ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC) Business Communication - | F.Y.B.Com. : Semester - | Dr. S. D. Mulgaonkar V. G. Waradkar MA, Ph. D. M.A., M. Phil. Former Principal Retd. Vice Principal & Head, M.V. &L. U. College, Andheri Dept. of English and Joshi - Bedekar College, Thane Nagindas Khandwala College of Commerce & Arts, Malad (West), Mumbai - 400064. Shubhada A. Bapat Dr. Neeta Chakravarty MA. M.A., M.Ed., Ph.D. (Retd.) Dept. of English Head, Dept. of English M.L. Dahanukar College of Commerce _R. Jhunjhunwala College of Arts, Vile Parle (East), Mumbai - 400 057. Science & Commerce Ghatkopar (West), Mumbai-86. MANAN PRAKASHAN G- 1, 2, Siddhi Enclave, Nanda Patkar Road, Vile-Parle (E), Mumbai - 400 057. B 2618 2124, 2617 0908 E-mail : mananprakashan @gmail.com Website : www.mananprakashan.comWe are pleased to present the Revised Edition of “Business tion Paper - I" at the F.Y.B.Com. Level, Semester - |, ity of Mumbai as per the Revised Syllabus and Question communica' Univers! paper Pattern w.e.f. June 2016. The book is written as per the Choice Based Credit, Grading and Semester system. We, the authors of this book, have tried our best to capture the spirit of the ’Statement of Purpose’ by working against time to lend meaning and substance to the syllabus. The theory section is replete with numerous examples and case studies to illustrate various thoughts and ideas. Since tutorials are a part of the syllabus, we have included a section suggesting certain activities and tasks that might help the teacher to cater to particular needs of the students and to bring about graded improvement in their understanding and grasp of the subject. We express our deep gratitude to Mr. Nitin Shah for his untiring efforts to bring out this new edition of our book. June 15, 2019 - Authors: Theory of Communication . f Concept of Communication : Models of Communication .| 1 os feone Interactive / Transactional / Shannon and Weaver (to be only discussed in class) Meaning, Definition, Process, Neeg | Feedback , Emergence of Communication as a key concept in the Corporate and Global World Impact of technology Enabled Communication : Types . Internet, Blogs, E-Mail, Moodle, Social Media (Facebook, Twitter & Whats’app Advantages and Disadvantages 3. _/Communication at Workplace : ‘Channels - Formal and Informal - Vertical, Horizontal, Diagonal, Grapevine Methods - Verbal / Nonverbal (including Visual), Business| Etiquettes Business Ethics : Ethics at Workplace - Importance of Business Ethics Personal Integrity at the workplace Business Ethics and Media Computer Ethics Corporate Social Responsibility Problems in Communication / Barriers to Communication ; Physical / Semantic / Language / Socio-Cultural / Psychological Barriers, Ways to Overcome these Barriers Listening : Importance of Listening Skills, Obstacles to Listening, Cultivating Good Listening Skills Unit - 2 : Business Correspondence 1. Theory of Business Letter Writing : Parts, Structure, Layouts - Full Block, Principles of Effective Lette! Writing, Principles of Effective E-mail Writing Personnel Correspondence : Statement of Purpose, Letter of Recommendation, J0} Application Letter and Resume, Letter of Appointment (to be a discussed in class), Letter of Acceptance of Job Offer, Letter Appreciation, Letter of Resignation Vv oounit 1. Maximum Marks : 100 3: Language and Writing Skills mercial Terms used in Business Communicati cecussed) tion (to be only paragraph Writing : Developing an idea, using appropriate linking devices, etc, Cohesion and Coherence, etc. tutorials Activities : Speaking Skills, Writing Skills, Remedial Grammar, Soft Skills - EQ, Conflict Management, Time Management (Students may be asked to make a Power Point Presentation on any topic of their choice in order to enhance LSRW - Li a istening / Speaking/ Reading / Writing) Questions to be Set : 06 A. Explain the terms in 02 - 03 sentences (05 out of 08) (From all Units) B. Match the Following C. Multiple Choice Questions Short Notes (04 out of 06) : Unit 1 - Chapter 1, 2,3 Essay Type (02 out of 03) : Unit 1 - Chapter 4, 5, 6 Personal Letters (04 out of 05) Statement of Purpose, Letter of Recommendation, Letter of Acceptance of Job Offer, Letter of Resignation, Letter of Appreciation A. Paragraph Writing (01 out of 02) B. Situation based Case Study (From Unit 1 - Chapter 3 Channels and Chapter 5 Barriers){nit - 1: Theory of Communication << Concept of Communication .... 2. Impact of Technology Enabled Communication oO Communication at Workplace .... Ue Introduction to Business Ethics .... 5. Barriers to Communication ..... 6. Listening Skills : Business Correspondence 7. Theory of Business Letter Writing... 8. Personnel Correspondence... Unif- 3 : Language and Writing Skills 9. Some Commercial Terms 10. Paragraph Writing * — (Tutorial Activities ..... ‘unit + 1: Speaking Skills Unit -2: Writing Skills Unit - 3: Remedial Grammar Unit - 4 : Emotional Quotient / Conflict Management /. Time Management * Important Definitions ...... $, Abbreviations : Business and General ...... * University Question Papers - Nov. 2016, 2017, 2018 . vie@ Need for Communication e@ Meaning and Definition e e Process of Communication Feedback : Types, Forms and Levels e Emergence of Communication as a Key Concept in the Corporate and Global World @ Importance of Communication in the Corporate World @ = Models of Communication TTT Man’s basic needs are said to be food, clothing and shelter. However, while deducing these needs, certain functional abilities like movement, speech & ational thinking are taken for granted as gifts mankind is born with. So, one cannot deny that these functional abilities are of paramount importance. Infact, ability to move, work, think and communicate becomes the meats by which man is able to acquire his other needs. In fact, an oft used potential of mankind is his rationality and this is able to find suitable expression through his ability to communicate. So, communication is a social process that is vital for human survival. Communication makes it possible to exchange opinions, thoughts and meanings through spoken words, Lanes text, nonverbal sounds, physical gestures, facial expressions and even dance or combinations of these.Bust ss Communication - 1 (F-Y-B.Com.: SEM- 1) usiness 2 to know so quickly that the role of In today’s world, ther very important. communicator has become The world is experiencn comm ea ior ication explosion. Communicati ia evoluti and communicatio explosi ; c oo nt ape i i ood communication does not i tial to all human associations. G mea is esse ly giv’ i aims at impartin, onl ing orders but creating understanding. It P nly givin, e is SO much . i if the meaning of f le gain a clear view of He mes knowledge as well as helping Lass aah people communicate: tomake knowledge. There are three primar) fe information, and to persuade A receiv ere intain relationships, to share oF .d communication has or maint ess. GOO! ‘ds suce muni i [ps us to move towards fe the Scetal i vntribute to overcoming the problems ign e, i f the goal: poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy and to the attainment 0} goals of economic and social well being. ‘The word communication is derived from the Latin word ‘Communicare’ which means’ tomake common’. Communication involves the transfer of information, ideas, emotions, feelings etc between people. Communication must ensure that this transfer takes place effectively, bringing about an understanding response from the receiver of the message. When this exchange takes place between two individuals, it is referred to as interpersonal communication. When it is addressed to a larger group, it is called mass communication.Communication is an important aspect of behavior and is affected by all factors influencing human behavior. Communication has been defined differently by different theorists. According to the American Management Association, ‘Communication is any behavior that results in an exchange of meaning.’ According to Peter Little, ‘Communication is the process by which information is transmitted between individuals and/ or organizations so that an understanding response results. Koontz defines Communication as ‘the means by which organized activity is unified, behavior is modified, change is effected, information is made productive and goals are achieved.’ William Scott says, ‘Administrative Communication is A process which involves the transmission and accurate replication of ideas ensured Lifeint for the purpose of eliciting actions which will accomplish organizational These definitions show that communication involves : @ The sender's ability to transmit his own ideas accurately, (ii) The receiver’s mental ability to get the accurate ideas as transmitted,wo me DDO Concept of Communication (iii) A feedback by the receiver, and (iv) Anaction directed towards the goals. Communication begins when the sender feels a need to share an idea or thought in his mind. The purpose of the sender could be to inform or to persuade or to motivate the receiver. Simillarly, the message could make use of verbal or non-verbal symbols, words or signs. Thus, the sender and the message are the first two components in the process of communication. Once the sender has decided on his message, he has to plan his process of encoding and the channel for sending the message to the receiver. While encoding the message the sender must use symbols which will have the same meaning in the mind of the receiver as was prevalent in the mind of the sender. The sender then decides to use verbal, nonverbal, visual or electronic medium on the basis of the nature of the message, the urgency or importance of the message, the number of receivers, the cost factor, and the relation between the sender and the receiver. During this process noise in the form of a disturbance, or the use of ambiguous words should be avoided. So the encoding process, the medium and the receiver form important components in the process of communication. The receiver then decodes the message based on his personal experiences and assessment of the symbols used. He then provides feedback to the sender or responds to him. It enables modifying of communication method or the message by the sender in order to increase effectivity. Communication is said to be effective only when feedback has been provided. Hence the decoding process and feedback are the most important components in the process of communication. The communication process may be diagrammatically