BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

June 2021 Examination

Question 1. You worked as an intern at Super ventz Event Management Solutions in the
summer of 2018. You were reporting to Maneka Sharma, the head of digital marketing for
Super Eventz. You are now applying for a job opportunity at Manendra & Manendra for
the position of Social Media Manager. The HR department of Manendra & Manendra
needs a letter of recommendation as part of their hiring process. Write an email to Maneka
Sharma requesting for a recommendation. Use your creativity to make up any details you
need in order to craft an effective message. (10 Marks)

Ans 1.

Introduction 
SuperEventz is an event management organization. They provide summer internships to students
on successful completion of which the students are eligible to earn certificates and letters of
recommendation from the organization, which helps in the growth of the career of the students.
These letters of recommendation help the interns find proper work in many organizations. Apart
from just helping build good curriculum vitae, a letter of recommendation from the interning
organization helps to build a good aspect about how the intern has done at his internship.
Applying for jobs at any big organization gets much more convenient when with an internship
from this management company and a letter recommending the intern at that company by the
head of any department.

The applicant here has applied for a job at Manendra and Manendra where they have asked for a
letter of recommendation from the head of digital marketing of SuperEventz.

Concepts and application

To,

Maneka Sharma,

Head of digital marketing, SuperEventz.

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Respected madam,

I would like to let you know that I have applied for a job in the role of social media manager at
the Manendra and Manendra organization. The successful completion of my internship at
SuperEventz in the summer of 2018 has helped me to get a few of these wonderful opportunities
for which I am ever thankful to your organization. Through that internship, I have been able to
gather some valuable knowledge that has helped me grow as an individual as well as a
professional.

After the completion of my internship, I have worked on developing my skills and the areas
where I needed to work on as was prescribed by you. 

Every student needs to find an internship after completing the study as the knowledge that a
student acquires through the course study stays incomplete without the proper implementation of
the knowledge in the practical job field. The internship has efficiently helped me to accomplish
the goals that I have had due to the hand on work experience. It was important for the proper
understanding of difficult topics. Through the internship and your guidance, I was able to build a
bigger network of professional contacts.

The Internship has helped me find some unique opportunities that helped me learn the necessary
skills and helped me with a real-life experience that was needed for me to grow in the
professional career. I am also thankful to the organization as internships are mostly unpaid but
while interning with your organization I was able to earn the necessary money while I was
learning the skill sets that were required for me to excel.

While I took up the internship, I knew I would be facing the challenges of my role. The duties
and responsibilities could have easily taken over the well being but with your organization, the
work seemed easy to go with. Your guidance and constant evaluation of the work were such that
it acted as a positive catalyst to the knowledge that I had acquired in my study. The organization
had helped me to learn to work in a team with other team members. This has helped to
understand the actual scene of a workplace. The internship has helped me to learn to develop

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strategies and proper content which are necessary to meet the targets of the clients. As an intern
of digital marketing, I learned to make and use strategies that would be effective in social media.
These strategies helped me find new ways of marketing for the clients and the results that they
have achieved have really made me happy as a professional. Apart from helping me grow as a
professional, this internship has also helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses which
is important for me to grow as an individual.

For my placement in my new job role, It is important for me to have a letter of recommendation
from your end. I do believe that I have achieved the required skill sets to take up my new
responsibility at Manendra and Manendra. 

If you would please provide me with the recommendation letter I would be grateful to you.
Hoping to hear from you soon. 

Thanks and regards,

Conclusion
It is important to all students that they find themselves an internship after they had completed the
study that they were pursuing. The internship helps in building a strong character both as an
individual and a professional. Here an email has been written to the head of the digital marketing
team asking for a recommendation letter for taking up the new job at the new organization. All
the good things that were learned while in the internship have been mentioned here with the
mention of the skill sets that have been achieved and worked on. I believe that there would be a
positive reply to this email and the recommendation letter will help in the growth of the
professional career.

