Portfolio for Professional Communication

ENG322

Name: Shashwat Chauhan

Register No: 1930262

Class: 3 CEP B

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Index
1. Need for Professional Communication Studies

2. Barriers in Communication

3. Case Study 1 - Effective Communication

4. Case Study 2 - Instruction Manual

5. Types of Attitudes

6. Situation Card

7. Case Study 3 - Advertisers India Limited, 1972

8. Minutes of the meeting

9. Case Study 4 - City Development Authority (CDA)

10. Case Study 5 - Raymond & Co. Pvt Ltd and Google

11. Do's and Don’ts in Business Telephonic Conversations

12. Cover Letter and Resume

13. Brochure

14. User manual

15. Types of Tender

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 Need for Professional Communication Studies
At this juncture of time, I do not possess a good and appropriate answer to this question, but I
can tell you about the cause and effect relationship that I am expecting from this course, which
will end up answering your question.

Peering through the syllabus, I have come to the realization that this subject in particular is
meant to enhance and improve our verbal and written communication skills, which are viable
assets in our arsenal of personality. Toggling this particular skill can and I hope will open my
horizons to the opportunities that will present themselves to me in the not so near future.
Speaking of the future, I hope this subject will help me accomplish my ambitions and micro-
goals that I have set for myself by sharpening my weapons in the war for recognition in today’s
hustle and bustle.

To be very honest, I have still not figured out where my ambition lies, academically speaking,
and while reading the literature provided, I came to a conclusion that this subject will help me in
understanding social dynamics better, and will make me a better communicator in the
professional aspect. A better understanding of social dynamics and create a positive effect in my
personality, hence I will be able to expand my span of imagination and progressive thinking,
enabling me to discover and realise my ambitions and further encourage me to work upon it to
make it a reality.

In conclusion, my expectations from this subject, if fulfilled, will make me a better human being
on a whole and will help me take my place in the world, i.e. the cause and effect.

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 Barriers in Communication
• Language- Language can act as a barrier in case of the sender and receiver conversing in
different languages or dialects. For example: A Frenchman speaking in French to an
Indian who only speaks Hindi.
• Values and Beliefs- The world comprising of many cultures, religions, and other ethnic
diverse elements brings forth this barrier. For example: wearing a white dress in Christian
beliefs is considered sacred and happy, but it is only worn in death when it comes to the
Hindu religion.
• Sex/Gender and Age- The conversation flow between male and female is always different
as compared to conversations between humans of same gender or sex. Likewise, age
serves as a barrier, when experienced humans talk about issues like politics to toddlers.
For example: A girl may be uncomfortable talking about her private life to a boy as
compared to a girl. Same thing applies to age where people find it easy to converse with
people of the same age as compared to elders or youngsters.
• Economic Status- People who are financially well off do not speak frankly or with ease
with people who are of the economically weaker section.
• Physical Barriers- Cases where one cannot physically access the receiver, for example, if
the sender is in solitary confinement, verbal and non-verbal communication is hampered.
• Attitude- Anger and sentiment often hamper effective communication.
• Timing- Timing often plays a crucial role in effective communication, for example,
talking to a person sad times when the person is going through a personal tragedy often
acts as a barrier in effective communication.
• Understanding of message- A casual example of this is misinterpretation of online
messages.
• Trust- A lack of trust always acts as a barrier in effective communication, for example,
people usually do not believe a person whom they do not trust.
• Environment-
a. The Venue- Talking about business to someone when the person his enjoying its
personal time.

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b. The Effect of Noise- Loud noise in the background can hamper verbal
communication because the receiver will not be able to perceive the sender carefully.
For example, speaking to someone in the presence of loud music acts as a barrier.
c. Temperature in the Room- Serious situations demand serious conversations but
talking about other issues can act as a barrier. For example: talking about the weather
in the War Room is not a good idea.

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 Case Study 1- Effective Communication
Barry and Communication Barriers- Effective Communication as a Motivator

One common complaint employees voice about supervisors is inconsistent messages – meaning
one supervisor tells them one thing and another tells them something different. Imagine you are
the supervisor/manager for each of the employees described below.

As you read their case, give consideration to how you might help communicate with the
employee to remedy the conflict. Answer the critical thinking questions at the end of the case
then compare your answers to the Notes to Supplement Answers section.

Barry is a 27-year old who is a foodservice manager at a casual dining restaurant. Barry is
responsible for supervising and managing all employees in the back of the house. Employees
working in the back of the house range in age from 16 years old to 55 years old. In addition, the
employees come from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. For many, English is not their
primary language. Barry is SERV Safe® certified and tries his best to keep up with food safety
issues in the kitchen but he admits it’s not easy. Employees receive “on the job training” about
food safety basics (for example, appropriate hygiene and handwashing, time/temperature, and
cleaning and sanitizing). But with high turnover of employees, training is often rushed and some
new employees are put right into the job without training if it is a busy day.

Eventually, most employees get some kind of food safety training. The owners of the restaurant
are supportive of Barry in his food safety efforts because they know if a food safety outbreak
were ever linked to their restaurant; it would likely put them out of business. Still, the owners
note there are additional costs for training and making sure food is handled safely. One day
Barry comes to work and is rather upset even before he steps into the restaurant. Things haven’t
been going well at home and he was lucky to rummage through some of the dirty laundry and
find a relatively clean outfit to wear for work. He admits he needs a haircut and a good hand
scrubbing, especially after working on his car last evening

When he walks into the kitchen, he notices several trays of uncooked meat sitting out in the
kitchen area. It appears these have been sitting at room temperature for quite some time. Barry is
frustrated and doesn’t know what to do. He feels like he is beating his head against a brick wall

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when it comes to getting employees to practice food safety. Barry has taken many efforts to get
employees to be safe in how they handle food. He has huge signs posted all over the kitchen with
these words: KEEP HOT FOOD HOT AND COLD FOOD COLD and WASH YOUR HANDS
ALWAYS AND OFTEN. All employees are given a thermometer when they start so that they
can temp food. Hand sinks, soap, and paper towels are available for employees so that they are
encouraged to wash their hands frequently.