represented as follows: Me Message Feedback Diagram shows a simple Communication Process4 MN Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM - I) To sum up, the factors involved in the communication process are: (a) Sender: The one who feels the need to share a thought in his mind () © @ ® (g) and initiates the communication process is called the sender. Before encoding the message according to the nature of receivers, the sender takes decision about how to transmit the message and selects a channel. Message: The idea which germinates in the mind of the sender and which the sender desires to share with the receiver(s) is called the message. Message is the basic building block of all messages, Encoding: The process of encoding involves drafting the message in the form of words, images, pictures etc. in accordance with the language prowess, interest and maturity level of the receiver(s). Medium: Medium involves a channel or system of communication through which the message is transmitted between the sender and the receiver. Receiver: The receiver is the one who finally gets the message transmitted by the sender. He then interprets it as per his own understanding before responding to it. Decoding: The process of decoding involves deciphering the message coded by the sender in the form of words, images, pictures etc. according to his own ability. When the receiver decodes the message, understanding takes place. Feedback: The response given by the receiver to the sender on Teceiving and understanding his message is called as feedback, Good business communication should always be a two-way process. A response or two way communication is only possible when the message by the sender is understood by the receiver and he either indicates his understanding by a small nod or his lack of clarity by asking questions. This response or feedback is therefore considered the backbone of the communication Process and communication is said to be incomplete without feedback. On receiving the feedback, the sender can modify his communication method or encode the message differently to ensure that it is well understood. In an organization, formal communication is for the purpose of Performance. Effectiveness of communication leads to efficiency of the persons working together in an organization.Concept of Communication Feedback can be of different types based on different criterion like the nature of response given, time taken, the form in which response is given, etc. ay Positive Feedback versus Negative Feedback: On the basis of nature, Feedback could be said to be positive or negative.When the receiver finds the sender’s communication convincing, he gives a positive feedback. This could take the form of agreeing with the sender or nodding his head in agreement. In everyday life, we find so many instances of positive and negative feedback. For instance, when achild is trained in the norms of socialisation, he/she is instructed by the parent to show restraint and not take the snacks served immediately. If the child obeys the parent, he/she is rewarded with a chocolate or an ice cream on the way back (positive feedback) to reinforce the behaviour. However, if the child happens to have deviated from the expected behaviour, the parent takes the child to task on the way home and does not buy anything for the child, thereby bringing on pressure on the child to mend his/her ways. Simillarly, a teenager may be clearly instructed about the time he is expected to return home and yet, if he comes home late, he/she may find that the mother refuses to talk with him/her. This negative feedback is registered by the teen, who then follows instruction if only to appease the parent or to avoid unpleasantness. Thus, negative feedback is also desirable. Both reward or positive feedback and punishment or negative feedback, are essential to bring about desired behavioural change. Immediate Feedback versus Delayed Feedback: On the basis of time when feedback is given, it could be either immediate or delayed. When feedback is provided immediately after the communication is sent by the sender, it is called immediate feedback. For example, ina classroom situation, a student immediately indicates whether he/she has understood what the teacher is saying by nodding or by looking confused. However, sometimes it is not possible to provide feedback immediately. For example, after watching a television program, we are unable to provide feedback immediately. The show will receive a boost or will fail based on the TRP’s received by them in course of time. Similarly, an author will receive feedback for his/her book after a considerable time as readers would require time to go through it and perceive whether it is useful or not.ie OY 6 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com. SEM - }) 3. Oral feedback versus Written Feedback: On the basis of mode, feedback may be oral or written, Oral feedback is feedback provide orally, through words or gestures, It is not only very powerful but also a necessary mechanism. It is most widely practised. If a chil expresses inability to understand something or puts across his doubts, he is offering oral feedback. It will enable the mother or teacher to mould his/her teaching on the basis of feedback. Also, an orator can gauge the thinking of the audience by asking stimulating questions and can adapt his content accordingly. In corporate life too, oral feedback is inevitable. It enables seniors to explain and juniors to understand where their work needs improvement and how it can be done in a more effective manner. Moreover, since there is no record keeping, employees do not feel threatened. written form. A report card given to students after an examination is an example of written feedback which indicates a student’s strong points as well as weak points. Nowadays, regular feedback about the progress being made by the student is provided by educational institutes to parents. However, the feedback must be made available immediately after the exam for it to be meaningful. In Corporate life, too, employees take a written feedback more seriously as it forms a part of their personal file and can become the basis for their future promotions and pay rise. 4. Formal Feedback versus Informal Feedback: On the basis of structure, feedback could be formal or informal. A feedback that is given in response to official demands is called formal feedback while one given casually out off records is called informal feedback. When a program is organized, at the end of the program, the viewers may clap or fill upa structured form or questionnaire, both of these may be considered as formal feedback. However, later on, what we say about the program to family and friends are instances of informal feedback. 5. Peer Feedback versus Self Feedback: On the basis of source, feedback may be peer feedback or self feedback. While Peer Feedback involves a review by other like-minded people, Self feedback is reflexive in nature. ) Written feedback, on the contrary involves providing feedback in the Besides the above, Keyton (2002) provides us with three different forms of feedback: descriptive, evaluative, and prescriptive. @ Descriptive feedback is the feedback that describes how a person communicates. For instance, a teacher trainee may ask her colleague to comment in details regarding her behaviour in the class from theConcept of Communication 7 point of her entry in to the class till she completes the lecture and leaves the class. Then the colleague would be required to provide a descriptive feedback regarding both her behaviour as well as effectivity of her instructions and communication skills. e Evaluative feedback is the feedback that provides an assessment of the person who communicates. In the above case, if the teacher trainee is evaluated by her colleague and found to be effective both in teaching as well as in maintaining discipline then the feedback is positive, but if she suggests that the trainee lacks in the art of asking questions and keeping the class engaged, then the feedback is negative to that extent. e Prescriptive feedback is the feedback that provides advice about how one should behave or communicate. For example, in the above case if the colleague suggests concrete means by which the trainee can overcome her lacuna and instructs her as to how she should incorporate questions in her delivery of lecture in order to make it totally effective, then she is providing prescriptive feedback to the trainee. Keyton also gives us four levels of feedback. According to him, feedback could be directed at a group or an individual. Simillarly it may address problems related to the completion of the task or the group dynamics (information about relationships within the group or individual behavior within a group). Task or Procedural feedback: Feedback at this level involves issues of effectiveness and appropriateness, Specific issues that relate to task feedback include the quantity or quality of a group's output. For instance, are clients satisfied with the new product? Did the group complete the promotion on time? Procedural feedback refers to whether a correct procedure was used appropriately at the time by the group. Relational feedback: Feedback that provides information about interpersonal dynamics within a group. This level of feedback emphasizes how a group gets along while working together. It is effective when it is combined with the descriptive and prescriptive forms of feedback. Individual feedback: Feedback that focuses ona particular individual ina group. For example, is an individual in the group knowledgeable? Does he or she have the skills helpful to this group? What attitudes does he or she have toward the group as they work together to accomplish their tasks? Is the individual able to plan and organize within a schedule that contributes to the group’s goal attainment?Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM - )) Group feedback: Feedback that focuses on how well the Broup is performing. Like the questions raised at the individual feedback level, similar questions are asked for the group. Do team members within the group have adequate knowledge to complete a task? Have they developed a communication network to facilitate their objectives? Feedback can be in the form of questionnaires, surveys, and audio or videotapes of group interaction. It can also occur in activities such as. market research, client surveys, accreditation, and employee evaluations (Liebler & McConnell, 2004). Feedback should be used to help a group communicate more effectively by making group members identify with the group and increase its efficacy. Feedback should not be viewed as a negative process, Instead, it should be used as a strategy to enhance goals, awareness, and learning. As a managerial tool, feedback enables managers to anticipate and respond to changes. Structured feedback enhances managerial planning and controlling functions. Because of the value of feedback, managers should encourage feedback and evaluate it systematically. (Source : http//nealthadmin.jbpub.com/Borkowski/chapter4.pdf) Business Communication Business communication is any communication carried out by you in course of doing business in your capacity as business head or as someone associated with the business. It can be oral or written but should generally be essential for carrying out business. ADVANTAGES OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION e Business communications could make use of the exposure businesses get from different media to advertise the product or services your business deals in. — Itcanbe used to establish your credentials and bea trusted expert in your industry by providing your company’s solution to problems commonly faced by business owners and such other helpful tips. e Business communication in the form of a direct mail or email survey will help you know what your customers need and help streamline your products accordingly. © Business communication is not just with customers but can also bring in bonding between the management and the employees. To do $0 every action or policy decision should be explained by theCoacept of Communication 9 management to the employees rather than enforce them in the form : of rules which may not be appreciated by the employees. e — Business communication also takes i i M Place with su liers, different government offices and other fellow businessmen. a e — Business communication can help resolve and Prevent conflicts within the company. between fellow employees as well as those misunderstandings caused with business associates due to business decisions. Client communication takes place on a number of levels: marketing, sales and after sales. It begins with marketing, where the benefits of the products or services that a business offers are communicated. It establishes brand image and public trust for the or. ganisation. The next level of client communication is sales. The sales force must be able to represent the company and its products accurately to potential clients. A failure on the sales front can cause irreparable damage to the business. But it is the after- sales which is the business's window to the world. If it is not handled well, it will ruin the clientele base. Also appropriate communication skills are required to represent the company to the world through the media as stakeholders may include shareholders, government and other interested parties. Thus, these skills have the power to make or break an organization. However, internal communication also, cannot be ignored. As these include communication between board members, communication between the board and the executive, communication to management and communication to staff, they form the backbone of the organisation. Ina global world, we have to communicate globally to negotiate, to deal and to reach our target audience. A review of recent literature on management, job advertisements and career advancement suggests ‘that in today’s competitive employment market employers’ value communication skills more than technical competence.—w we Business communication skills are exceedingly important for compan executives as conduct of business in a professional environment requires 4 rapid inflow and outflow of communication. In an industrial Context Professional communication clarifies as also conveys information, Qualitative ability to disseminate information as also interact with designated target audience are essential to both business strategy ang market performance. Good communicators have complete control of ora] and written communication. Customers will get swayed if the executive sells with logic, has substance in his sales pitch and can handle business negotiations, He must arouse customer interest, hold customer attention, satisfactorily answer market queries and learn to clinch deals, 1. Helps Corporate Branding : Communication has always been the core of the corporate world. From the moment potential employees see a recruitment advertisement to the day-to-day interactions with managers, every aspect of employees’ interaction with organizations involves communication. Communication between the people and the company is the core element of a good corporate reputation. Companies throughout the world invest millions in strategies which aim to reinvent their profile in subtle yet important ways. Helps Strategy Implementation : When organizations want to implement strategies, it is communication which enables understanding of the strategy and building of employment commitment towards it through coordination and sharing of responsibilities and capabilities, 3. Helps Client Development: Every job advertisement mentions “must Possess good communication skills.” Almost every job description calls upon good documentation and presentation skills, Client communication in any form-a telephone call or a conversation at a social gathering-is a client development Opportunity. Communication skills bring about an ability to sell to a client before he makes a buying decision by Providing what clients like- rational opinion, professional competence and high confidence levels of executives. Sales are directly Proportional to an ability to convince a designated target audience to buy. Customer enhancement ladder as also relationship marketing are possible if you can communicate Persuasively and logically.Concept of Communication 4 ” 11 Helps Client Sustenance : A fooed skis te on — company executive must have well ae i tomer i - negotiation skills and deal closure ability y eects suercie, both riers . Market t upon clinching deals and NOT | ity. ‘urnovers depend ‘ a ‘Osing margi 7 scfm tin Coto ams r al vi . aland must cd to their entire satisfaction, lomers are be addresse Helps Sales Enhancement ?Salesis a proactive exercise and invoh changing mindset in a defined target audience. This requires faving seasoned individuals in companies who can sell the ad os company ethos as also outl; ay ae who will one day not remain j company loyalists, managerial talent Tequires reading of professional literature specific to their domains and Possessing both knowledge and Presentation skills. The managers must work on holding a audience captive by their verbal articulation and must be surgically accurate in their drafting ability. Enables Crisis Management: Any crisis in an organization is difficult to handle - economic crisis being the worst, Atsuch times, each person associated with the company will need information and reassurance. If not assured on time, it can develop into low morale, high attrition and less productivity. For the senior executives of the company, this is acid test, as they have to control the crisis without panicking, as well as inform the public, uphold the company image and gain back the lost goodwill. If well handled, the same employees have the potential to become the strength of the organization, by standing by the company and spreading positive message among the public. Similarly stockholders should be reassured through proper communication so that they do not indulge in panic selling off of their stock. Develops Global Competence : As employees interact and communicate with each other, they develop an understanding of other regions, lifestyle and cultural variation existing all around the world. They therefore turn in to global citizens. This in turn helps them in overcoming cross cultural barriers during the conduct of business in different places across the world.2 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM - I) DISADVANTAGES OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION @ When too much of communication takes place, people working in your organization may be unable to understand which communication was important and which wasn't. @ Too many work related Emails may confuse employees. © — Inmost business communications, business owners tend to collaborate online with their employees and the personal touch is missed by the employees. © — Using media too often for marketing could irritate your customers rather than motivate them to buy products. Models of communication basically refer to a pictorial presentation of ways in which communication process takes place. In 1949, Claude Elwood Shannon and Warren Weaver put forth the first major model for communication. This model is commonly called as Linear Communication Model. Linear Communication Model: This model, as the name suggests, involves communication ina straight line. Communication of a message here consists of three important parts: a sender, a receiver and a channel. A sender sends a message to a receiver through a channel of communication. For example, ifa person ‘x’ sends a message to ‘Y’ over a telephone, ‘X’ is the sender, “Y’ is the receiver and the telephone is the channel of communication. Any disturbance in the connection may be referred to as ‘noise’. Channel / Me / This model thus represents one-way communication, wherein the sender uses a transmitter to encode a message into signals and sends it through a channel and the receiver receives and decodes the message from the signal. Difficulties involved in transmitting results in generation of noise, which is an inseparable part of all communication. The roles of the sender and Teceiver are irreversible. However the number of receivers may be more, thereby making this model suitable for mass communication and the use of channels like T.V., Radio and Newspaper. Transmission problems wouldConcept of Communication 1B further create ‘noise’ which this model takes into account. A diagrammatic representation of all the elements in this model is as follows: Figure : A linear model of communication Source: Wood, J. T. (2009). Communication in our lives (4th ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomson-Wadswort Merits : 1. The model being general in nature is simple to understand. 2. _ It projects who sends the message, what is the message, what channel is used, to whom is the message sent and the effort involved in all the above. Itcan be effectively used for specific objectives of communication like persuasion and generating propaganda. 