releases must be made interesting, newsworthy, accurate and complete. They should also be written in a specific format, which includes the following components An attention getting opener, that highlights the development as something unique Answers to key questions such as where, when and how The impact on the development of the community Company credentials

They should also be visual appealing and error free. Business letters are used primarily to communicate with stakeholder such as consumers, intermediaries, government and bankers. The principle of business letter writing is somewhat different from the principles of writing general letters. Before we go into the specifics of business letter writing, let us look briefly at some of these principlesConsideration and Courtesy It is very important to retain the goodwill of customers and other external publics. A discourteous, rude letter can make you lose business. Therefore, the business letter should be extremely polite at all times and mindful of the Ps and Qs, i.e. the words please, thank you and sorry. Even if you happen to get a rude letter from a customer, you must respond politely, in order to retain the customer. If the company has been at fault, it is important to apologize to the customer for the mistake and for the inconvenience caused. The overall tome should not be negative. For example, avid saying We cannot grant your request. Instead state it in a more tactful way, explaining the reasons for not being able to grant the request. If you are sending a job rejection letter to a candidate, it should be worded politely and in a positive tone. Consideration means that you should appeal to the readers interest. The importance of stressing the you attitude rather than the me attitude was dealt with in an earlier unit. This is similar to the language of advertisements, which talk about the benefits of the product to the end user. For example, instead of saying We will be open 24 hours, say You can avail of roundthe-clock service.

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Directness and conciseness Business letter should be brief and to the point, avoiding unnecessary details and about expressions. A typical Indian tendency is to be too wordy or verbose. Using redundancies and unnecessary words. Business letters should give maximum information to the reader, using minimum words. Clarity and precision Business letters should be clearly worded, avoiding the use of jardon or technical terms, and slang words. Concrete words should be used, so that there is no ambiguity. Example: Instead of saying I received your communication, it is better to be more precise by saying I received your letter. The letter should include a single main idea and paragraphs should be used to elaborate on sub ideas. Appearance Apart from the content, the format, layout and overall look of the letter should be equally appealing to the reader. Attention should be paid to the quality of paper used. The margins should be appropriate, including one inch on each side and one and a half inches on top and at the bottom.

A business letter should include the following standard components1. Date in the upper right hand corner 2. The To address above the salutation in the upper left hand corner 3. The salutation when addressing a firm, Messer should be used before the name of the firm. Since business letters are formal, the appreciate salutation when addressing an individual is Dear Mr./Ms. Followed by the last name, rather than the first name, which is informal. If salutation, such as Dear Customer or Investor 4. Sometimes an Attention Line may be included below the salutation, in order to ensure prompt action. For example, Attention: John Smith, HR manager. 5. The Body of the letter includes an explanation of the main ideas. 6. The Close is the ending of the letter and should be polite and friendly, so as to retain goodwill. A standard close for a business letter is Your faithfully or sincerely. 7. Enclosure- Sometimes, a business letter may include an enclosure such as a pamphlet or a brochure, in which case this should be indicated at the end, below the signature line, as Encl: 2, meaning two enclosures.

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Q.3 What is oral business communication? Explain its benefits to the organization and to the individual employee. ANS: According to a 2005 study published in the Journal of Employment Counseling, oral communication skills are being increasingly sought after by employers. When surveying over 100 successful businesses, researchers found that more and more employers are emphasizing the development of good speaking skills in their employees. With this in mind, the concept of oral communication is an important idea to study and understand in the context of business. Presentations: One form of oral communication in a business setting is a presentation. Presentations are usually an organized conveyance of information to a group of people. Stylistically, they tend to be far more formal than informal, and rely more heavily on data and facts than they do analysis. Presentations are sometimes more persuasive in nature, like a pitch for an ad campaign, but tend to be informative more often, such as an employee briefing or are port on quarterly earnings. Presentations may include some dialog after the sender of the message has finished their speech, but they are, by and large, much more monologue reliant. This makes it important for the speaker to anticipate possible objections to the message and address them in the actual speech. Client Interaction: Another form of oral communication in business encompasses interaction with clients. Depending on the level of connection between the employee and the client, the communication in these interactions can range from incredibly formal to informal and casual. These interactions usually include a combination of data and analysis, and will be more persuasive than informative in nature, as the employee is trying to encourage continued and expanded business with the client. Because of the nature of these interactions, the communication is definitely a dialog, making listening skills incredibly important. Interoffice Interaction: Oral communication in the office can be referred to as interoffice interaction. This is comprised of conversations with superiors, subordinates and co-workers. Depending on the levels of power separation between the individuals engaging in conversation, the communication will fluctuate between formal and informal, though it should always remain professional. Conversations in this context may reference data, but will be much more analysis heavy, and will be a dialog by nature. Benefits: Oral communication in business provides a variety of benefits. First, oral communication is accompanied by nonverbal signifiers, which provides context that can enhance understanding in the communication process. Posture, facial expressions, and habitual movements may provide clues as to an individuals feelings about the ideas being discussed. Even in telephone conversations, pitch, rate, volume and tone of the respective speakers can help in understanding sentiments. Oral communication also provides a springboard for relational development. Unlike with email, memos and chat functions, which tend to take a task-oriented approach to communication, the immediacy involved in oral communication allows for instant

