ASSIGNMENT

SESSION JULY/AUG 2021

PROGRAM MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA) SEMESTER I
COURSE CODE & NAME DMBA102 – BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Set – I Questions
1. What is communication barrier? Describe various kinds of communication barriers and
methods to overcome barriers in organizations.
Ans:

Sol: Communication barrier: A communication barrier is anything that stops us

from receiving and understanding the messages others use to express their
information, ideas and thoughts. They can interfere with or obstruct the message
we are trying to send.

Kinds of Communication barrier:- Here are the common examples of

organizational barriers seen in organizations:
1. ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIERS

This kind of organizational barrier includes all the physical obstacles that might
affect an organization’s ability to communicate with its employees, customers or
suppliers. It could even affect communication between employees too. This might
be because of a noisy workplace, technological troubles, climatic factors that
prevent communication or even a pandemic that stops people commuting to and
from work.

2. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

This type of organizational barrier is perhaps the most common, particularly as

businesses grow. Poor communication among teams can be caused by a
breakdown in working relationships and can hamper a project. Some kinds of
communication barriers occur occasionally, while others are more chronic. When a
project is on a tight deadline, communication can suffer. This is also paradoxically
when good communication matters the most.
3. CULTURAL BARRIERS

These types of organizational barriers can occur among employees who don’t
understand each other’s culture or background. With organizations becoming more
global, these kinds of barriers have become more common. Therefore, it’s important
to make employees understand one another. It can help to have uniform values that
are adopted across an organization’s locations. It’s also important for organizations
to provide training for their employees so they know how to work well as part of a
team, regardless of the background of its members.
4. DECISION-MAKING BARRIERS

Poor communication skills cause these types of hurdles among managers. This can
be a
big organizational barrier to communication, as teams try hard to achieve their
goals. It may block them from reaching their targets because of the lack of
motivation or understanding
 within the workforce. Therefore, it’s important to make sure everyone has enough
knowledge and experience to make decisions.
5. INSECURITY WITHIN TEAMS

Sometimes, the lack of communication skills is a symptom of a deeper leadership

problem. A lack of confidence among employees might cause it. When the team
doesn’t trust the boss, its members may hesitate to speak freely, as they do not feel
comfortable. For individuals to perform at their best, they need to feel secure. It’s
important for organizations to resolve
these examples of organisational barriers by encouraging everyone to work well
together.

6. REMOTE WORKING BARRIERS

The pandemic forced the world into remote work mode almost overnight. While it
has allowed us all to continue work through multiple lockdowns, it has also brought
along with it some unique challenges. Listening is more difficult when we’ve been
saturated with Zoom calls all day. Even our ability to concentrate diminishes with
the number of meetings increasing in a remote environment. It’s important to
understand how these issues affect us. Only then can we overcome these
examples of organizational barriers to communication.

7. PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body
language can make communication less effective. Phone calls, text messages and
other communication methods that rely on technology are often less effective than
face-to-face communication.

Methods to overcome barriers in organizations:

It is very important for management to recognize and overcome barriers to

effective communication for operational optimization. This would involve
diagnosing and analyzing situations, designing proper messages, selecting
appropriate channels for communicating these messages, assisting receivers of
messages in correct decoding and interpretation of the messages and providing for
an efficient and effective feedback system.

Some of the steps that can be taken in this respect are:

1. Feedback and upward communication:

Feedback helps to reduce misunderstandings. The information is transferred more
accurately when the receiver is given the opportunity to ask for clarifications and
answers to any questions about the message. Two-way communication, even
though more time consuming, avoids distrust and leads to trust and openness
which builds a healthy relationship between the sender and the receiver and
contributes to effective communication. Upward communication is strengthened by
keeping an open door policy and providing opportunities
 for workers to give suggestions which should be taken seriously by the
management by acknowledging them and taking appropriate action.