4. The results are as preconceived. Demerits : 1. No scope for feedback. 2. Communications one way and so continuous communication is not possible. It presupposes that the sender and receiver are isolated beings. different It does not allow different interpretations or provide for situational contexts.14 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM - |) 5. _ It presumes coding to be an essential aspect of communication, However, some messages may not be coded. Facial expressions or other non verbal behaviour, for instance, may be spontaneous without any fore thought. Interactive Communication Model An interactive Communication Model incorporates a feedback from the receiver component into the Linear Communication Model. So, in effect, the Interactive Model involves giving turns to the sender and receiver to alternately take on roles of the encoder and decoder respectively during the process of communication First, the speaker encodes and sends message to the receiver. Then the receiver decodes the message and encodes a response or feedback to the same which when reverted back to the sender requires the sender to decode the response.Both the speaker and the listener take turns to speak and listen to each other. Feedback is given either verbally or non-verbally, or in both ways. The main focus in this model of communication is not the message sent but the process of communication. So the successful transmission and receipt of a message is not important, but the interaction is. The interaction model takes the field of experience-physical and psychological context into account. While physical context includes the influence of environmental factors like the size, layout, temperature, and lighting of a space in a communication encounter, psychological context includes the influence of mental and emotional factors like stress, anxiety, and emotions in a communication encounter. From this model point of view, communication is defined as producing conversations and interactions within physical and psychological contexts. This model captures the interactive aspects of communication but still doesn’t account for how communication constructs our realities and is influenced by social and cultural contexts. Further, the model takes into account the noise that may be generated either during transmission and receipt of message and feedback or problems that may arise due to barriers to communication like language. Anexample of interactive communication is the internet. Human-computer, Social media, interactive marketing and user generated contents, ATM machines, online shopping, chat rooms, etc are other examples of interactive communication model.—_— so Concept of Communication This model may be depicted as shown in the figure below: 5 Receiver's field of experience Source's field of experience Figure : An Interactive Model of Communication Source: Wood, J. T. (2009). Communication in our lives (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson-Wadsworth Merits : A Feedback is received in all communication, even mass communication. Communication is two way and so continuous communication is 2 possible. 3, Both sender and receiver are equally active and important although they may not know each other. 4. Concept of noise helps avoid misinterpretation of message and feedback. 5, _ Concept of context or field of experience enables better understanding of the communication process. 6. The model is more focussed on interaction than on message. Demerits : 1. This model cannot deal with multiple levels of communication and complex communication processes. 2. There can only be two sources communicating, many sources complicates the process and the model cannot be implemented. 3. Message sent and received might be interpreted differently than intended. 4, Feedback could be delayed. 5. No engagement of sender and receiver in communication.18 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM - I) Q2 "Communication pervades the whole organisation in the same way Q Q Q! NAP ENO 3 4 a a in which atmosphere prevails all aroundus'. Discuss, How does "Feedback" have relevance to business communication, in the context of globalisation taking place ? 3 Imagine the following situations. Who is the sender here? Who is the receiver? Indicate the speech act used by the sender, the nature of message, the expected type & nature of feedback in each of the situations. : (a) Asalesman provides information about a new brand of mobile toa customer. (b) A dentist explains the cause of tooth decay and procedures involved in reversing the harm done to a patient. (c) Aclient seeks information regarding airplane ticket availability from an agent. (d) A medical representative makes a presentation for a doctor. (&) A relative makes an enquiry regarding your safety in the aftermath of a train accident (f) You wish your friend on his birthday. Examine the following pairs of situations in the light of the communication process and analyse them to explain which of each pair is a communication situation and which is not. (a) Mallika is singing a song at a concert. (b) Reena is humming a tune to herself. (a) Two friends are having a dialogue. (b) Ina crowded train, Bali is whispering his experiences of the day to his grandfather who is hard of hearing. (a) Sona, who hails from Kerala visits Mumbai in her vacation and receives a telephonic message in Marathi to be delivered to her cousin who is not at home. (b) Sheela is reading a letter. Explain the following terms: Sender Channel Message Receiver Feedback Effective Communication Two way CommunicationTees ee ee eee Concept of Communication A. Choose the correct answers : 1 Be 3. 8. 9. 10. The message that gets no response is not. The Latin word ‘Communicare’ means {a) to take (b) to export (c) to import (d) to impart Signs and were used when language did not exist. (a) telephones (b) telegrams (c) symbols (d) letters Message arises in the mind of the (a) sender (b) receiver (c) listener (d) community Senders need a to send out a message. (a) medium (b) feedback (c) vehicle (d) fee The framing of a message for sending is known as (a) decoding (b) arranging (c) encoding (d) printing (a) Encoding (b) Feedback (c) Symbols (d) Decoding (c) Water availability (d) Strategy Management Communication should result in a/an response. (a) lengthy (b) short (c) understanding (d) verbal The Latin word means to make common. (a) communicus (b) transcare (c) telecare (d) communicare (a) lost (b) communicated (c) symbolic (d) tolerated is a measure of the success of the message communicated. affects the choice of medium. (a) Cost factor (b) Beauty factor Ans. (1) - (d), (2) - (c), 3 - (a), (4) - (a), (5) - (c), (6) - (b), (7) = (a), (8) - (0), B. (9) - (d), (10) - (b) Match the following columns : Column A Column B 1. Communicationbetween (a) Reward two individuals (6) Verbal or non verbal symbols 2. Address toalargegroup (c) To motivate the receiver 3. Positive Feedback (d) Depends on nature of message 4. Negative Feedback (e)_ Involves assessment of 5. A purpose of symbols used communication (Interpersonal Communication 6. Message (g) Involves use of common 7. Decoding symbols 8. Encoding (h) Mass Communication 9. Medium Punishment @ Ans. (1) - (f), (2) - (h), (3) (a), (4) - (i), (5) - (0), (6)-(b), (7)-(e), (8)-(g), (9)-(a)Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM - I) NO Ss State whether the following statements are True or False: Communication only involves transfer of information. Message can make use of both verbal and non-verbal symbols. Looking confused is a kind of negative feedback. The message that gets no response is not communicated. The receiver is not important in the process of communication. Immediate feedback can be given after a month. Negative feedback is undesirable. Reward is positive feedback. Informal feedback need not be given. Sender encodes a message while receiver decodes the message. Ans. True: 2, 3, 4, 8, 10; False: 1, 5, 6, 7,9 BePNauRONEO SIMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ENABLED COMMUNICATION Impact of Technological Advancements on Communication Types of Technology Enabled Communication - Internet - E-Mail - Blogs - Moodle Social Media : Facebook, Twitter & WhatsApp Today, we live in interesting times. Technology is growing at a tremendously fast rate. Technological developments have slowly and steadily made its way in to every realm of life. We have embraced these technologies and assimilated and integrated them into the way we do business. Today, many business people wouldn’t be able to function efficiently without these tools. Furthermore, communications as we know it, would almost cease to exist without E-mail, fax-on-demand and teleconferencing. We have got so accustomed to the presence of computers and the services they provide that many of us don’t remember what it was like before.oe: | 22 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Coi -) Some of the ways in which technological developments have impacted communication are: 1. AMetamorphosis from Resistance to Change : A lot of money has been invested in business in the last decade, but showed little gain or efficiency. Some of this latency is due to some people's natural resistance to the types of change introduced by evolving technologies, Many employees resent change in the way they perform their job function. Every organization has individuals that would much prefer to be operating “the old way”. Such individuals, in course of time, either embrace the change or face elimination. A major challenge for the government and business sectors, is to acquire highly skilled, adaptable, innovative workers who constantly upgrade to the modern means of communication. 2, Lack of Interaction due to Flexibility in Timings : In the past, workers had to be physically present in the business office during “normal” business hours. That is where they performed their job function and interacted with other employees. Today, many organizations permit flexible work environments. Telecommuting is the technology that made this flexibility possible. Some employees connect from their home computer to the office network and perform their job function from home. This flexibility is an excellent way of performing their job while controlling their own schedule, although it implies lack of interaction between the employees who are working at home and the employees in the office. 