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Question 2. MaxPlus Cottons is closing its Chennai manufacturing plant amidst a slow
economic climate. Mahesh Kumar, Chief Operating Officer needs to be the bearer of bad
news. The silver lining is that all employees will be redeployed to other plants, and there
will be no job cuts. Considering the nature of the news, Mahesh has decided to use the
indirect approach while writing the email. He is thinking of an effective buffer to use in the
opening paragraph. What is a buffer? Explain any 5 types of buffers, illustrate with
examples. (10 Marks)

Ans 2.

Introduction
The current economic scenario is unfavorable for many industries. After the pandemic covid-19,
there has been a global economic crisis. This economic situation has been the reason for many
industries to cut their employees to reduce the loss that they are bearing. It has been no exception
for MaxPlus Cottons. The pandemic has been the cause of low production which means poor
sales growth. This poor growth would need to be balanced with some proper but difficult
decisions. MaxPlus has decided that they would need to close their manufacturing plant in
Chennai. That being said, there is some good news too. No employees will lose their job but they
would all have to be reallocated to other plants. This news is still not out but the chief operating
officer will have to let the employees know about it. He has thought of using buffers to convey
the news.

Concepts and application

Buffers are ways that can be used to protect an organization from any sudden fluctuations in the
market. These are important as they will save the organization from long time damage or maybe
a loss of jobs for the employees. Buffers are kept by every individual as an alternative during the
time of any emergencies. MaxPlus had a few buffers themselves which have proved very
beneficial for them. The chief operating officer has thought that he would be using one of these
buffers while writing the mail to the employees so just to make sure that the reallocation does not
make the headline and the good thing that there have been no job cuts that is highlighted more.
The buffers that can be kept by an organization can be classified as follows.

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The time buffer means that the organization had previously planned that if there is any case of
emergency, they have enough time with them to come up with something alternative to save the
jobs of the employees. During the pandemic, it has been witnessed that time is so much
important. The total shut down of every activity meant that once the work is resumed there
would be very little time to get the maximum output to save the losses that have been seen during
the shutdown. MaxPlus cotton had kept some time for them as well which has helped them now
and would be good while the employees decide what to be done.

Location buffer was the most important for MaxPlus as it is evident now. They would not have
to cut the employee numbers just because they are closing one of their locations. There have
been several employees working at the Chennai plant. The closing of that plant would have
meant a loss of jobs if there has been no backup kept for these employees to join. Now that they
have the backup the news of reallocation will not seem such a bad idea during this economic
crisis.

Technology buffer is always important for any industry. There must be a backup of technology
for an increased production when the demand is high. MaxPlus had their tools and technologies
reserved to accommodate all the employees who would be joining the different firms from the
Chennai firms.

Vacancy buffer has been an important aspect for MaxPlus. The position openings kept at the
other plants have been like a blessing for the employees of the Chennai plant. This is the biggest
reason that these employees are not being cut from their employment. This planning was done
very strategically.

Economic buffer is an important aspect for every organization. This has proved vital during the
pandemic as well. The industries being shut down had to face huge value of losses. Without
sufficient backup, any industry would have seen a closure. Providing salaries to the employees
has also been something that would have required a backup of money as well.

Mahesh Kumar had decided to write the opening paragraph of his mail using a buffer to convey
the message that the Chennai plant would be closed. After giving it a lot of thought he decided to
go with the economic buffer to write his mail. It is important for the employees to understand the

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current situation and nothing explains any situation better than the economic condition and
backup for it.

Conclusion
In the current scenario of a global economic crisis, it is common news that industries have closed
down and employees have been cut of employment. In such a situation, MaxPlus has been able
to keep backup for their employees so that they do not end up losing their job. Although the
closing of a plant would mean that all their employees will have to be reallocated, still that is
much better a condition than to be cut of employment. The buffers have proved beneficial for the
organization and surely, they would find ways again to restart the plant when situations are good.

Question 3.a. Rewrite these sentences to reflect your audience’s viewpoint or the “You”
Attitude:
(5 Marks)
1. Your email order cannot be processed; we request that you use the order form on our
website instead.
2. We insist that you always bring your credit card to the store.
3. We want to get rid of all our 15-inch LCD screens to make room in our warehouse for
the new 19-, 23-, and 35-inch monitors. Thus, we are offering a 25 percent discount on all
sales of 15-inch models this week.
4. I am applying for the position of accounting intern in your office. I feel my grades prove
that I am bright and capable, and I think I can do a good job for you.
5. As requested, we are sending the refund for Rs.4500

Ans 3a.

