BUSINESS COMMUNICATION & BEHAVIORAL STUDIES

Ans.1

The qualitative and quantitative factors which would provide insight into the HR problems of Winsome Appliances Limited (WAL) are listed below: Qualitative Factors: (i) Extent of awareness in the organization about the Mission and Vision of WAL. (ii) Degree of commitment and motivation towards the achievement of corporate goals. (iii) Level of communication within the various cadres of management and workers. (iv) Capability of the management and work groups to generate new ideas. (v) Extent of planning and research effort to get to the roots of the issues and resolve them. (vi) Nature of internal conflict and hostility among the work groups in the organization. Quantitative Factors: (i) Rate of employee turnover at various levels. (ii) Rate of absenteeism. (iii) Level of worker productivity. (iv) Rate of wastage of expensive raw material inputs and rejects of finished products. (v) Work time lost due to casual attitude of the workers. (vi) Shortfalls between actual performances and the targets.

Suggested Answers Intermediate Examinations Autumn 2009

Ans.2

The Charismatic Leader of a highly successful business organization should take the following steps to minimize the adverse effects of Charismatic Style of Leadership: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) Encourage dissent so that the subordinates can disagree without feeling of being disloyal to the leader. Establish systems in the organization that will be durable and outlast the tenure of the charismatic leader. Plan for a competent replacement to transfer the personal bonds of charisma attached with the present leader to the organization or to the new leader. Use charisma to overcome problems in the short-term. In the long-term, adopt measures to ensure that the power vests in the organization and not in the personality of the leader. Assess the environmental conditions and take measures with a sense of awareness that although charisma creates safety in crisis situations, it is less effective in times of stability.

Ans.3

(a)

A Matrix Structure is an organizational structure which is modified primarily for the purpose of completion of a specialized project. Essentially, a matrix structure combines two forms of departmentalization i.e. functional and product. In a matrix structure, individuals from various functional departments are assigned to a project while sharing the specialized resources across products. A Matrix Structure breaks the unity-of-command concept as the employees in a Matrix Structure report to two supervisors. The characteristics which are common in all grapevine networks are: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) official communication channels are weak or management deliberately withholds information. social and personal interaction of the employees exists. mostly oral communication. communication is very fast. mostly among workers, but it is also prevalent among managers. flows in all directions in the organization, spatially and hierarchically. people-oriented rather than work-oriented.

(b)

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Ans.4

No answer is being suggested. However students should cover the following points with correct grammar and using appropriate vocabulary: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Name and address of the consignor and the consignee. Pertinent data of Number and Date of Airway Bill, particulars of the consignment and ports of dispatch and destination of the consignment. Description of the problem, giving details of the computers damaged their model numbers and cost of the equipment. Explanation of the implications of the problem for Reliable Computers e.g. loss of business, interruptions of operations, default in commitment to meet the delivery schedule of an important customer, etc. Mention of preference of compensation sought by Reliable Computers e.g. replacement of damaged merchandise or monetary compensation for damaged equipment. Presentation of the letter format Closure of letter by stating confidence that the Airline will respond favourably and fairly to the claim. Mention of name, designation and telephone contact numbers of Manager Imports. (A sample letter is given as Annexure-1)

Suggested Answers Intermediate Examinations Autumn 2009

(v) (vi) (vii) (viii)

Ans.5

(a)

Organizational Culture refers to a pattern of shared attitudes, beliefs, values and norms by the members of an organization which guide the behaviour of individuals and groups in the organization. It is widely believed that the organizational culture distinguishes and sets an organization apart from all other organizations. The characteristics of an organization with firmly entrenched positive cultural traits are: (i) Emphasis on planning and strategy formulation: Pursuance of a carefully conceived strategy fully aligned with the organizations resources along with implementation of adequate control, monitoring and review systems. (ii) Innovation and risk taking: The employees are encouraged to be innovative and take calculated risks for achieving the objectives of the organization. (iii) Attention to details: Considerable emphasis on the employees abilities and skills to exhibit precision, analysis and close attention to details in the performance of their work assignments. (iv) Outcome orientation: Commitment of the management on achievement of goals and targets envisaged in the corporate strategy. (v) Employee orientation: The degree to which management decisions take consideration of their impact on the employees in the organization. (vi) Team work: The work activities are organized around teams rather than individuals. (vii) Motivation: Employees are motivated and rewarded to be competitive and goal-oriented towards achievement of the organizational goals. (viii) Sustained Growth: The extent to which the work activities lay emphasis on progress and growth rather than maintenance of status quo.