3. Change in Style of Living : Cell phones and text messaging have changed the way people communicate and interact with each other. ‘As new technologically advanced instruments are invented, people proceed to adopt them, toadd new meaning to their lives. For example, the boom in cell phones have changed both the time and the length of time for which a call may be placed. 4, Increased Efficiency : Computers and computer networks have | helped organizations realize substantial gains in efficiency and | effectiveness. However, issues of freedom of expression, copyright, and democracy are being revisited and receiving heightened attention | because technology offers new channels of communication which | allow organizations and individuals to disseminate information ina | manner that was impossible ten years ago. 5, Easy Availability of Information : The Internet began as a government effort to provide fast means of communication for scientists working on national security issues around the globe. Today, the Internet is @ replete source of information, software and communications. ManyeS Impact of Technology Enabled Communication 23 would agree that the future of communications and business commerce lies in the Internet. Change in the Way Communication for Business Transaction is done:Most medium to large companies have their own “Home Page” and use these pages to provide information and services to their customers. In addition to the World Wide Web, the Internet offers other services including Newsgroups where people can post and reply to messages that are grouped by subject matter and Electronic Mail (E-mail). It has brought in a realm of paperless storage of data and has made possible communicating with banks on-line. Business and trade is also conducted online. Internet has also changed the way applications and call letters are sent and has to some extent also changed the entire process by which recruitment is conducted. Speed in Communication : The growth and innovations of the computer brought along with it many aspects of the business world. Communication is an example of one of these business processes that have grown in parallel with the computer and like the computer, this growth has been exponential. The global market has created the need for fast communications over a great distance. Teleconferencing and E-mail are two excellent examples of technologies that have met these needs and have literally transformed the way the business world operates. In some companies, Teleconferencing has all but replaced “physical” meetings, thereby drastically reducing travel costs and the loss of productivity as a result of the travel time required to attend the meetings. Replacement of Postal Mail with Electronic Mail (E-mail) : 8. E-mail has transformed business communication like no other technology. In addition to simple inter-office communications, E-mail has helped to advance the global market and provides immediate information transfer. In the modern business world, E-mail has all but replaced conventional postal mail for simple communications. In addition, although the telephone is an immediate means of communication, some people would still prefer to communicate via E-mail. Their logic is E-mail gives them an opportunity to better articulate themselves and expound on their thoughts. This is particularly effective for technical communications where specific details are important and would be very difficult to transcribe over the phone. Unlike verbal data, E-mail does not decay while traversing from one employee to the next. Besides, E-mail is self-documenting and is an excellent means of providing an audit trail when working onimportant projects.seseucy Business Communication -I (F-Y.B.Com.: SEM - |) Technology enabled communication refers to E- communication, E. communication includes websites, E-mails and electronic documents, Aj) these are available through the internet. So, what is Internet? The internet is nothing but a great network of | computers connecting millions ‘of computers around the world. Itcanbe | defined as the “largest network of various computers in the world, globally allowing many computers to be connected to each other through servers, using cable communication system”. It is the largest and most | effective information providing network. | Internet as Information Superhighway | a The Internet, connecting millions of computers, offers a powerful new computing ‘platform’. The World Wide Web (WWW) is now the world’s most exciting communications medium. It has been hailed as the user- friendly facet of the Internet: a rich collection of shopping malls, museums, games, job agencies, literature and what not. Its coverage is known to include about half a million companies, everything from Iceland to Antartica, as it were. The World Wide Web is a collection of all the Websites on the Internet. All these websites are linked to one another to form a global ‘web’ of information. The WWB comprises a large collection of documents called ‘eb pages. These web pages are stored on computers across the world. information provided by the web pages may include text, graphics, | ages, sound or video clips and even movies. These pages may bestored by any agency company government department or university to be viewed by all. Any of these agencies or departments is called a Web site. This ‘World Wide Web’ is open to all types of computers. It is now the centre of computing universe. The ‘information superhighway’ is finally a reality. Optical fibre and digitalisation are the two technological achievements, which made this dream come to reality. The capacity of optical fibre is staggering and so is the process of digitalisation which converts all information into numbers that can be manipulated by @ computer. Thus it is possible to move huge amounts of data quickly perfectly throughout the world.Impact of Technology Enabled Communication 25 This information superhighway is getting divided into three lanes. The first would be the consumer-oriented lane, which will provide services for customers such as games on demand, home banking, movies and other consumer related services. The second lane would be public information oriented lane to be used by researchers and by people wishing to provide ‘information’ as service. The third lane of this super-highway will be the business-oriented lane. The Internet, however, is already being used by businessmen as a medium of marketing and advertising. The World Wide Web (W.W.W.) enables companies to open virtual offices, showrooms, information dissemination centres etc., globally at low costs. The Internet is an international showcase of goods and services of almost everything that is available under the sun. It is storehouse of information about products, stock markets, currency exchange rates etc. An Internet connection in India can be accessed by applying to VSNL (Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd.) which is supposed to be the Internet Service Provider in India. VSNL provides Internet access to six major cities in India - Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai, Pune and Bangalore. A person residing in any of the cities apart from these can have an Internet access by connecting to any of the closest Internet Access Cities, This is called ‘INET’. There are two types of lines available through Internet Service Provider. 1. Lease Line: A direct line to the Net, connecting directly to the server. This line is expensive, usually used by large organizations. 2. Dial-up: A line for students, businessmen, office-goers or anyone having a PC, to connect just by dialing-in and getting the connection. There are many other utilities such as ‘Browsers’ or ‘Surf’ that can be used for searching for some information or required information. You can send E-mail to any person anywhere in the world whose E-mail address is known to you, It is also possible to know the latest news of events taking place in the world by using Internet. One's Website can be browsed at any time of day or night. Information can be downloaded, orders can be requested, and customers can spend as much time as they like looking at products and services. The net also provides at an elementary level, ‘E-Mail’ services for exchange of documents, letters etc. Now the on-line users have facilities to sit at the Key-Board and log on to another computer across the world.2 2 %6 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SE y The Internet thus opens the window to the world and allows faster fig, information, In simple terms, the discoveries made in any corner of «~ world could be on our table top in no time. All we need to do is get tt Tight connections. a P.C,, a modem and a telephone line, and we ane’ part of the World Wide Web (WWW). ire T WEBSITES mo Websites can provide a lot of useful information, goods and services be the gateway to online communities. A website can include static pa, dynamic pages, message boards, discussion forums, news feeds, be eeaavedatie documents, forms and streaming media like sound ang, video, to name but a few of the most frequent features. A static page is basic HTML page that remains the same for all users until the develop, = changes the content by editing the code behind the page. You usually see “htm html .xhtm or xhtml as the ending in the webpage’s address or URL (uniform resource locator). In dynamic web pages, the appearance of a ] page or part of a page changes without the whole page being reloaded, ) «This could be, for example, a continuous update of the weather, a currency exchange rate or a form that gives immediate feedback on information you are trying to submit. Dynamic pages can also contain customised content depending on who the user is, what equipment they are using, the time, location or earlier set preferences. These pages are usually connected toa database and the ending of the URL can be .dhtm .dhtml .js .asp Php jsp or net. Pages with Flash animation, sound and interactivity are dynamic pages. Whole websites can be built as a Flash animation or included just as part of an otherwise static page. It is often used for adverts and small mes. Flash has been known to be inaccessible but efforts are being made fb build in accessibility options in the program producing Flash pages. Message boards are used to discuss topics relevant to a certain group. A user posts a message, which everyone can see, someone else posts a reply and a discussion builds up. Message boards are also known as web forums