National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences, Karachi

Spring-2019 Business Administration-Department

Final Examination
June 2019
Course Code: SS309 Course Name: Business Communication I (independent
course)
Instructor Name: Javed Iqbal

Student Roll No: Section No:

 Return the question paper.
 Read each question completely before answering it. There are 4 questions and 1
page.
 In case of any ambiguity, you may make assumption. But your assumption should not
contradict any statement in the question paper.
 ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN THE ANSWER COPY. QUESTIONS
ANSWERED ON THE QUESTION WILL NOT BE SCORED.
 The invigilator present is not supposed to tell the meaning of any word.
 Be precise and to PAPER the point.
Time: Max Marks: 87
Question No.1 [20 Marks]

Match column A with column B according to the definitions of the expressions. Copy the
Numbers and alphabets only.

Column A Column B
1. ____ interpersonal communication A. Messages sent back to the source in
response to the source’s messages.
2. ____ interpersonal competence B. Each person in the interpersonal
communication act.
3. ____ feedback C. Information about messages that are yet
to
be sent.
4. ____ ambiguity D. Presence of more than one potential
meaning
5. ____ cultural context E. The rules and norms, beliefs and attitudes
of the people communicating.
6. ____ feedforward F. Communication as an ongoing process in
which
each part depends on each other part.
7. ____ relationship messages G. Communication that takes place between
persons who have a relationship.
8. ____ source–receiver H. Messages referring to the connection
between the two people communicating.
9. ____ encoding I. The understanding of and ability to use
the skills of interpersonal communication.
10. ____ communication as a transactional J. The process of sending messages; for
process example, in speaking or writing.

Question No.2 [18 Marks]

A. Consider and write down what will be your reaction with your colleague in the following
situations. (6 Marks)
Page 1 of 4
 I. customer tells you how disappointed she is that you did not return the message she
left with your assistant. You realize you never got the message. How would you react
to your assistant?
II. A colleague of yours, in a fun way, gives your boss the impression that you spend too
much time on personal business.
III. A vital member of your team has called in sick on the last day of the week for the past
three weeks.

B. Use hedging to make the following statements less categorical. Choose hedges from
the list below. Use a different colored pen while writing the hedged words. (8 Marks)

Suggest would indicate seem probable

may could tend to

1. The initial results prove that our hypothesis was right.

2. This type of sensor is suitable for humidity detection.
3. People behave in accord with their personal interests.
4. It is useful to increase the sampling, both in terms of number and more diverse sample
profile.
5. Certain groups of consumers react to the delays in delivery more negatively than others.
6. Another reason is that the error was due to inaccuracy of the experimental setup.
7. Table IV shows a good match between the measured and calculated high-frequency losses.
8. The error is caused by the fabrication error of the sensor device.

Question No.3 [19 Marks]

A. Identify seven steps you can take to improve your intercultural communication skills.
(7 Marks)

(B) Do as directed: [12 Marks]

1. Your car rental insurance coverage does not cover large SUVs. (Revise for passive-
voice to present the bad news)
2. We do not examine patients until we have verified their insurance coverage. (Revise
for passive-voice to present the bad news)
3. We appreciate your interest in our organization, but we are unable to extend an
employment offer to you at this time. (Revise for subordination/imply the bad news).
4. We both know how hard it is to make a profit in this industry. (Name the type of
buffer used in this statement)
5. Your organization clearly has an impressive record of accomplishment in helping
clients resolve financial reporting problems. (Name the type of buffer used in this
statement)
6. A letter from a bank refusing to fund a company's overseas expansion plan. (Identify
which organizational pattern you would use for the following message: direct or
indirect)
Question No.4 [10 Marks]
Considering all the effective message writing techniques, write one-paragraph email to your
boss in response to the following scenarios.

1. You are interested in taking a week-long training class that you believe will help you
perform your job more effectively. There is a small training budget within your
company, but the only class being offered is on the other side of the country and

Page 2 of 4
 would require flight and hotel costs in addition to the substantial tuition. Make the
case to your boss in an email, for the money.

Question No.5 [10 Marks]

The following is an example of an ineffective persuasive letter from a company manager

to a property management company. Use the given data to write an effective persuasive
request letter.
Dear Smith and Sons Property Management,
We have recently discovered mice in our building. Can you believe that! It is so disgusting to
have to walk around our building while we are trying to work and see mice running around. I
can’t believe you would own and operate a building this way, especially after one of my
coworkers already complained to you and yet you have done nothing about it. Please do
something soon before I call OSHA.
John
Question No. 6 [10 Marks]

1. --------------- is a negotiation method that involves people cooperating to produce a solution

satisfactory to both parties.
A. Collaboration
B. Competition
C. Compromise
D. Cooperation
2. Which is an active process of receiving aural stimulus?
A. Listening
B. Thinking
C. Talking
D. Silence
3.The tendency for people to view their decision making and negotiation abilities in a way
that is flattering or fulfilling for them is known as:
A. focal points
B. self-reinforcing confidence
C. reactive devaluation
D. egocentrism
4. With regard to negotiation style, truly effective negotiators are neither tough or soft, but
rather they:
A. are friendly
B. are principled
C. rely on intuition
D. are dignified
5. Negotiation experience in the absence of _______, is largely ineffective at improving
negotiation skills.
A. Optimism
B. successful outcomes
C. high profile parties
D. diagnostic feedback

Page 3 of 4
6. Effective negotiation involves all except which of the following?
A. Deliberate planning
B. Thoughtful preparation
C. Use of a “gut feeling” or intuition
D. Systematic reasoning

7. A key to successful preparation is assuming the counterparty is as smart, informed, and

motivated as you are. What is the name of such a perspective?
A. The optimizing model
B. The fraternal twin model
C. The satisficing model
D. The fixed-pie bias

8. Which of the following is a myth that negotiators often hold about negotiation?
A. Whatever is good for one party must be good for the counterparty
B. A good negotiator should always approach a counterparty as if they were of equal
status
C. Good negotiators play it safe and do not take risks
D. Good negotiators rely on intuition

9. When negotiators are described as being interdependent, that means people need to know
how to:
A. integrate their interests and work together
B. have similar incentive structures
C. be self-sufficient and self-focused
D. develop different norms of communication

10. One of the major shortcomings in negotiation occurs when negotiators make an offer that
is too generous and is immediately accepted by the counterparty. This negotiation trap is
called:
E. egocentrism
F. the confirmation bias
G. the winner’s curse
H. the mixed-motive negotiator

Page 4 of 4