2. Improve listening skills:

According to Stuart Chase, “listening is the other half of talking,” and is very
important part of the communication process. Listening is an active mental process
and goes beyond simply hearing. Good listening habits lead to better
understanding and good relationships with each other. Listening is a recognition
that the receiver has responsibility in the communication process. Some of the
guidelines for effective listening are:

a) Listening requires full attention to the speaker. Do not let your mind wander or
be preoccupied with something else, otherwise we would not be able to grasp the
meaning of the message in its entirety.

b) The language used tone of the voice and emotions should receive proper
attention. Listen for feelings in the message content and respond positively to
these feelings.

c) Ask questions to clarify any points that if do not understand clearly and
reflect back to the speaker your understanding of what has been said.

d) Make sure that there are no outside interruptions and interference during
the course of conversation.

e) Do not judge the importance of the message due to your previous dealings
and experiences with the sender or due to your perceptions about him, positive or
negative.

f) Do not jump to conclusions before the message is over and is clearly understood.

g) Summarize and restate the message after it is over to doubly make sure
about the content and the intent of the message.
3) Develop writing skills:

Clearly written messages can help avoid semantic and perception barriers. A well
written communication eliminates the possibility of misunderstanding and
misinterpretation. When
writing messages, it would be wise to adopt the K.I.S.S. principle which means
“Keep It Short and Simple, thus making the meaning as clear as possible so that
it accomplishes the desired purpose.

2. “Premature evaluations and hurried conclusions distort listening.” Discuss in

Detail.

Ans:
Premature Evaluation:

This is an important psychological factor of communication barrier.

Premature Evaluation Communication is likely to fail if the receiver evaluates the

meaning of message before the sender completes the message. Such premature
evaluation may occur due to pre-conceived notions or prejudice against the
communicator.

Such an evaluation may prematurely conclude the message may not bring the
desired result, thereby he withholds the message.

Premature evaluation distorts understanding and acts as a barrier to effective

communication.

Hurried Conclusions-

Prejudging the intentions of the speaker and jumping to premature conclusions

without listening to the complete thought.

Distorted Listening

Distorted listening occurs in many ways. Sometimes we just get the order of
information wrong, which can have relatively little negative effects if we are
casually recounting a story, annoying effects if we forget the order of turns (left,
right, left or right, left, right?) in our driving directions, or very negative effects if
we recount the events of a crime out of order, which leads to faulty testimony at a
criminal trial.

Rationalization is another form of distorted listening through which we adapt, edit, or

skew incoming information to fit our existing schemata. We may, for example,
reattribute the cause of something to better suit our own beliefs. If a professor is
explaining to a student why he earned a “D” on his final paper, the student could
reattribute the cause from “I didn’t follow the paper guidelines” to “this professor is
an unfair grader.” Sometimes we actually change the words we hear to make them
better fit what we are thinking. This can easily happen if we join a conversation late,
overhear part of a conversatio n, or are being a lazy listener and miss important
setup and context. Passing along distorted information can lead to negative
 consequences ranging from starting a false rumor about someone to passing along
incorrect medical instructions from one health-care provider to the next.

Last, the addition of material to a message is a type of distorted listening that

actually goes against our normal pattern of listening, which involves reducing the
amount of information and losing some meaning as we take it in. The metaphor of
“weaving a tall tale” is related to the practice of distorting through addition, as
inaccurate or fabricated information is added to what was actually heard. Addition of
material is also a common feature of gossip.

3. What do you understand by communication flow? Discuss the formal and

informal lines of organizational communication with suitable examples.
Ans:

Communication flow: Communication is simply the act of transferring information

from one place, person or group to another.

Organizational communication includes both internal communications, such as

employee training modules, messaging around an organization's mission,
interpersonal communications between management and employees, and
professional communication such as emails.

It also includes external-facing communications such as public relations

announcements, press releases, marketing materials, and branding.

In an Organization, there are two channels of communication - Formal and

Informal. The main difference between the two is that Formal communication is
backed by predefined channels while there is no such rule for Informal
communication.