or internet forums. News feeds are a way of collating and distributing news from different sources. They allow users to create their own personal news pages, containing only the topics they are interested in. RSS is an “pbreviation, most commonly for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary, used to indicate a news feed. A blog or a web-log is 2 website that someone is writing publicly, reflecting her /his own views and interests Blogs often offer commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food politics, or local news and some are set up as more personal diaries. The entries are most often in reverse chronological order, with the latest ent" first. on naman= Impac tof Technology Enabled Communication bs E- Mail —_ ition E-Mail (Electronic Mail) involves sending messages via telecommunicat links. If two computer terminals, howsoever distant from each other, are connected onnetwork, itis possible to send messages from one to the other. The message is typed on a computer screen at one end, and is conveyed to the other end through electronic impulses. The principle of electronic mail — or e-mail — is that computer users swap messages Via a large central computer. The large central computer is known as the e-mail host computer. In very large e-mail systems, there are several inter-linked host computers. Each member of an e-mail system is assigned a‘mail-box’ on the central e-mail host computer. Every mailbox has a unique name or identification code. Members of an e-mail system connect up with the central host computer via an ordinary telephone line. A microcomputer is said to be ‘on-line’ when a direct connectionis established with the central host computer. Subscribers swap messages by ‘posting’ them in each others mailboxes. An e-mail user will not be aware of any new messages until he or she connects up with central host computer to ‘check’ their mailboxes. E-mail involves a form of computer to computer communications. As such, the microcomputer of an e-mail user must be fitted with a modem and loaded with a software program to control the data transmission. In contrast to direct computer to computer communications, however, the sender and the recipient are never in direct contact with each other on an e-mail system. E-Mail combines some of the characteristics of writing and speaking. Subscribers to electronic mail services are called ‘Users’ and as a User you can access messages on your system from either your home or office. Asa user you can communicate directly to your receiver along with the advantages of being able to compose and write messages. You can reach groups as well as individuals and share files of data, videos, music and anything else you can store on a computer. E-mail is useful in your personal communications. You can communicate with friends and members of your family anywhere in the world. E-mail systems include users’ messages, senders’ and receivers’ addresses, messaging transports and directory systems. A message is the actual information sent by one user to another. Each E-mail system uses a protocol that describes the structure of the message, generally with To - From and Subject, followed by the body which may include text, images, graphics, etc. E-mail is fairly immediate and generally less formal than other forms of written communications. You may be tempted to relax the tone, organisation28 i ks and capitalization and content of your message. Punctuation mar] tic vary from one E-mail user to another, with some people omitting ot Pea Rane ese Ptr tree aee gi Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Coi EM. ) cay punctuation except for periods at the ends of sentences. How E-Mail Works : | To send an E-mail Message, the sender has to do the following:- © Log on. This means connecting to a computer network or E-maj | programme. | @ — Choose the receiver's E-mail address | Compose the message © Instruct the programme to send the message To read and receive E-mail message, the receiver will have to do the following : © Logon © — Look at a list of the new mail © Choose the message one wants to read ¢ Handle the message by deleting, storing or replying. Advantages of E-mail | 1. _Itis the quickest means of transmitting messages. E-mail cuts through | the bureaucracy of traditional business letters and memos. Wordy memos, customer correspondence and other external communications | can be replaced by brief, timely messages which can be sent to anyone who has an e-mail address, | 2. If both the sender and the receiver are simultaneously sitting at the | terminals, clarifications can be sought and offered and additional | information, if required, conveyed immediately, by attaching files to | messages, | 3. The information received or messages received can be stored for future | reference or sent elsewhere or simply disposed off. 4. E-mail messages are Supposed to be highly confidential and secure. The chances of tampering with the messages are much fewer that messages conveyed through conventional modes, because the use of | the code make a message more secure,B 29 Impact of Technology Enabled Communication ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS Documents and forms distributed via email or downloadable from the internet are most often in the format of: Word documents with filenames ending in .doc, ° e PDF (portable document format) ending .pdf, @ RIF (rich text format) ending with .rtf. Forms can be used to take bookings for training courses, sell items from your website and give feedback about the website content. Blogs = “Blog” is a shortened form of the words “weblog."It is a website which maintains an ongoing flow of information. A Blog uses a web based application to publish the story being written. It also has links to articles on other websites, usually presented as posts or a list of entries in reverse chronological order. Blogs range from the personal to the political. A blog features diary-type commentary in the nature of an opinion on something ornarrations from the writer’s personal life or acommentary about someone else. It can focus on one narrow subject or a whole range of subjects from web design to home staging, sports, mobile technology etc. Blogs generally have some common aspects: e Amain content area with articles listed chronologically, newest on top. Often, the articles are organized into categories. e Anarchive of older articles. Away for people to leave comments about the articles. © A list of links to other related sites, sometimes called a “blogroll”. @ One or more “feeds” like RSS, Atom or RDF files. Blogging: A person who owns or runs a blog or a person who maintains the blog is called a blogger. He is responsible for posting articles or new posts, information, sharing the most up-to-date news, opinions and case studies etc. Such entries are known as blog posts. Content is very important for any website. Retail sites feature a catalog of Products. University sites contain information about their campuses,0 Business Communication U(PY.B.Com, SEM : ; ) curriculum, and faculty, News sites show the latest news stories Po personal blog, you might havea bune Jrot observations, of reviews, With some sort ot updated content, thore is Little reason to Visita Website than once, Mon Typically, blog authors compose their artic los ina ee las l Mtettagy, built into the blogging system itself, Or they may use some Soltware 4 allow them to write articles offline and upload theny at a later time, A blogger must: 1. Post regularly, but not if they have nothing worth posting about, 2. Stick with only a tew specific genres to talk about 3. Not put subscribe! and ‘vote me’ inks all over the front page forcing visitors to ignore them 4. Use acleariand simple theme if at all possible Enjoy, blog for tun and comment on other peoples’ blogs (as they normally visit back), Types: There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in the way that content is delivered or written, Personal blog is an ongoing diary or commentary written by an individual, Collaborative blogs or group blogs allow posts to be written and published | by more than one author around a single uniting theme. Microblogging is the practice of posting small pieces of digital content — which could be text, pictures, links, short videos, or other media —on the Internet. A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be used for marketing, branding or for public relation that makes it a corporate blog. Individuals or organization may aggregate selected feeds on specific topic or product and provide | combined view for its readers through Aggregated blog Blogs can be distinguished on the basis of genres like political blogs, health blogs, journalism blog, education blogs, classical music blogs etc. Or they may be distinguished on the basis of media type. For example, a blog | comprising videos is called a vlog, one comprising links is called a linklog a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog or one comprising photos is called a photoblog. Blogs with shorter posts and mixed | media types are called tumblelogs. Blogs that are written on typewriters and then scanned are called typecast blogs. A rare type of blog hosted 0" the Gopher Protocol is known as a plilog. A blog can also be defined bY which type of device is used to compose it. A blog written by a mobile enae Impact of Technology Enabled Communication 31 device like a mobile phone or PDA could be called a moblog. One early blog sousveillance was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online shared diary of a person's personal life combining text, video, and pictures transmitted live froma wearable computer and EyeTap device to a web site. Features: 1. Most blogs allow visitors to leave comments. Sometimes visitors can do so even without visiting the blog through pingbacks or trackbacks that can inform other bloggers whenever they cite an article from another site in their own articles. A lot of blogs feature an archive based on dates (like a monthly or yearly archive). Archives help to organize and present articles in a composed fashion. Feed is a function of special software that allows “Feedreaders” to access a site automatically looking for new content and then post updates about that new content to another site. This provides a way for users to keep up with the latest and hottest information posted on different blogging sites. A blogroll is a list, sometimes categorized, of links to webpages the author of a blog finds worthwhile or interesting. It is often in a “sidebar” on the page or featured as a dedicated separate web page. Comment Moderation is a feature which allows the website owner and author to monitor and control the comments on the different article posts, and can help in tackling comment spam. It lets you moderate comments, & you can delete unwanted comments, approve cool comments and make other decisions about the comments. Blogging tools are available to take care of site management and to help overcome Comment Spam. Advantages: 1 2 Blogging provides an opportunity to express oneself creatively on any topic of interest. Itcan be a source of revenue through services such as blog designing, blog consultancy etc. It does not require much technical knowledge and can be easily set ‘up.32 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM _ p 1 4. Posts can be upgraded from time to time keeping it relevant at au | times. 