(b)

Ans.6 (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)

Non-verbal Gesture Standing with hands on hips Brisk, erect walk Open palms Arms crossed on chest Head tilted forward

Message Interpreted by Recipient readiness and aggressive attitude confidence sincerity, openness/innocence defensive attitude showing deep interest in the message Shaking hand with face turned in a degrading attitude different direction

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Ans.7

(a)

Matching of the Names of Reports with their nearest types of reports are: Operating Report Personnel Activity Report Justification Report Final Report Monthly Production Report Monthly Absenteeism Report Report of Capital Expenditure Report of Results Achieved

Suggested Answers Intermediate Examinations Autumn 2009

(b)

The key advantages of email are: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) can be transmitted speedily. highly cost-effective. can be made secure and restricted by use of passwords. can be retained and retrieved readily from the word processing packages.

The important limitations of email are: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) sometimes the recipients do not check their mail regularly and an important message may not be able to achieve its purpose. a lot of junk mail is transmitted resulting in wastage of time of the recipients. security and confidentiality of the messages can be compromised by hackers. messages in excess of certain bytes are often programmed to be deleted; this may result in deletion of important messages.

Ans.8

(a)

Minutes of a meeting are the formal written records of proceedings of a meeting. The minutes are the summary of important discussions held in the meeting and decisions taken at the meeting. The principles for writing of effective minutes of meetings are: (i) (ii) Brevity Minutes are selective record of the proceedings and should state only the material points discussed. Clarity Clarity is essential for the recording of the minutes. Even those persons who were not present in the meeting should be able to understand the background of the decisions adopted and important deliberations of the meeting by reading the minutes. Record of Decisions Adopted Decisions and resolutions adopted in the meeting should be precise and the actual language of the decisions should be reproduced in order that there are no ambiguities in their interpretation. Immediate Recording The minutes should be recorded as soon as possible after the holding of the meeting.

(b)

(iii)

(iv)

Ans.9

Answers would vary. However students should cover the following points with correct grammar and using appropriate vocabulary: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) (ix) (x) Name of the Organization and address Date Mention of Name and address of Recipient Subject of the Circular Letter (heading) Create interest of the reader and appeal for help State the total amount of requirements of funds Describe the need, scope and benefits of the proposed school network Complimentary close Enclose a Reply Form to be filled in by the donors Enclose a brochure to elicit interest of the donors (A sample letter is given as Annexure-2)

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Ans.10 (a)

Effective Listening is the process of actively decoding and interpreting verbal messages. Good listening skills can be acquired by discipline and practice. Effective Listening skills can be developed by: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) Being mentally prepared to listen - the receiver must have a positive mental attitude to receive the message clearly. Resisting distractions both internal and external distractions must be eliminated and close attention to the speaker should be maintained. Listening to understand - the message should be understood in its context without refuting the message conveyed by the speaker. Concentrating on the context the main ideas conveyed by the speaker should be carefully absorbed. Looking for non-verbal clues the body language and gestures convey message to an effective listener. Listening carefully and not prejudging - delay judgment about the principal points and personality of the speaker and absorb the message conveyed by the speaker. Holding your fire do not interrupt the speaker until the speech has ended. Listening with an open mind - resist feelings of being threatened or insulted if the message conveyed by the speaker contradicts with the listeners beliefs, values and attitudes.

Suggested Answers Intermediate Examinations Autumn 2009

(b)

Ans.11 (a)

Inevitability of Communication: Although communication is generally considered to be deliberate, purposeful and consciously motivated, the basic human trait which is common is that individuals cannot remain isolated without communicating or being in an uncommunicative state. An individual with an expressionless face may not be communicating with others in a group, but may by no means be uncommunicative. Indeed, the individual is communicating a great deal by showing lack of interest or expressing his boredom or a concern for something else. This individual is communicating even though he many not communicate as understood in the conventional sense. Communication involves a Process of Adjustment: Communication involves a process of adjustment, an understanding of other persons signals to acquire accurate meaning of communication according to the system of signals behind the words encoded by the source. If two individuals speak different languages, they may be able to share a few common signals but may not be able to communicate effectively with each other. Furthermore, even if two individuals may speak the same language, they may not be able to share certain common signals due to differences in education, social background, upbringing, age, personal and professional experience, etc.