Types of Formal Communication

1. Vertical

In this type of formal communication, information exchange takes place at different

organizational levels. Either the communication takes place from superior authority
to subordinate or vice-versa.

It is also classified into two types:

● Bottom-up: Communication flow is from subordinate to superior authority.

● Top-down: Communication flow is from superior authority to subordinate.

2. Lateral or Horizontal

This type of communication takes place between two employees of the same level
but working in different departments.

For example Communication between the Sales manager and Human resource
manager.

3. Diagonal or Crosswise

This type of communication takes place between employees of different

departments working at different levels.

For example. Communication of Salesman and Manufacturing manager.

What is Informal Communication

Informal communication is multidimensional, it flows freely in the organization

without any boundation of predefined channels or routes. It is comparatively very
quick and relational.

In organizations it is often called the ‘grapevine’, it is also important for the growth
of a company because employees can discuss work-related issues more openly
which ultimately saves the company’s time and money.

Some general examples are - Chats between team members, A private journal or
diary, etc.

Types of Informal Communication

1. Single Strand Chain

The communication in which one person tells something to another who again says
something to another person and the process continues.
 2. Cluster Chain

In this type of informal communication, one person tells something to some of

his friends then they circulate that among their close friends and the process
goes on.

3. Probability Chain

In this type, one person randomly chooses some persons and transfers
information to them and they also do the same later on.

4. Gossip Chain

This type of communication is very common in an organization, where a person

tells something to a group of people then they also spread it further to another
group of people till it gets passed to everyone.

Set – II Questions

4. What is the basic outline of a persuasive letter? Justify the structure of ideas in a
persuasive letter.

Ans:
What is persuasive letter?

Persuasive writing intends to convince readers to believe in an idea or opinion

and to do an action . It is a form of non-fiction writing the writer uses to develop
logical arguments, making use of carefully chosen words and phrases.

Basic outline of a persuasive letter

A persuasive outline has a standard number of five paragraphs . The first

paragraph contains introduction. The second, third, and fourth paragraphs make up
the body, and they include major arguments. Last paragraph is the conclusion that
summarizes your arguments.

While the content of a persuasive letter may differ based on its purpose, it follows a
particular format that should be considered when writing one. As mentioned earlier,
it is a formal letter. The tone of the letter is decided based on the reader of the
letter. Having explained these details, here’s a look into the simple format of such a
letter.

Sender’s Name
Sender’s
Address Date
Recipient’s
Name
Designation
Address

Salutation: Dear Ma’am/Sir or Dear Ms./Mr. or Organization’s Name

Introductory Paragraph: Talk about yourself and explain who you are and what you
are offering. What are you trying to persuade them about? Place an argument
before them. Use facts to back your request.

Second and Third Paragraph: Your argument requires a valid basis, and this is what
will be presented in these paragraphs. Again, you may need facts and statistics to
validate your stance. Convince the reader how he will benefit by investing
time/resources in your offer. By using a valid basis or reason, you will persuade
your reader to agree with you and take up your offer. You may write about three to
four paragraphs, but your letter should not exceed one page.

Closing Paragraph: In this paragraph, you will close your argument, primarily by
restating it, so that it is convincing enough for the reader to agree in the positive.
Offer a time limit within which a response is expected and guide the reader toward
the necessary course of action.
Closing:
Sincerely,
Signature
Writer’s Name/Organization’s Name
Designation

Remember, while the format is important, it is the content of a persuasive letter that
makes all the difference. Ensure that there is a smooth transition of facts and
arguments in your letter. It must be enough to make a reader want to grab the
opportunity and make the most of it.

Justifying the structure of ideas in persuasive letter.

In a persuasive letter, we take hold of the customers attention by describing the

features of product and how it will benefit them(customers), means how the products
and services we are providing will meet their specific needs and values.