5. People can leave comments on our blogs making it highly interactiyg | 6. _ Blogs offer a variety of choices for readers. Disadvantages: 1.» Itis possible for posts to be biased, inaccurate or retaliatory innature which can adversely affect the blog writer. 2. One can get excessively involved in blogs can so fails to remember other important details of their daily life. 3. Readers can get addicted to the computer and blogs refusing to do other productive work which can adversely affect their health and social life. Besides, continuously writing or reading blogs may affect your eye sight. 4. Alotof time needs to be invested but recognition may not come ea: for blog writers. Readers too have to invest a lot of time in ord. find a blog worthy of reading. Moodle sily er to Moodle is an E-learning tool. It is the acronym for modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment. It is a free and open source platform that lets you build the perfect education solution for your needs. It is a project | that has a huge community of users which enables pedagogical engagements. It allows you to create, customise and control your learning environment using community sourced plug. | Being a software that helps in managing the process of learning, it is written inPHP. It is a valuable tool that can be advantageously used even in distance education by the learners. It is an instructional strategy that reverses the traditional learning environment by providing the content that they need to master online instead of being taught in the confines of the classroom. The students then just need to go online and see the online lessons at time convenient for him. They can then work independently to develop expertise in the content. For this, they may carry out research or take patt in discussions online or use the guidance of the traditional teachers in the classroom. Thus homework may be done at school.Pence, Impact of Technology Enabled Communication 33 ‘The original idea behind Moodle development was to enable like-minded educators to come together and create content that can be upgraded whenever a need is felt. Moodle was the brainchild of Martin Dougiamas, initially created in 2002. But now Moodle HQ, an Australian company is at the helm of affairs. They are aided in this task by many open-source programmers. Ithas features such as calendar and Gradebook. Moodle is a modular system based on plugins, which are like lego blocks that you put together to build whatever you want. Not only do plugins offer variety in content but they permit collaborations at many different levels. It is said the process of teaching is incomplete without an evaluation tool. So, Moodle has the facility to offer Peer assessment. Moodle also offers many customised management features such as a personalised site name with your own custom domain and logo, allowing usage on mobile devices, Moodle mobile app etc. Graphical themes for Moodle can be installed to change the look and functionality of a Moodle site or of an individual course. Besides, Moodle Moots are possible which are nothing but conferences organised by universities or other large organisations using Moodle, Moodle Partners, Moodle associations or Moodle HQ for Moodle community members. They enable learning about Moodle, sharing experiences of the learning platform, discussing research inrelated educational technologies and contributing ideas to future Moodle development. Moodle has been translated in over 100 languages, available for any site administrator to install. Certified Moodle Partners provide other Moodle services, including hosting, training, customization and content development. Also, users can download and install Moodle easily on a Webserver Moodle has adopted many different e-learning standards like Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), AICC HACP standard, IMS Content Packages and Learning Tools Interoperability (TI). These help define communications between client side content and a server side learning management system and also enable proper integration of content or assessment packages that have been authored by different individuals, Moodle runs without modification on Unix, Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, OS X, NetWare and any other systems that support PHP and a database, including webhost providers. Moodle also has import features for use with other specific systems, such as importing quizzes or entire courses from Blackboard or WebCT. Besides, as compared to other Learning Platforms, Moodle has a write-back functionality which enables schools, colleges and universities to write data onto their MIS and back again.aan Business Communica" 34 Social Media ' : oo rena low people, companies ang : s that allow p' 4 re interactive ee ate, distribute, discuss, share, op tions to create, interests, ideas, and pictures/videos i, ca ks using a computer. Professors Andreag Heanibie SCP European Business School defi Social media a! 1 organizal ae information, virtual communities and ne eo .d Michael Haenlein o} dl ee act balld’en ine Kaplan ann 3s “a group of Internet-based appli hat build social media as Pological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the ideological and oe age of user-generated content.” Users of social media creation and eortene through websites or social networking Sites like tend to Need chat rooms. Different types of social media include social Pratt cpsblogs, microblogging, content communities, podcasts anq wikis. i fully changed the ways in which business houses Sas eee d these changes have given rise to an or individuals communicate an n § ise to emerging field of technoself studies. We now find that social media is widely used to express views or update news online. Moreover, Social media brings together like-minded people and create a virtual community bound together through a common cause. One field that has been greatly impacted by social media is that of advertisement. This has resulted in, large scale marketing taking place online. Social media has also become the site to visit for entertainment and collaborating with friends and relatives. Some of the features of social media are as follows: © Social media are Web 2.0 Internet-based applications. ¢ Social media is a blend of technology and social interaction which helps in enhancing of value. e rig media forums become sites where users create their own profiles ae oo orapp that they use, maintenance and redesigning 1s he responsibility of the social media organization. © — Social media provide ri sana ee a rich user experience and they are able to take Post images ae ae that allow them to ‘like,’ create and aa 2 upload vi ca . with Sect reaper videos and texts which in turn can be shared © = Content is inte enerate : gi ed by the users themselves through collectivé ligence makin, them scalab! and dynamic in re. 8 8 Ci mK y’ natuDd Impact of Technology Enabled Communication 35 However, social media sites are susceptible to spamming and trolling in the hands of immature users. Advantages of Social Media: ti Social media connects the whole world through a network of friends and friends of friends Social Media enables singles to find romance and individuals who 2. seek new jobs, a product or service referral, career advice or support from like-minded individuals. 3. Social Media enables sharing of tips and ideas or finding solutions to complex problems. 4pivlt makes it possible to share information in real time through instant messaging feature. So, teachers can facilitate classroom discussions, managers can utilize it for conducting team meetings and organizers of events can remind guests or update them with the latest development. 5. Ithelps quick advertising about upcoming events or new products or service and is able to send it particularly to your target audience optimizing resources and minimising wastage. 6. _ Itenhances the speed at which news spreads. Disadvantages : 1. Offensive posts can be in bad taste. 2. Enables cyberbullying which can have a terrible effect on the victims. 3. Children not under parental supervision may be exposed to adult materials which may hamper their normal growth. 4. Anumber of cases of fraud and identity theft are reported. 5. Social media may be addictive resulting in gross wastage of time. 6. There is a possibility of invasion of privacy. 