Questions:

1. What are the communication challenges and barriers Barry faces?

2. What solutions might Barry consider in addressing each of these challenges and barriers?

3. What Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be helpful for Barry to implement and
enforce?

4. What are some ways Barry might use effective communication as a motivator for employees
to follow safe food handling practices?

Answers to questions provided in the case study

Answer to Question 1:

As the restaurant consists of employees of various cultural backgrounds, one barrier to

communication that must be at the forefront would be language, be it different accents or a
different language all together. For example, not everyone in the workspace may not know
English, making Barry’s signboards redundant. As age demographic spans across generations,
another barrier that Barry has to face is different mindsets taking in the same rules, with different
interpretations. For example, washing hands frequently may sound reasonable to a person of the
age of 18, but not to a person pushing 40. Another aspect of communication that is not fulfilled
in the restaurant is that Barry might not have considered that some employees may be illiterate or
not accustomed to hygienic culture and asking them to stay clean may be an exercise in futility.

Answer to Question 2:

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Some probable solutions that Barry can put into good use can be holding sensitization meetings
with the staff about general hygiene and the importance of staying clean in the food business.
The agendas for the meeting could be:

• The availability of cleanliness providing tools in the workspace makes their workspace
less prone to health hazards.
• In case of surprise inspections, keeping up with proper hygiene guidelines will aid them.
• Making training mandatory for new employees, and making sure that no one falters.

Answer to Question 3:

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are a set of rules and regulations which the employees
must abide by, in order to maintain workspace integrity and quality. In Barry’s case, an SOP on
hygiene will prove very useful because an SOP can act as legal document, and not following it
will jeopardize the employee’s job status, thus making sure that employees follow it judiciously.
Example of SOPs in this case can be:

• Mandatory hand-washing for all employees after every 30 minutes.

• Proper hygienic attire should be a must, example, hairnets, aprons and gloves to ensure
maximum hygiene.
• In case an employee has any difficulty in comprehending said rules and regulations, they
must report to the management immediately and clarify their doubts.

Answer to Question 4:

Some steps that Barry could take using the aid of effective communication:

• Putting up signs in multiple languages in case the employees cannot understand the
language he used previously.
• Taking into consideration the humanity of the employees, Barry should approach them
with compassion in order to understand why they have difficulty in comprehending
hygiene instructions.
• Hold verbal forums for employees to voice their concerns and opinions on said matter.

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• Show compassion and making the employees comfortable in approaching him with any
doubts without any fear.
• Explain the advantages of hygiene to the employees in the simplest way possible to
achieve maximum retention.

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 Case Study 2- Instruction Manual
The Instruction Manual that Scared Customers Away

As one of the first to enter the field of office automation, Sagatec Software, Inc. had built a
reputation for designing high-quality and user-friendly database and accounting programs for
business and industry. When they decided to enter the word-processing market, their engineers
designed an effective, versatile, and powerful program that Sagatec felt sure would outperform
any competitor.

To be sure that their new word-processing program was accurately documented, Sagatec asked
the senior program designer to supervise writing the instruction manual. The result was a
thorough, accurate and precise description of every detail of the program’s operation.

When Sagatec began marketing its new word processor, cries for help flooded in from office
workers who were so confused by the massive manual that they couldn’t even find out how to
get started. Then several business journals reviewed the program and judged it “too complicated”
and “difficult to learn.” After an impressive start, sales of the new word processing program
plummeted.

Sagatec eventually put out a new, clearly written training guide that led new users step by step
through introductory exercises and told them how to find commands quickly. But the rewrite
cost Sagatec $350,000, a year’s lead in the market, and its reputation for producing easy-to-use
business software.

Examine each “case” and determine the following:

1. Define the rhetorical situation: Who is communicating to whom about what, how, and
why? What was the goal of the communication in each case?

2. Identify the communication error (poor task or audience analysis? Use of inappropriate
language or style? Poor organization or formatting of information? Other?)

3. Explain what costs/losses were incurred by this problem.

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 4. Identify possible solutions or strategies that would have prevented the problem, and what
benefits would be derived from implementing solutions or preventing the problem.

Answers to the questions provided in the Case Study

Answer to Question 1:

The first case, where the question asks who is communicating to whom about what, the answer is the
company Sagatec communicating to its customers about their new word-processing program. The
company was communicating about its new word-processing program via a detailed manual issued to
make sure that the customers understand how to use the program.

Answer to Question 2:

The primary communication error in this case was poor formatting of information, i.e., the company
created a comprehensive, detailed, but unnecessarily complicated instructing manual. Poor audience
analysis can also be considered as a communication error in essence that the company employed its senior
program designer, a man of higher intellect than the common masses, to develop the instruction manual,
which resulted in the common office worker being confused as to how to comprehend the manual. It
became so complicated for the common office worker that they could not even figure out how to start the
program.

Answer to Question 3:

This problem handed the company a great loss, both financially and in terms of goodwill. Since the
manual turned out to be too complicated for the average office worker, the company decided to rewrite
the entire document, which costed them $350,000, which is an amount equivalent to one year’s profits of
the company. In terms of goodwill and reputation, the company’s reputation took a hit because prior to
this incident, the company was known to produce easy-to-use business software.