The message in persuasive letter you choose to focus on should be something that
your competitors don’t do well but that you do.
Simply talking to customers in a targeted way about their buying decisions can be a
big help when determining why they buy your products.

How the product will make their lives easier and give them a good reason why your
product or service fits the bill.
Buyers are always looking for a good deal, so cost plays a part in most purchasing
decisions. Especially when it comes to comparison shoppers, price-based
propositions shouldn’t
 discount a product’s quality but emphasise value, appealing to customers who want
a quality product at a better price.

At last the letter should encourages customer that how much it is east to buy a
product through different payment method and how they will be satisfied with the
product which will be delivered.

5. Describe various types of reports? Elucidate the elements of a formal business

report.

Ans:
Business reports convey different types of the necessary information about a
business e.g., facts, figures and a situation’s analysis. The main motive of reports
is to provide a business the essential information for planning and major decision
making like expansions
and investments.

Below are some of the most common types of reports that business owners
usually find most useful.

1. Annual Report

The main purpose of an annual report is to let you see what your company has
accomplished over the preceding year.

You may also choose to use this type of performance report as a marketing tool to
get people, particularly potential investors and customers, excited about your
company—if the financial numbers are in your favor.

Publicly traded companies are required by law to submit annual reports to the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

2. Sales and Revenue Report

A sales and revenue report is among the most basic types of business reports
you can compile, as it simply lists your sales statistics in a given time period.
Most importantly, you can quickly compare these numbers to your expenses to
determine your profit margin.

Also, by comparing these numbers to those of other time periods, you can get a
quick snapshot view of how to best manage future sales efforts, such as pinpointing
the best time to conduct marketing campaigns.

3. Inventory Report
Inventory reports let you know how much of your product you have on hand at a
given time. This type of report doesn't have to be complicated and, in fact, it can
even be a simple checklist.

If you want something a bit more involved, you can compile an inventory ranking
report, which can show you how well your products sell compared to the overhead
cost of keeping them in stock.

4. Marketing Report

One of the most important aspects of many businesses is marketing, and keeping
track of your efforts and their results is critical. By compiling and analyzing this
information, you can monitor where your sales are coming from to make sure you're
getting a good return on investment for your marketing spend.

5. Website Traffic Report/Social Media Report

These types of business reports give you a feel for the online performance of
your business. You can tailor them specifically to your needs to get all kinds of
information, from demographics to engagement levels.

Elements of a formal business report

Title Page
Every business report has a title page to tell the reader what they’re about to read,
who it was written by, and when it is was written.

Executive Summary
The executive summary is the CliffNotes version of the entire report and includes
the topic, an overview of the data obtained, and any recommendations based on
the study. This shortened version of the report is helpful for busy managers or
executives who may not have time to read the entire document, but want the gist of
the information.

Table of Contents
This section is vital for lengthier reports as it lists the sections and any subheads
and the page location of those sections and subheads. Directing the reader to page
numbers is very helpful when looking for specific pieces of information.

Introduction
The introduction highlights the topics that the report will dig into. It will state what
data was collected and why, and the overall purpose of the report.
Body
In the body of the report is the meaty part. The body text is where the details go
when it comes to the purpose of the report and any data supplied. A report with a
great deal of information and multiple data sets will have subheads. Pictures should
have captions.
Supporting data can be displayed in tables, charts, or graphs which will all have
titles, but they will all appear here in the body section.

Conclusion
Very simply, the conclusion will summarize the body section of the report.

6. Discuss various types of resumes. Describe the salient features of a good resume.

Ans:
Resume:-

A resume is a formal document that a job applicant creates to itemize their

qualifications for a position. A resume is usually accompanied by a customized
cover letter in which the applicant expresses an interest in a specific job or company
and draws attention to the most relevant specifics on the resume.
Successful resumes highlight specific accomplishments applicants have achieved in
former positions, such as cutting costs, transcending sales goals, increasing profits,
and building out teams.