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Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester feedback and a more relational approach. This is important, as strong relationships in business often lead to more profitable and productive cooperation. Oral communication through teleconferencing allows participants at distant locations to speak and sometimes to see each other. Apart from the high cost and the difficulty in setting it up, teleconferencing has the same advantages as oral face-to-face communication.

Q.4 Give short notes on communication network in the organization. ANS: Networks are another aspect of direction and flow of communication. Bavelas has shown that communication patterns, or networks, influence groups in several important ways. Communication networks may affect the group's completion of the assigned task on time, the position of the de facto leader in the group, or they may affect the group members' satisfaction from occupying certain positions in the network. Although these findings are based on laboratory experiments, they have important implications for the dynamics of communication in formal organizations. There are several patterns of communication: "Chain", "Wheel", "Star", "All-Channel Network," Circle". The Chain can readily be seen to represent the hierarchical pattern that characterizes strictly formal information flow, "from the top down," in military and some types of business organizations. The Wheel can be compared with a typical autocratic organization, meaning one man rule and limited employee participation. The Star is similar to the basic formal structure of many organizations. The All-Channel network, which is an elaboration of Bavelas's Circle used by Guetzkow, is analogous to the free-flow of communication in a group that encourages all of its members to become involved in group decision processes. The All-Channel network may also be compared to some of the informal communication networks. If it's assumed that messages may move in both directions between stations in the networks, it is easy to see that some individuals occupy key positions with regard to the number of messages they handle and the degree to which they exercise control over the flow of information. For example, the person represented by the central dot in the "Star" handles all messages in the group. In contrast, individuals who occupy stations at the edges of the pattern handle fewer messages and have little or no control over the flow of information.These"peripheral" individuals can communicate with only one or two other persons and must depend entirely on others to relay their messages if they wish to extend their range. In reporting the results of experiments involving the Circle, Wheel, and Star configurations, Bavelas came to the following tentative conclusions. In patterns with positions located centrally, such as the Wheel and the Star, an organization quickly develops around the people occupying these central positions. In such patterns, the organization is more stable and errors in performance are lower than in patterns having a lower degree of centrality, such as the Circle. However, he also found that the morale of members in high centrality patterns is relatively low. Bavelas speculated that this lower morale could, in the

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long run, lower the accuracy and speed of such networks. In problem solving requiring the pooling of data and judgments, or "insight,"Bavelas suggested that the ability to evaluate partial results, to look at alternatives, and to restructure problems fell off rapidly when one person was able to assume amore central (that is, more controlling) position in the information flow. For example, insight into a problem requiring change would be less in the Wheel and the Star than in the Circle or the Chain because of the bottlenecking" effect of data control by central members.It may be concluded from these laboratory results that the structure of communications within an organization will have a significant influence on the accuracy of decisions, the speed with which they can be reached, and the satisfaction of the people involved. Consequently, in networks in which the responsibility for initiating and passing along messages is shared more evenly among the members, the better the group's morale in the long run.

Q. 5 What are the different types of business letters? Explain with example. ANS: Business letter is an old form of official correspondence. A business letter is written by an individual to an organization or an organization to another organization. Business letters are written for various purposes. One writes a letter to enquire information, apply for a job, acknowledge someone's work, and appreciate one's job done, etc. As the motive of writing the letter is different, the style of the letter changes and you get different types of business letters. The various types of business letters are used by different people to serve their purpose of sending the message across. Let's take look at the most common types of business letters: Acknowledgement Letter : This type of letter is written when you want to acknowledge someone for his help or support when you were in trouble. The letter can be used to just say thanks for something you have received from someone, which is of great help to you. Apology Letter : An apology letter is written for a failure in delivering the desired results. If the person has taken up a task and he fails to meet the target then he apologizes and asks for an opportunity to improve in this type of letter. Appreciation Letter : An appreciation letter is written to appreciate some ones work in the organization. This type of letter is written by a superior to his junior. An organization can also write an appreciation letter to other organization, thanking the client for doing business with them. Complaint Letter : A complaint letter is written to show one that an error has occurred and that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. The letter can be used as a document that was used for warning the reader. Inquiry Letter : The letter of inquiry is written to inquire about a product or service. If you have ordered a product and yet not received it then you can write a letter to inquire when you will be receiving it. Order Letter: This letter is as the name suggests is used for ordering products. This letter can be used as a legal document to show the transaction between the customer and vendor.