Introduction
These are some statements mentioned here. Further in the analysis, it would be discussed how
these statements can make an impression on the audience and how they would react to it.
However, for people who want to shop using cash or for the people who do not like the idea of
using a credit card it is not at all good news.

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Concept and Analysis
1. As an audience no one would like this type of situation. There are various options available to
place an order. Any customer if are asked to change the method of ordering from the one they
have chosen would feel harassed to go through the entire process of ordering all over again.

2. This statement may have a dual aspect on the customers. Depending on the customers, it may
vary if they would like the statement or not. There are people who do not carry cash at all and
like to shop using their credit cards. For them, it is good that the store is asking to carry the credit
card.

3. The statement could have been written out better. Instead of writing 'want to get rid of' they
could have used something more positive. The discount though is a point of attraction for many
buyers who have waited for these discounts to be allowed before the new items were at the sale
but the opening line could leave a negative impression on many people.

4. The statement shows overconfidence. This statement could leave an impression that the
applicant might have good grades to qualify but there are other people too who have applied for
this position with better grades. A tone of softness could have been way more effective in this
statement.

5. This statement is perfectly drafted. There was a refund that was requested and the refund is
being processed. There is nothing more or less written in it. Reviews advise audience members
about what's coming up straightaway or how you'll grow a point. "To start with, I will clarify
how the EPA shows up at its numbers," you may say in a conversation of why inconsistencies
exist between vehicles' EPA gas mileage evaluations and real gas mileage.

Conclusion
In this section, it has been discussed how the audience would be reacting to the given statements.
In addition, suggestions are made on how these statements could have been a bit changed. At that
point I'll clarify how Consumers Union tests are led."

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Q 3.b. Revise the following sentences to be positive rather than negative: (5 Marks)

1. You have not filled in every section of the questionnaire we sent you.

2. It’s clear that you have not understood the question.

3. It is very obvious that you are doing everything you can to avoid your responsibility for
refunding all my costs.

4. You failed to specify the colour of the blouse that you ordered.

5. You must understand that by using the water jet cleaner without reading the
instructions carefully means that you are very likely to damage the machine or possibly
cause injury to yourself through incorrect operation.

Ans 3b.

Introduction
There are some statements mentioned here that have a negative approach. Further in the
discussion, the approach would be changed to positive with a brief explanation of how it has
been done. Nonetheless, for individuals who need to shop utilizing money or for individuals who
don't care for utilizing a Visa it isn't at all uplifting news.

Concept and Analysis

1. The statement can be changed to ‘You have to fill all the remaining sections of the
questionnaire’. By removing ‘you have not filled’ the negative approach to the sentence
has been removed thus would not leave any negative idea on the person told to.
2. The statement made here can be changed to 'It is clear that you need to understand the
question better. The given sentence can leave a negative effect on the morale of the
person told to. Changing the aspect of the sentence to a positive one would help to make
a good impression along with explaining the same idea.
3. The given statement here can be changed to ‘It is very obvious that you need to put in
more effort to complete your responsibility for refunding all my costs'. The given
statement could be offensive to many but changing the tone of conveying that there is

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 more left to be done for refunding the costs would make it much better and easy for both
parties to continue a proper conversation and find a result.
4. The given statement can be changed to ‘you have to specify the color of the blouse you
ordered’. Removing the word ‘failed’ from a sentence can change the outlook of the
sentence and leave a much more positive aspect. ‘Fail’ can be a very poor choice as it
may not be appreciated by many people.
5. The given statement can be changed to 'You must read all the instructions carefully using
the water jet cleaner to avoid damages to the machine and possible injury to yourself. The
given statement has an arrogant tone, which may be found offensive to many people.
Changing the tone to a bit softer tone could leave a positive outlook and will not sound
rude too.

Conclusion
The statements that were given had a negative approach, which was to be changed to positive
statements. By then I'll explain how Consumers Union tests are driven." The sentences have been
changed without affecting their meaning along with explaining where they had to be changed.

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