Answer to Question 4:

Based on the reading of this case study, one probable solution that can be implemented the next time this
company issues a manual like this, one thing they should do is incorporate more average office workers
along with senior program designers so that they can use the average office worker’s insight to use easier
jargon and easy to follow steps. Besides releasing a comprehensive manual, the company can also look

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into video tutorials which can be made available on the internet, which can help distressed customers in
cases where they cannot reach the customer support facility of Sagatec.

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 Types of Attitudes
● Attitude: Passive

What is meant by passive attitude?

Having a passive attitude means to tend not to participate actively or take the required action
and let things happen the way they do.

Boon:

1. Having a passive attitude during most conversations myself, I can say pretty surely that being
passive, despite being seen as a sign of lack of confidence, can sometimes be quite opposite. For
example, a topic like religion where I have my views and opinions sorted, being passive helps
me listen and understand the perspective of someone with a different viewpoint and despite
disagreeing with them, be able to understand where they come from without forcing my views on
them in the heat of the moment.

2. Whenever I go to attend official parties or wedding ceremonies, I feel quite out of place and
lost in a crowd. People walk up and try to strike a conversation, but I end up just giving them a
smile and shrugging my shoulders, not knowing how to reciprocate. I find it amusing where they
comment on other people and crack jokes at the expense of others. For them, I may appear rude
or proud but at my end, I'm glad that I'm not "birds of the same feather". So, I just sit and
observe people quietly.

Bane:

1. A negative of being passive is that my viewpoints on certain issues tend to be overlooked and
listening to people explain their views with such conviction makes me doubt whether I am ill-
informed or lack confidence.

2. Continuing with the above scenario being passive costs me a lot. For, when it comes to serving
food for myself amid an alien crowd, I simply lose my appetite, as I simply cannot pick up a
plate and stand in a queue while other people are loading their plates. So, I end up going back
home on an empty stomach, and the first thing I ask my mother is, "Is there something to eat?"

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● Attitude: Aggressive

What is meant by an aggressive attitude?

Having an aggressive attitude means to have one's behaviour turn disruptive and destructive if
not bought swiftly under control.

Boon:

1. This is a personal anecdote. In the year 2018, I was running late for an exam and was stopped
by a policeman for regular checking. The policeman was an arrogant gentleman, who not only
ignored my sense of urgency, but even went to the extent of taking away my license if I did not
simmer down. It was a routine check, and I was not in violation of anything. Since I was running
super late, I went down the aggression road and threatened the policeman to get done with me
ASAP. I used rude slurs and an angry tone. In this particular case, it helped because the
policeman did not have a lot of tolerance and went ahead and checked my credentials quickly,
and let me off the hook. If I had not initiated an aggressive stance, I would have missed my exam
that day because that officer was taking his own sweet time, and me pushing him around was
enough for his ego to get rid of me immediately.

2. For instance, A person A is seen mistreating street dogs, feeding them sweets knowing that
they are harmful for the dogs. He does not stop even after a lot of people have politely told him
to do so. Person B who is just a passer-by notices this behaviour and also observes the ignorant
attitude. Without any hesitation, he pulls the man and starts humiliating the person in public,
pretty aggressively. This makes the person embarrassed and hence he leaves the dogs alone.
Only because B behaved in such a way, A stopped whatever he was doing.

Bane:

1. This is another personal anecdote. I have very low tolerance for people who do not understand
simple things on the first go, and if they do not comply, I tend to get aggressive and try to get the
job done as quickly as possible. This attitude of mine backfired one day when I was pushing
around a friend of mine about a group project that we were doing together. She did not
understand what I was trying to convey on the first go, and I lost my cool and shouted at her.
Little did I know that she was not submissive and assertive enough to stand her ground and rattle

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my cage. She not only embarrassed me in public about my behaviour, but also taught me a lesson
in humility.

2. Suppose a teacher asks for the students' homework and one of them forgets to bring it. The
teacher punishes the child in front of all other students and does not realise how harsh the words
that she used were. Out of anger the teacher calls the child certain names that stick with him for
the rest of his school life. This causes the child mental trauma and he stops sharing things with
elderly he becomes arrogant and does not care about anything that someone says anymore. While
on the other hand if the teacher spoke to him and told him what his fault was or gave him a
chance, the way the child spent the rest of his life would've been different.

● Attitude: Assertive

What is meant by an assertive attitude?

Having an assertive attitude is characterized by the ability to be able to stand up for your own or
other people's rights calmly and positively, without being either aggressive or passively
accepting.

Boon:

1. Whenever the topic of body-shaming is discussed amongst our relatives at a family function,
my cousins and I take part in the conversation. With an assertive attitude, we reverently try to
make them understand that body-shaming is not acceptable and that they mustn't indulge in such
behaviour. We always ensure that we hear their opinions first and then voice ours. We've also
tried to tell them that blaming it on society isn’t helpful as we are a part of it. So, we must
change ourselves before expecting others to do so. Whenever we meet, one discussion on this
topic occurs. These discussions don’t bring a change in their perspective overnight, however, I
am sure that one day they will understand the significance of the topic seeing how certain we are
and how much it means to us.

2. Ella is someone who usually allows peer pressure to make decisions for her. Her friends want
to go out clubbing, and Ella does not want to do this because it goes against her beliefs and so
she showcases an assertive behaviour and tells her friends that she won't be joining them.