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Letter of Recommendation: This type of letter is written to recommend a person for a job position. The letter states the positive aspects of the applicants personality and how he/she would be an asset for the organization. Letter of recommendation is even used for promoting a person in the organization.

Q.6 Prepare your resume highlighting your personal achievements, job experience if any and educational background. Also prepare a cover letter to the organization where you want to apply and the position to be applied for.

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Date : 12th Feb 12

Name City, State, Zip

Sub :

Application for the Position of International Business Manager

Dear Salutation Last Name, After contributing to the growth and success of five different organizations in the past 15 years, I am seeking new challenges with a company in need of someone with exceptional planning, leadership, and management abilities. Taking command of an operation or project, then guiding it to new performance levels, is my greatest strength. As evidenced in the enclosed resume my experience encompasses Business Development, strategic planning, resource utilization, Administration and HR. My ability to analyze needs and create unique solutions designed to yield a profitable outcome has proven to be one of my greatest assets. Credited with significantly impacting bottom-line profitability wherever I have worked, I excel at streamlining less-than-efficient procedures to boost productivity. Proactive management of crucial external relationships allowed me to increase revenue by 17% in one year. I also negotiated exclusive relationships in a key market segment, expanding the company's share of that segment by 66%. I know that my proven leadership skills, strong commitment to high ethical and professional standards, and flexibility in devising proactive responses to changing socioeconomic conditions would allow me to make a significant contribution to the [Company Name] team. I would welcome the chance to discuss my qualifications with you in greater detail. I know that you are busy, and have many applications to review. If you wish to schedule a meeting, please let me know. In the meantime, please know that I appreciate your time and consideration.

Best Regards, Shravanti Sen Place : Kuwait

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SHRAVANTI SEN
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGER Contact:+965 99836409 Email: sravanti_sen2009@yahoo.co.in shravantisen9@gmail.com

Residential Address: Mangaf Block 4, St. 24, Bldg.131, 2 Floor Apt 7, Kuwait. Permanent address: C/o.Dr. Utpal Sen, Barabazar, Burdwan 713104, W.B,,India.

nd

OBJECTIVE

Intl. Business Manager determined to meet or exceed goals on a consistent basis seeking a management position. To be a part of the organization and contributing towards its success and growth. To work in an innovative and competitive environment with committed and skillful personalities

CAREER SNAPSHOT 14 years of experience with Multinational companies & Corporate sectors including PR, Administration, HR and Business development and International Business. This includes Strategic Planning, Import/ Export practices, Client relations, negotiations and worldwide Procurement.

CORE COMPETENCIES Excellent Communications skills Inter Personal Skills

Product Presentation & Negotiations Client Relation Management Team Management Skills Vendor Development Standard Operating Procedure Training & Development Market Identification & Penetration Strategic and Tactical Planning Crisis Management Time Management

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Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester Ability to develop and direct the implementation of commercial policies to improve current business and identify new market opportunities, and to ensure the effective development and promotion of the company's services and achievement of its business objectives. Identify and develop new initiatives to improve the range and quality of the services provided by the company and to ensure responsiveness to changes in the external environment. Oversee research into new and established markets to develop products and services that meet market demands and which are consistent with the company's corporate strategy. Develop and maintain effective communications with new and existing customers to negotiate contracts that contribute to corporate objectives. Develop and maintain effective communications with internal managers to keep aware of the company's delivery capabilities and to inform them of new sales developments. Promote and represent the interests of the company at senior levels, including to local government, key customers, the voluntary sector and commercial and trade organizations. Contribute to the development of the company's corporate strategy, as part of the corporate management team, with particular reference to the development of the company's commercial objectives. Direct and control the staff of the directorate to ensure that they are appropriately motivated and trained and are working towards the achievement of the company's corporate objectives.