(b)

Ans.12 The following reasons give rise to Conflicts: (i) incompatibility of goals, (ii) differences over interpretation of facts, (iii) disagreements based on expectations of the parties. Conflicts may be beneficial for an organization in the following situations: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) help to bring about radical changes to alter existing power structures and entrenched attitudes which lead to complacency in the organisation. encourage innovation and testing of new ideas and eliminate groupthink attitude. bring emotions in the open and therefore result in release of internal hostile feelings. result in constructive levels of tension within the organization and motivate individuals to work to their optimum levels of capabilities. (THE END)

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Suggested Answers Intermediate Examinations Autumn 2009

Annexure 1 Sample Letter Question 4

Ref. No.: ________________ Mr John Ping Director of Operations Eastern Freight Airways Business Arcade, Suite No 736 I.I. Chundrigar Road Karachi-41000

December 1, 2009

Subject: Claim for Compensation due to Mishandling of Consignment in transit

Dear Mr Ping We have received our Consignment of 1200 computers packed in 12 pallets shipped from Taiwan to Lahore via EFA Airway Bill No 674 dated 23-11-2009 on 26-11-2009 and found that 200 computers have been damaged due to mishandling by your loading staff. Letter No 886 dated 26-11-2009 issued by your Manager Cargo, Lahore regarding the status of the damaged computers is enclosed. The surveyors report certifies that the damaged computers can not be repaired and are a total loss. The computers were imported to fulfill an order of one of our most important customer and our inability to supply the equipment within the time limit would cause considerable loss to our customer. This would be a major setback for our reputation and future business relations with our valued customer and we are afraid that they would lodge a claim for our failure to supply the goods within the specified deadline. Details of the financial loss caused by the negligence of your staff are given below: Rupees 8,000,000 60,000 50,000 8,150,000

1. 2. 3.

Cost of 200 Computers at Rs. 40,000 per unit Freight paid on 200 computers at Rs. 300 per unit Miscellaneous Expenses of clearing, transportation etc.

You would appreciate that we have been availing your services since the past 5 years and have always been impressed by the quality of your customer-caring attitude. This incident of gross negligence by your loading staff is a matter of serious concern and we would certainly consider our future business relationship in the context of your response in meeting our legitimate claim. We would request you to please settle our claim and send us a cheque for Rs 8.15 million within 10 days. Your positive and prompt response would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Khalil Ahmed Manager Imports

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Suggested Answers Intermediate Examinations Autumn 2009

Annexure 2 Sample Letter Question 9

Ref. No:________________

December 14,2009

Mr Z A Pasha Chief Executive Officer Apex Pharmaceuticals Limited D-25 S.I.T.E. Karachi-42300

Subject: Appeal for Help for Establishment of Schools for Displaced Children in the Northern Areas

Dear Mr Pasha, To live with the awareness that disaster or tragedy could strike at any time, and to still live with love and care for fellow human beings is to live with compassion and grace. The tragedy caused by the conflict in our northern areas has already struck and has caused immense loss and misery to the inhabitants. The most vulnerable are the children who have lost their parents and homes and are facing a life-long fear of hopelessness and destitution. They need our help, and they need it now! Children Welfare Trust, a charitable institution, with an impeccable and credible record of past performance in numerous relief efforts intends to implement a project for establishment of 500 primary and secondary schools with boarding and lodging facilities for the displaced children in the northern areas. The total cost of the network of schools is estimated at Rs 1.5 billion. We are pleased to mention that our appeal for help has not gone unheeded and are grateful to our donors for their most generous donations of Rs 250 million in the past one month. In addition, pledges amounting to Rs 350 million have been received from philanthropists and our staff is making vigorous efforts for their collection. Kindly help us to help the displaced children by your contribution of Rs 5 million. It is a cause worthy of your most generous support as it will bring life-changing benefits to a very large number of children in whose young hearts and minds dwells the destiny of our beloved country. Your organization can send a tax-exempted contribution using the enclosed form and envelope.

Sincerely,

ABC Chairman

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