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Bane:

1. In some cases, being over assertive can create problems. For example: In a professional
setting, when an individual is overconfident, he/she tends to put forth ideas but does not look
forward to criticism, this may have an overall effect on the person or the company itself. On the
other hand, being under-assertive also has its demerits like low self-esteem. If you are under-
assertive in a work-related meeting, then your opinions may not be seriously considered.

2. During a heated argument with a friend, Ella chooses to remain quiet to attain peace in the
conversation. Here, showcasing an assertive behaviour could cause unnecessary troubles, and
therefore it's best to let things ease out by letting things slide.

● Attitude: Passive aggressive

What is meant by a passive-aggressive attitude?

Having a passive-aggressive attitude means for one's behaviour to turn as such that they do not
express their annoyance in an argumentative manner but come across to be aggressive in a subtle
way.

Boon:

1. In a new environment, possessing a passive-aggressive attitude may help the other person
know that we aren’t against each other, but are trying to have a fruitful conversation. Some
statements also help come to a consensus and complete the conversation. In some cases, it also
ensures that the other person isn’t hurt. An example of this can be observed from the movie
‘Mean Girls’ where one girl dislikes the clothing worn by the other but gives a fake compliment.
This didn’t hurt the sentiment of the other girl and the speaker did not come across as mean. This
attitude helps in a professional space with seniors as it might not seem harsh. Though it may not
convey the actual point, it may convey one’s feelings towards a decision or a plan. It also helps
keep their job safe.

2. My brother is 3 years younger than me, and he often gets into arguments with my mother
about how she never nags at me to organise things in the room. So a few days back, my mother
just replied with, “See her room and then see yours” to which he completely got quiet and

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awkwardly started laughing. It helped not only to release the tension in the room but smartly
made my brother understand about the difference in maturity and responsibility among both of
us.

Bane:

1. This attitude is not favourable in the long run as it can break relationships due to
misunderstandings. An example of this would be the following. My brother has this unfortunate
habit of awkwardly laughing whenever he sees that he is not winning in an argument with my
grandfather. He later does complain about how much he was frustrated by the things that my
grandfather was saying. It helps to release his anger at that point of time but at the cost of never
concluding anything. My grandfather will never understand what he said wrong, and it will never
help with discussions in the future either. It has reached such a sad state that My grandfather and
brother never get into conversations about important and relevant things going on just because of
my brother’s attitude to deviate from the topic.

2. After going through a mutual breakup, one of my batchmates put up lyrics of a heartbroken
song on her Instagram story, which not only reflected badly among her friends, but it was also
reflective of her pettiness and vengeful attitude. In trying to explain something, she worsened her
situation because it did not make her feel any better, and instead, she felt guilty and answerable
to so many questions.

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 Situation Card

How I would respond to these situations

Situation A

I would visit my friend at the hospital as planned and not brush off, but make alternate plans with
my other friend on a different day.

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Situation B

Like an ideal son, I will agree to do the fire for the next week without any hidden motive or
asking for a favour because sometimes people deserve a break.

Situation C

Instead of being an ideal brother in this case, I would ask her to cover one of my chores during
her free time so I could make time for myself.

Situation D

I would the little kid once again, and if he/she does not respond again, I would look for their
parent/guardian. If none of these avenues pan out, I would go to a different check-out lane with
an adult shopper and appeal to their humanity.

Situation E

Since I am not in a hurry, I would politely remind the waitress of my order, making sure that she
does not land in trouble because of me.

Situation F

I would try my best to back out of the arrangement in the politest way possible, trying my best to
not upset her. Since I am in no hurry, I would find alternative arrangements elsewhere.

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 Case Study 3 - Advertisers India Limited, 1972

ADVERTISERS INDIA LIMITED - 1972

On January 2, 1972, Mr. A.K. Chatterji, Managing Director of Advertisers India Ltd, Delhi
(AIL), and Dr. L. Anant, Professor at a Well-known Institute of Management in Western India
(WIMWI), Ahmedabad, were in a meeting of management practitioners and academicians to
discuss matters of mutual interest. Their discussion veered around the problem of media planning
faced by advertising practitioners. Mr. Chatterji mentioned that media planning was the foremost
problem faced by advertising agencies and executives. In his agency itself, several clients spent
about a crore of rupees per year on buying time and space in press, radio, and cinema for
advertising. Both, Chatterji and Anant, agreed that the problem was significant to be resolved
and method(s) of finding the best solution would be of great help to advertising agencies and
advertisers. Anant mentioned that such a resolution could be generalized for the use of
executives from other sectors.

ADVERTISERS INDIA LIMITED

Advertisers India Limited was one of the large advertising agencies in India with head office at
Delhi and branches at Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras. Its clientele included industrial, consumer
durable, and consumer non-durable goods companies. Major share of its earnings, like most
other agencies in India, came from consumer non-durable goods companies. The agency
provided market research services for developing advertising appeals and advertising strategy
recommendation for developing advertisements and media plans. Most of its income came from
the 15% discounts given by media companies when they bought time/space. The agency used its
judgement to allocate advertisement budget to major media like press, radio, and cinema.
Invariably, cinema received greater weightage, if the visual and spoken aspects were more
important in the message, and press received a higher proportion, if most buyers of the product
were educated and the message could be effectively communicated through written presentation
itself. Radio was largely used as a reminder media.