Business Development Networking through contacts and exploring Business opportunities. Tendering Activities Ministries related/ U.S. Army/ Oil Sectors/Private Sector Understanding RFP (Request for Proposal) and preparation of competitive Commercial proposal . Maintaining organic growth in business with existing clients through additional services. Making Technical Proposal Making Company Profile Administering in Product Catalogues

General Administration Maintaining effective Office Administration for better coordination in the office premises. Ensuring effective space management for maximum use of office space and smooth internal team shifting. Managing and monitoring costs Administering tasks efficiently by involving the team Maintaining good database of administrative facilities like Travel &Transport, Hotels, etc. and Tie up with various agencies and good negotiating skills Complete in charge and independent Operation of any new business venture Making Company Policies & Procedures and implementing them. Administering Time Management Reports from all employees on weekly basis.

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HRM/HRD/Recruitment Coordinating, manpower planning, recruitment, selection through headhunting, dealing with placement consultants, portals, newspaper and web advertisement and campus recruitments. Facilitating open communication channels in the organisation to promote openness & transparency across hierarchical levels. Designed and implemented various HR policies. Ensuring Employee Satisfaction & Engagement through excellent work environment; timely reporting of MIS to Bus. Planning human resource requirements in consultation with heads of different functional & operational areas and conducting selection interviews. Managing the complete recruitment life-cycle for sourcing the best talent from diverse sources after identification of manpower requirements for new/ existing branches. Coordinating with Recruitment Agencies; conducting interview sessions with candidates.

Training & Development:

Identifying training needs of employees; Planning for organizing and conducting training and development programs, in association with the External/ Internal Trainers and Consultants especially for Leadership Development programmers.

WORKING EXPERIENCE 1. From June 2008 to Present working with Kanoos Group of Companies/ Al Hokook Intl. Gen. & Trad. Cont. Co. W.L.L., Kuwait as International Business Manager . Main Responsibilities Fore fronting entire array of Business operations for Trading Division, Kuwait. Managing Dubai operations. Identify manufacturers, feasibility products study, assess agents/manufacturers and agency agreements tie ups. Monitored and liaised with government officials, vendors and other agencies. Evaluated local/foreign suppliers for materials, and equipment. Administer registration of company with CTC/different ministerial/Oil sector bodies. Tendering activities /making Proposals for US Army/Ministries and RFQs.. Reorganized management, systems and business operations. Manage a full-service company of varied departments. Interview, hire, train and dismiss personnel; performed evaluations and decided on salary increases and promotions; enforced OSHA regulations as required. Streamlined Company Policies & Procedures so that all service levels were met with regard to internal and external customer expectations. Updating Company Profile and making for New ventures. MB0039: Business Communication Roll No. : 541110058 Page 27

Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester Identify JV for special projects. Representing company at Embassy events, Exhibitions etc. Liaisioning with Embassies for Visas. 2. December 2006- Feb 2008 : Global Freight System Co. W.L.L., Kuwait as Customer care and Sales Co- Ordinator for U.S. Embassy, Kuwait.

3. October 2005 to November 2006 : KOC (Kuwait Oil Company), Kuwait As Technical Asst. 4. January 2003 October 2005: ICICI Bank as Unit Manager, Personal Loans Department, Burdwan Branch Special Achievement Best Employee May, 2005 5. July 1995 August 1998: Sony India LTD. Regional Office, Kolkata, India as Customer Service Executive of Service Department.

I.T. SKILLS
Knowledge in using MS Office Tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access).

CAREER COURSE

2006 2003 1997

Basic Cargo Course conducted by Kuwait Airways, Kuwait Bachelor of Education, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India International Airlines and Travel Management - Tourism and Computer course, Kolkata, India

1997 2007

Attended French language proficiency course, Ramakrishna Mission Golpark, Kolkata, India Attended Martin and Spiers Training Programme (U.K.) on Negotiation skills

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Fall 2011, MBA-1 Semester ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS 2011 2000 1995 1992 1990 Pursuing MBA from Sikkim Manipal University M.A. English Burdwan University, India

B.A. English (Hons) Burdwan University, India H.S. Art I.C.S.E. Board of Secondary Education, India St. Xaviers School, India

PERSONAL DETAILS

Nationality Secondary Influent Visa status Driving License

Indian English, Hindi, and Bengali Employment Visa Transferable Valid Kuwait Driving License Indian Driving License

UNRELATED ACHIEVEMENTS B Certificate Holder in National Cadet Corps(NCC) Delhi Camp Certificate Holder in National Cadet Corps All India Trekking Expedition Certificate Holder 15000 ft. Mari Bronze Medal Holder in Duke of Edinburgh Contest Senior Diploma Certificate Holder in Bharat Natyam Dance, Allahabad Prayag Sangeet Samity, India Record Holder in school Level Athletics 2nd Prize Awarded in District Level Literacy Campaign Essay Competition

Declaration: The aforementioned details are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. References shall be produced if required. Date: 22/11/2011 Place: Kuwait

Shravanti Sen
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