Various types of resumes:

There are 5 major types of resumes: the chronological resume, functional resume,
combination resume, target resume, and mini resume.

Here’s a breakdown of the different types of resumes:

1. Chronological Resume

It is a brief run-through of your working history according to when you held the
position. With this resume, jobs are always supposed to be listed in reverse
chronological order. Start with the most recent activity and then work back from
there. This makes your career path logical and readable. Put your most important
information at the top to make it easy to find. It will also most likely be your most
impressive assignment. Keep in mind employers take the closest look at your more
recent employment activity as a gauge for how you are going to work in the future.
This is generally the preferred method by hiring managers.
2. Functional Resume

This resume does not focus as heavily on when you did your activities, but rather
what you did. It focuses on clusters of experience you’ve gained from multiple
projects. This lets you keep the focus off employment gaps you may have or a
career path that is not clearly heading toward this job opening.

A functional resume comes in handy for roles that require specific, targeted skills.

3. Combination Resume

As the name suggests, this is a hybrid of functional and chronological. It outlines

the skills that you possess and relates them to time periods of past employment.
This

4. Targeted Resume

A targeted resume simply means not creating one generic resume to send out to
the masses. With a targeted resume, you take the time to tweak it to put you in the
best light to get hired by a particular company. It is a good idea to take a targeted
approach when putting together any other type of resume. While it may save you
time to create one and send it out, you will get better results if you tailor your
resume to each potential employer.

This is particularly crucial for highly-competitive roles.

5. Mini Resume

While rarely used in hiring settings, it is helpful to have a mini resume on hand.
Many times these are a short synopsis of your working history sometimes in the
form of a bio, often with some supplemental information requested. They are
supposed to be short and to the point so that when someone meets you quickly,
they can get a feel for your experience.

Salient features of a strong resume:

Your resume should be looked at as your marketing tool & an elevator pitch - it is
that small window of opportunity that you have to get the employer interested
enough to call you for a detailed discussion. Some key factors to be considered
while building high-quality & strong resumes are:

Resume Headline

Does your resume require a resume headline? A resume headline can be used
when you have gained 2+ years of experience in any particular role. This highlights
that you are an expert in that area. Thus, when the interviewer glances at your
resume, the headline itself creates an impression.
However, if you are a fresher with a postgraduate degree – you can use a headline,
which states ‘MBA Fresher’ or ‘A budding MBA Professional with acquired skills in
X, Y, Z.’
Remember what your resume headline says, must be reflected in your projects,
work experience, and internships.

Professional Experience

Your professional experience should be noted down in a crisp manner. You can use
the following order to highlight your professional experience:

1. Core Qualifications
2. Technical Skills
3. Work Experience
4. Key Projects
The above order will help highlight every detail you have covered under a particular
organization.
If you have any internship experience and believe, you have done a significant
amount of work and benefited the organization, that can be mentioned too under a
section of Internships.
Quantifiable Achievements

When writing the descriptions for the jobs you’ve held, focus on what you
accomplished in each position rather than what you did. Listing quantifiable
achievements in a numerical manner (increased sales 20%, reduced expenses by
10%, for example) will help your resume stand out.
Be sure to match those accomplishments to the criteria the employer is seeking in
the job posting.
Strengths

Is it essential to highlight your strengths under a separate section? The current best
practices to resume writing suggests that adding a section to strengths does not add
much value. In case you are a fresher, then you can add a section under strengths.
It’s unlikely as a fresher, that you’d have any expertise skills.
However, for a person with a good amount of experience, your strengths can
replace with Key skills and Technical Skills depending on your respective profile.
List down your hard skills instead of soft skills.

Certifications
We mainly require certificates for educationally related points. Most of the extensive
courses offer a certificate. In addition, we can also link certificates to the resume.
For e.g., Courses done on Coursera has a unique permalink to the complete
certification. Thus, make sure the important courses are highlighted on the resume.