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EXISTING METHOD of PLANNING MEDIA EXPENDITURES

Discussions with the advertisers and advertising agencies revealed the following steps in existing
method of media planning:

1. Decide desired readership in each target group in different zones/ states.

2. Decide Ad size depending on the space required for the ad copy.
3. Decide “must” publications because of high readership among brand users and choose
a small list of additional publications compatible with the product type like fashion-
oriented publications for fashion product, reproduction quality, etc.
4. Judgmentally decide a final list of publications by considering readership of individual
publications obtained from NRS (National Readership Survey, Operations Research
Group, Baroda) in different target groups in different regions.
5. Prepare few press media plans so that the total readership of each media plan was close
to the desired readership in each of the target groups in different zones and/or states.
6. Final adjustments about including or excluding publications were made to get close
match between actual readership of the media plan and the desired readership, in each
target group of customers.
7. Judgmentally specify a minimum number of insertions as a must to be put in each
publication if it was finally selected in the media plan.

In the above process, the executives intuitively tried to see that a certain number of target
customers were in the readership of the media plan (assessed through readership data from NRS)
and that they had at least a few Opportunities to See (OTS) the advertisement over a period of
time (through minimum number of insertions in each publication). The executives of the agency
also felt that the effect of advertising was the result of many factors. Putting advertisements in a
number of media vehicles only meant that the readers (audience) of those publications had a
chance to look at the advertisement (OTS).

DEVELOPMENT of a PRESS MEDIA PLANNING MODEL

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As advertisers in India used press, radio, and cinema media, a model which encompassed all the
three media would have been of tremendous value. However, data about radio listenership and
cinema viewing was very scanty. As such, development of a rigorous mathematical model for all
media would be inconsistent with the crude data base at the point in time. Publication readership
data was available from the NRS in various customer classes (by age, educational level, income
bracket, rural/urban, occupation, male/female etc). Data could also be accessed on circulation of
various newspapers. Also press budgets accounted for nearly 60 – 70% of the total advertising
budgets of about 60 crores of rupees in 1972. As such, it was decided to put efforts towards
developing a press media model only.

Chatterji and Anant wondered what the key steps should be.

Introduction

Advertisers India Limited was an advertisement firm that used its resources to provide potential
advertisers with ideas and plans on where and how to advertise their brands. The firm thrives on
confirmed mathematical models and statistical data, showing that they did not like to take risks
but rather play it safe. Since the case is from 1972, a time when out of the three mediums of
advertising, i.e., print media, cinema and radio, the firm focused its recommendations on print
media publications because of the data available by national sources and that time, print was the
most popular media for mass communication. Their plan of action was very data driven, by that
it means that they put up their printed adverts in select newspapers and other publications, based
on readership data made available by the NRS (National Readership Survey)

Objectives

The primary objective of the firm was to provide the best of recommendations to their clients
about where they should advertise their brand. As mentioned, their customer base comprised of
all types of brands, but primarily of consumer non-durable companies. Their objective was to use
the mediums of advertisement to keep the brand afresh in the minds of their readers by using
regular adverts in the primary print publication that they had selected based on data found by the
NRS. They also had secondary print publications in which they posted adverts from time to time.

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These secondary outlets were mainly topic orientated publications, like fashion magazines,
whereas their primary outlet would be newspapers.

Strengths

One fine thing about their plan of action was the idea of creating multiple Opportunities To See
(OTS) for their customer brands. Another one would be that they had backup publications to fall
back on in case their initial plan failed to generate the hype needed. Although their plan was
primarily based on print productions, where the margin for error correction is low, they still had
created the chance for their customers to add or remove certain things from the adverts.

Weakness

The primary weakness in this plan was not including other media in any way or form. They
insisted on print publications and did not account for the opportunities that cinema advertisement
and radio broadcasts brought.

Opportunities

Their plan of action created marginal opportunities for their customer brands, in the sense that
they published targeted adverts in carefully selected print publications, but did not account for
reminders. They missed the opportunity to create a buzz for a long period of time from the time
the advert is published because their plan of action lacked reminder adverts, like miniature forms
of adverts broadcasted by radio. Also, cinemas were popular at that moment of time, but they did
not use the opportunity to showcase their customer brands there.

Threats

Their plan of action can easily be defeated by another brand who takes into account other
mediums of advertisements like the radio and cinema. If the competition is creative enough, they
can drown out Advertisers India Limited’s plan of only print production by introducing catchy
lines shown on silver screens and reminder adverts on the radio. Their plan of action has one
more enemy, i.e., time. Their plan can become outdated in a matter of years because of the
advancement of technology.

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Suggestions

One suggestion to this case would be to include other mediums of advertisements as well. For
example, showcasing a catchy graphic on silver screens from time to time can leave a great
impact on the consumers. Also, radio reminders can keep their brand in the minds of the
consumers for longer periods of time.

Conclusion

To put it in shorter words, Advertisers India Limited may not stand the test of time if they do not
expand and include other mediums of advertisements if they wish to stay in business for long.

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 Minutes of The Meeting

Common Area Hygiene Committee

Deliberation of the meeting held on 4 th September, 2020

Time: 1700 Hrs – 1800 Hrs

Venue: Google Meet (Virtual)

Meeting Chaired by: Ryan Raymond Scott (Working President)

Members Present: 9 (Refer to the attendance sheet attached)

Members Absent: None

Agenda

1. To discuss and finalise the guidelines of the cleanliness drive which is to be conducted in
one week from now.

Points Discussed

I. The cleanliness drive will take place in the early hours of 12th September, 2020
II. Primary equipment that needs to be arranged:
• Gloves
• Broomstick with long handles
• Face Masks
• Garbage bags
III. Upon much deliberation, it was decided that in order to cut costs and make the campus
look tidy, on each occasion of a cleanliness drive, the boundary walls of the campus will
be repainted not fully, but only in certain areas where paint replenishment is needed
IV. To make the cleanliness drive a bustling event, an assortment of mango juice and
samosas will be arranged for the participants
V. Expected attendance for the event- 50 to 60 participants

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 VI. To cut on cost and wastage, tenants will be encouraged to bring their own equipment
VII. The drive will commence from IST 0800 Hrs and is expected to last for 2 to 3 hours
VIII. To raise awareness towards the boons of waste segregation, the garbage bags will be
colour coded according to the different types of waste present
IX. In order to ensure that the event concludes timely, the participants will be informed that
the Municipal Garbage Van, which is scheduled to arrive at 1000 Hrs, is supposed to take
away all the garbage collected today
X. As a sign of respect for the cleaning staff of the society and elsewhere, the participants
will be urged to wear black in their honour
XI. Following the event, it will be announced that the cleanliness drive will be conducted
after every 3 months, making it a quarterly affair
XII. Budget:
• A measly amount of INR 100 will be collected from each household, which will
amount to a grand total of INR 5000 because the building has 50 tenants
• Out of the budget, it is expected that INR 1200 will go towards acquiring food
items
• INR 1500 will be used for buying paint
• INR 1800 will be spent on buying cleaning equipment
• Remaining amount will be set aside for contingencies

P.S. The next meeting will be a week before the next cleanliness drive, which will be conducted
after 3 months

Minutes Compiled by Shashwat Chauhan

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Attendance Sheet

Name Attendance
Ryan Raymond Scott Present
Shashwat Chauhan Present
Ansruta Aniruddha Chakraborty Present
Bhavya Sundeep Rao Present
Catherine Binu Maria Present
Humsika J Present
Kimberly Abigail Galstaun Present
Nikita Bameta Present
Prachi K Sanghvi Present

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 Case Study 4 - City Development Authority (CDA)
The City Development Authority (CDA) has been under immense pressure from the Karnataka
government to construct a 16 km long elevated corridor connecting mainland Bangalore to the
International airport. Considering the rate at which the city has developed, the traffic has
increased by 5x in the last decade. In this context, the average travel time to the airport has
increased from 30 minutes to 2 hour 30 minutes and even 3 hours during the peak hours. The
improved economic conditions of the city have also increased the growth of air travel
consequently increasing traffic to the airport.

Although the CDA has been under pressure to construct the elevated corridor, the project has
been delayed due to extensive opposition from most citizens and environmental activists. The
construction of the elevated corridor posits some serious environmental and geological problems
to the city.

In the context of environmental concerns, the construction of the elevated corridor will lead to
the destruction of over 800 trees. Citing the destruction of green cover over the last decade, the
environmental activists protest that the construction of the elevated corridor would make the
environmental situation worse. In the context of geological concerns, considering the current
groundwater depletion scenario in Bangalore, activists protest that the current project would
make the groundwater situation much worse making the area groundwater obsolete by 2030.

The residents of Vasanthnagar and Vayallikaval also cite noise and traffic as reasons to oppose
the construction of the 16 km long elevated corridor. Considering the amount of time, it would
take to finish the completion of the corridor, the traffic situation would worsen by at least 3x.

The alternative option proposed by the activists and the citizens is construction of a new road
redirecting traffic from South and South East Bangalore. However, the same proposal has
received strong opposition from a number of hotels and commercial buildings which would be
displaced due to the construction of the road. There have also been doubts about the operational
feasibility of this option and its effectiveness in solving the current traffic situation. Reports

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suggest that the newly constructed road would not be contributing to a significant difference in
traffic reduction.

The political and corporate representatives from the areas have favoured the construction of the
elevated corridor as a faster and cost-efficient approach. Accounting for the displacement of
several large hotel chains and commercial buildings would mean more than twice the cost, which
the government isn’t willing to incur.

However, there has been a strong opposition for the same with over half a million petitions
signed by the residents of the area. There have been several campaigns and peace rallies which
has forced the CDA to reconsidering its options.

Assume that you have been consulted by the CDA on viable options to solve the aforementioned
problem. What would your answers be to the following questions?

1. What reasons to the residents and activists state to oppose the construction of the
corridor?
2. What are the possible negotiable issues that might serve those interests?
3. What are the interests of the CDA?
4. What are the possible negotiable issues that might serve those interests?
5. What options are viable to make it a win-win situation for all parties?

Answers to the questions of the Case Study

Answer 1: Based on the reading of this case study, the reasons for the residents and activists to
oppose the construction of the corridor which I can deduct are the environmental as well civil
impacts of the construction. The activists appeal that construction of the aforementioned road
corridor will lead to significant reduction in the green cover of the city, because it will require
cutting down of as much as 600 trees in the area. Apart from the damage to the green cover, the
construction will also hamper the already horrible groundwater levels in the city, which can lead
to obsoletion of the groundwater of Bangalore by 2030. The residents on the other hand, claim

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that the time that will be taken in completing this project will worsen the already appalling traffic
conditions in the area. They say that the corridor, which is meant to reduce traffic congestion,
will increase the congestion in the area as much as 3 times in the period when it will be
constructed.

Answer 2: One probable solution to the destruction of the green cover can be that the CDA
allot another piece of land in an alternative location where the lost trees could be regrown. To
reduce the environmental impact, increase in the number of trees replanted will help. To tackle
the water issue, the CDA should lay down strict guidelines to ensure minimal water usage and
appropriate removal of the waste material, to reduce damage to groundwater resources as much
as possible.

Coming the problems of the residents, traffic could be redirected to other routes during the time
when the corridor is being constructed. This will reduce traffic congestion in the area.
Redirecting said traffic to other routes as a temporary arrangement can help here.

Answer 3: The CDA’s primary motive is to reduce time lost in travelling to and from the
airport when one visits Bangalore. This motive has secondary targets, which include maximum
financial savings, minimum damage to the environment all the while keeping the residents
happy. Some might say that environment should be the primary point of concern, but it is not.
Alternative plans to construction of the corridor will lead to loss of finances of the government.

Answer 4: An idea that would serve the CDA’s interests would be that an area of compromise
be made where the damage to environment be compensated with financial savings. For example,
instead of deforesting the entire area, it could be reduced to a loss of ¾ quarters of the trees
present. Also, waste material could be recycled, which will lead to reduction in cost.

Answer 5: If this case is analysed carefully, it can be deducted easily that an absolute win-win
situation would not be possible here, but a way paved with compromise can be right way. To put
it in perspective, recycling can help in cut costs, reduce the damage to the environment, as well
as reduce traffic congestion because the waste will not pile up. Removal of the trees and
replanting them somewhere else in greater number than before can help in repairing the damage

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done to the environment quickly. Redirecting some of traffic during the entire period of
construction can reduce the stress on the residents.

Not considering the alternate idea suggested would be the best thing because it does not solve the
initial problem but brings with itself new problems. So, compromise in the initial idea is the best
way to go.

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 Case Study 5 - Raymond & Co. Pvt Ltd and Google
Raymond Williams is the Managing Director of Raymond & Co. Pvt Ltd, a prominent law firm
with their Headquarters in Washington DC, USA. They are also based in Singapore, Hong Kong,
Delhi and London.

Mr. Williams, as the Managing Director oversees all legal operations in Washington and only
handles high profile legal cases. As one of the co-founders, he has been a senior partner and
managing director for 18 years. Mr. Williams is also on the BOD and being one of the key
decision makers in the company, also holds 38% of its shares.

In his term as the Managing Director, Mr. Williams has built Raymond & Co. from a 3-member
team to a 250-member organization around the globe. With a Law degree from Harvard and
Management Degree from Princeton, Mr. Williams was well aware of the opportunities in Law,
not just as a profession but also a business. With the Internet revolutionizing the world and new
cyber laws being implemented, Mr. Williams foresaw the demand for legal support in the
cybersecurity sector. Their biggest achievement was last year, when Google chose them as their
Global Legal Partner.

However, even after 4 months of accepting the proposal, Google and Raymond & Co. are yet to
sign a deal. In this context, Mr. Williams had written to Barry cage, Vice president at Google.
Every time he wrote to Mr. Cage, requesting updates on the ongoing deal, the response was that -
Google would need more time to review the MOU and will get back to them shortly. Mr. Cage is
in charge of all partnerships and reports directly to Gavin Mitchell, CEO of Google.

A week ago, Mr. Williams wrote a memo to Mr. Mitchell:

It has been 4 months since Google agreed to partner with Raymond & Co. We have invested a
good amount of time at Google in the last 4 months, across 11 projects and it is quite frustrating
to see that our partnership MOU hasn’t been signed yet. Based on the trust we have in each
other, Raymond & Co. decided to start projects before the MOU was signed but the current
scenario is compelling me to rethink about our partnership and in fact file a lawsuit against
Google and believe me Gavin you wouldn’t want to be fighting a case against a law firm.

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Mr. Gavin immediately summoned Mr. Cage and questioned him about the delay in signing the
partnership MOU with Raymond & Co.

“Sue us?” Mr. Cage said, “Gavin he needs to understand that these MOUs take months before
they can be signed. I am extremely disappointed and frustrated to see this memo. He is a legal
person; he knows how messy such partnerships can be. A small mistake and we could both lose
millions.”

“But Barry, what you don’t understand is that Raymond is an old friend of mine and has been a
legal advisor to Google for a long time” Mr. Mitchell said. “He is frustrated and worried that we
may not agree to this partnership and their effort would go to waste. Considering his relationship
with us, I am sure we can overlook some aspects and speed the process.”

Mr. Cage thought for a moment. “No,” he responded, “As the VP, I say no matter who, we look
through this carefully. I think it’s important that we keep our social relationships outside
Business. If you still want to go ahead with this, please have me moved to a different project.”

As a student of Business English who has been exposed to effective communication skills,
analyse and discuss the following questions:

1. Do you detect any barriers of effective communication in this case?

2. Was there any scope for better communication? What other means could have Mr.
Williams used to speed up the process? What is your opinion on Mr. Cage’s reaction?

3. Do you think there was a communication gap between the two organizations? What do
you think created these gaps? How could they be resolved?

4. What is your recommendation to Google in this case? How would your recommendation
improve communication between the organizations?

Answers to the questions of Case Study

Answer 1: The first occurrence of a barrier in communication was when Google Inc. did not
communicate with Raymond & Co. about the exact reason for the delay in signing of the MoU
between the top firms. The barrier here was timing, which shows that delay in communicating

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the exact reason to Raymond & Co., which instilled anxiety in Raymond Williams who took the
drastic action of writing the incriminating memo. The second occurrence of a barrier in
communication which was noticeable in the memo written by Mr. Williams was trust. He felt
that he might me conned by Google, showed a lack of trust in Google Inc. and threatened to sue
the tech giant. The third occurrence of a barrier in communication was also present in the memo,
where Mr. Williams challenged Google Inc. that they will not be able to beat him if he decides to
sue. Here, we see the attitude of Mr. Williams acting as a barrier, which was toxic and arrogant,
and not conducive to a mutual understanding. The fourth occurrence of a barrier in
communication was noticed when Mr. Gavin summoned Mr. Cage about the memo sent by
Raymond & Co. Here, Mr. Gavin showed arrogance about the entire affair, thus, attitude became
a barrier of communication here. To add fuel to the fire, Mr. Cage even went to extent of
demanding a transfer if method of dealing with the situation was not considered ideal, again
showing arrogance and stubbornness, making Mr. Cage’s attitude a barrier in effective
communication.

Answer 2: There was ample amount of scope in this case to insure more effective
communication. For example, instead of writing an incriminating memo about the entire affair to
Mr. Cage, Mr. Williams could have communicated to Mr. Gavin, who was his old and trusty
friend. Also, that same memo could have been structured in a less incriminating and less arrogant
way. Mr. Williams should not have threatened to sue, instead could have used lighter words
which showed that he trusted Google Inc., but was not happy about the delay in signing of the
MoU. Mr. Cage, the VP at Google Inc., could have used more polite language to put his case
across instead of fighting fire with fire.

In cases such as these, where there already exists an old bond of friendship between the parties,
Mr. Williams could have personally communicated with Mr. Gavin about the issue, or visit him
on a friendly visit, where he could have put his case across without accusing or demeaning
Google Inc. If Mr. Williams would have approached the entire case with less hostility and more
empathetically, the process could have been sped up.

Mr. Cage’s reaction, to put in kind words, was not appropriate. Although he was defending his
work ethic, he could have done so without sounding so arrogant and stubborn. He could have put

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his case across with way less hostility. He should not have put up such a case where there was no
room for compromise.

Answer 3: Certainly, there was clear communication gap between the two companies. To put
my point in perspective, it can be clearly understood that Google Inc. did not address the issue
before it became an issue, and it was this gap which forced Mr. Williams to take such drastic
actions as writing the memo.

One cause for the gaps in communications can be expectations. In this case, the old friendship of
Mr. Gavin and Mr. Williams was one reason why Mr. Williams could have expected prompt and
appropriate attention, which was not delivered. Another cause can be power and prestige. Both
companies were big and prestigious, and Google Inc. delaying the signing of the MoU even
when Raymond & Co. had started working on projects for them could be taken as a sign of insult
to Raymond & Co.

These gaps could have been closed if Google Inc. would have communicated the exact reason for
the delay in signing of the MoU before Raymond & Co. had stated working on projects on their
behalf. If Raymond & Co. had been well-informed about the delay, Mr. Williams would not have
written the fiery memo. A personal touch in the entire affair could have diffused the tension a lit
bit better.

Answer 4: The primary recommendation that I can offer to Google Inc. would be that they
should sing and finalize all their contracts before the projects are worked upon by other parties
concerned. If in any case the process is delayed, they should let the party know the exact reason
for the delay and appreciate them for their patience. Another recommendation that I can offer
would be to add a personal touch in communication when they deal with organizations of similar
size and prestige.

If the above recommendation if abided by Google Inc., it would lead to smoother and friendlier
communication between organizations. Also, this recommendation will not make Google Inc.
open to any accusations by the organizations they work with in the future, because total
transparency is best way to go in business. A personal touch will go a long way when it comes

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handling and communicating with similarly prestigious organizations, which will eliminate the
idea of insulting other organizations while showing that they value their cooperation.

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Do's and Don’ts in Business Telephonic Conversations
Telephonic conversations are an integral part of modern-day conversations, especially during the
pandemic. Although old-fashioned people would prefer face-to-face conversations, even they
need to know about how to handle a telephonic conversation. Here are some tips on what to do
and what to avoid in a telephonic conversation.

Firstly, taking the positive notion, i.e., what to do on a telephonic conversation. The primary way
of making a telephonic conversation worthwhile and wholesome is by creating a welcoming and
warm environment. One way to do this by smiling: Smiling creates positive vibes which can be
felt even over the phone. The simple act of smiling can go a long way in conversations, but doing
so over the phone brings positive changes in one’s voice which makes the person on the other
end feel happy and enthused. Continuing on the methods of creating a warm and wholesome
conversation, another good anecdote which is really helpful is greeting the caller with a hearty
response. A personal touch in greeting the caller shapes the conversation into a positive and
happy one. Adding on personal touches, being genuinely interested in the conversation can go a
long way. To show that one is genuinely interested, one good way is to respond timely and
professionally, along with certain hints of enthusiasm. While creating a happy and wholesome
conversation experience is necessary, all of the effort can go to waste if the degree of verbal
communication is below par. Usage of correct jargon is necessary, because no one likes to waste
their precious time by asking the speaker to repeat what he/she said to understand it better.
Lastly, choosing a quiet place to have the conversation is a must, because background noise can
hamper effective communication easily.

Now that telephonic conversations are so common and essential these days, one might take
telephone etiquette lightly. Here are some actions that should be avoided at all costs to ensure
effective communication.

Basic etiquette dictates that one should focus solely on the conversation they are having with a
person, and not on other things at the same time. Even over the telephone, avoiding distractions
is a must to ensure effective communication, because even if one feels that they can multitask,
their voice might change in a negative way, showing lack of interest, which impacts effective
communication harshly and also causes ill will. Basic etiquette is a must, simple things like

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speaking in an appropriate volume is necessary. One thing that must be avoided at all costs is to
keep the caller on hold for a long period of time. If the waiting period is very long, the caller
might disengage from the call. This creates a bad impression. Lastly, as we are focusing on basic
etiquette, formal and professional language and appropriate jargon must be observed at all times
during the call.

Cover Letter and Resume

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Brochure

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User manual

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 Types of Tenders
Example of Open Tender

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Example of Selective Tender

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Example of Negotiated Tender

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Example of Term Tender

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