7. Social media tends to infringe on the advantages of the personal touch. distance and reduces the number of close So it brings in more physical us less social in the real sense and thereby friends. It thus tends to make increases aggression.4 Business Communication -I(F-Y.B.Com.: SEM.» | 5 : Types of Social Media FACEBOOK i is i orking service headquartered in \y, 0 catia aap oiler eaaehe on February 4, 2004, by May patie Gath Hae College roommates and fellow studene Rodeo ean Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes , i ia that is based on personal relationship networ, The bh stirrings Facebook vecomes a source of informatio, about the user and therefore mandates registration with real names, jf offered a point where all communications involving the user is storeg_ Walls, Timelines and Private messages. It permits sharing of updates With one’s entire networks in one click. Features: © Facebook has all the practical applications of social media, ¢ Many brands can reach their target audience online through a Facebook Page. @ Facebook has amazing video and image-sharing capabilities although majority of the posts shared herein are in the form of texts. © — People often consider Facebook to be their living room where they catch up with their friends without compromising their privacy. Advantages: © — Facebook provides free service to the users, © — Ithelps connect with old friends, © Itisavery good platform for conducting business, e oh Partnership with skype, Facebook Permits video chat. © It provides high Security to user accounts, pare is well designed website So it can keep users busy for long e Facebook can be used as social bookmarking website to enable sharing of blogs, articles, videos with millions of People.ee Impact of Technology Enabled Communication 37 Facebook provides app store and free gaming facilities. where we can use thousands of Facebook application and play different games with your friend freely. Facebook like button keep in touch to user to every other website. with this single like button you can bring everything inside Facebook world. : e Now days most of the site now allows a user to login at their site by using Facebook Login ID. So if you have Facebook login id than you don’t need to waste your time for registering other website. @ — Youcan use Facebook as news and information source. Thus Facebook have many advantages which make Facebook best. Disadvantages : @ Many people use fake profiles and ids. Facebook is addictive and time consuming. e If privacy settings are not kept strong, your personal information can be misappropriated. e — Facebook list feature not used correctly by users, TWITTER ‘Twitter was founded on March 21, 2006 in USA by Evan Williams, Noah Glass, Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone. It isan online micro-blogging and social networking Web site that is used to provide information, commentary and descriptions of events and highlight certain audio or video content. Micro- blogging is a form of blogging that allows users to send brief text updates toa Web site that aggregates these messages for viewing by friends or the public. These messages can be submitted by a variety of means, including text messages, mobile Web sites, audio formats, or the Web site hosting the micro-blog. Twitter is an online social networking service that enables users tosend and read short 140-character messages called “tweets”. Registered users can read and post tweets, but those who are unregistered can only Tead them. Features : © — Incontrast to Facebook where you connect with your friends while deciding to keep away from strangers, Twitter allows you to talk to strangers and connect with personalities from all walks of life.38 Business Communication -I(F.Y.B.Com.: SEyy_ *) ‘Twitter is the only social network where brands and consumers an even playing field and unrestricted lines of clear, cong ve communication. Itis therefore the ideal social network for marketin® © Twitter not only attracts a unique audience, but it helps us iden | who we should engage with through the tweets, retweets, hashtg.? etc. that the individual shares. 88, @ Twitter also thrives on several factors that support and aff... engagement like photos, hashtags, links, videos and numerals (j¢" tweets containing a sports score or an official stat) ey © Finally, Twitter provides a user-friendly interface that’s primed fo, | engagement and 1:1 communication. | Garentege: e Twitter provides free service to users. | @ — Itiseasy to join and use. e Twitter is widely used. _Itallows you to both research the market and share information about the service provided by you. Itprovides high level security to users account. e You can use twitter on your smartphones, and twitter apps are available for every smart phone. @ You can follow anyone on twitter and anyone can follow you. © Twitter also provide you instant sms notification. You can use tweet into your blog post or on your website by using embed tweet option. You can use your twitter id to log in to other website and also post comment by using it. © Tweets are very easy to create and by using lots of twitter apps Yo" can do lots of interesting stuff also by using third-party application like hoot suite you can set your tweet to update automatically. Thus twitter has many advantages which make twitter best. Disadvantages : Twitter has many fake and inactive users. e Spam tweets create trouble for the receivers.Pr so Impact of Technology Enabled Communication 39 It is addictive and time consuming. It only permits tweeting of 140 characters. . e Notsuitable for sharing photos and videos. WHATSAPP Whatsapp is a free to download messenger app for smartphones. Whatsapp uses the internet to send messages, images, audio or video. The service is very similar to text messaging services. However, since Whatsapp uses the internet to send messages using only your mobile number, the cost of using Whatsapp is significantly less than texting. It is popular with teenagers because of features like group chatting, voice messages and location sharing. Whatsapp follows a ‘store and forward’ mechanism for exchanging messages between two users. When a user sends a message, it first travels to the Whatsapp server where it is stored. Then the server repeatedly requests the receiver acknowledge receipt of the message. As soon as the message is acknowledged, the server drops the message; it is no longer available in database of server. Whatsapp server keeps the message only for 30 days in its database when it is not delivered (when the receiver is not active on Whatsapp for 30 days). Technically speaking, Whatsapp uses a customized version of the open standard Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP). Whatsapp Inc. was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, both veterans of Yahoo! With 700 Million users, as of January 2015, Whatsapp is currently the biggest online messenger app on the market. Although it started as a small startup, it swelled to 250,000 users in just a few months, growing so fast that they had to add a charge for using the service per year to slow the subscription rate down. In 2014 WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook. Advantages : © They can also organise lists of contacts so that they can quickly send messages to lots of people in group chats through WhatsApp. © _ Itallows sending of voice messages. © Itallows users to keep in touch with people living abroad, without incurring the international charges associated with text messages, © — Whatsapp even allows you to call people through the internet, free of cost. © So far, it does not permit pop ups and advertisements to disturb the user,40 @ — Alltools provided by Whatsapp are very easy to use. | i ically i from your phone ang | e This app automatically imports the contacts f ang | tells ft that how many of your friends are using Whatsapp. | © Users can share their location, photos, status and even videos with their friends. You need not spend any money for chatting and sharing with Your | friends. | @ _Italsoallows you to send 100 messages a month to any of your frien, ds not using Whatsapp for free. | Disadvantages: You can chat to friends that only have smart phones supporting this application and to friends having their account on Whatsapp. You can just send 100 messages ina month to friends not having, Whatsapp on their phone. @ You must have access to internet to send and receive messages for free and the messages are also not sent to the phone inbox. © — Your profile picture is visible to every person having your contact | number and using this app, whether known by you or not. | Qi Write short notes on the following : | 1, Impact of technological advancements on communication | 2. E-Communication | 3. Internet | 4. Websites 5. E-Mail 6. Blogs 7. Moodle | 8. Social Media | 9. Advantages of WhatsApp 10. Facebook: Advantages 11. Twitter: Disadvantages 12. WhatsApp: Disadvantages | Q2 What do you understand by blogs? Discuss the different types and features of blogs. Q3 Discuss the importance of Moodle as an E-learning tool. a Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM.) |Proceso Impact of Technology Enabled Communication 41 Qs Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 1 PN or 9. 10. What is meant by social media? What are its features, advantages and disadvantages. Compare and contrast the features of facebook and twitter. WhatsApp is a very popular messenger app. Discuss. Explain the relevance of Computers, Internet and E-mail in present times. Explain the following terms : E-Communication 4 E-Mail Blogging Moodle Social Media _ OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS Choose the correct answers : Blog is a shortened form of the words : (a) Blogspot (b) Interblog (c) Weblog (d) Socioblog A owns, runs or maintains a blog. (a) Blogtrainer (b) Blogger (c) Webber (d) Portal is the acronym for modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment. (a) Model (b) Modle (c) Moodel (d) Moodle Moodle is a (a) peripheral (b) hardware (c) telecare (d) software Moodle moots are (a) mobile centres (b) conferences (c) selling counters (d) call centres Social media creates communities using a computer. (a) vicious (b) virtual (c) real (d) vain social networking service allows you to talk to strangers. (a) Facebook (b) Whatsapp (c) Twitter (d) Yahoo social networking service helps connect with old friends. (a) Facebook (b) Whatsapp (c) Twitter (d) Yahoo follows a'store and forward! mechanism. (a) Facebook (b) Whatsapp (c) Twitter (d) Yahoo Neuen social networking service provides free gaming facilities. (a) Facebook (b) Whatsapp (c) Twitter (d) Yahoo Ans. (1) - (c), (2) - (b), (3) - (d), (4) - (A), (5) - (d), (6) - (b), (7) - (0), (8) - (a), (9) - (b), (10) - (a)42 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com. : SEM B. Match the following columns: Column A Column B 1. Blogs with short posts (a) moblog 2. Blog with photos (b) vlog 3. Ongoing diary (c)_ Microblog 4, Blogs with multiple (a) linklog authors and one theme (e) Corporate blog 5. Blog comprising videos (f) tumblelog : 6. Blogs with small pieces (g) Collaborative blogs of digital content (h) sousveillance 7. Wearable Wireless Webcam (i) photoblog 8. Blog used for marketing (j) Personal blog 9. Blog with links 10. Blog written by mobile device (1) - , (2) - (i), (3) - (j), (4) - (g), (5) - (b), (6) - (0), (7) = (hy, (8) « (0, (9) - (d), (10) - (a) C. State whether the following statements are True or False . WAN connects a number of computers spread over a relatively smal] area. www isa user friendly facet of Internet. E-mail is a slow means of communication. E-commerce is an electronic means of conducting business. Whatsapp is a free to download messenger app for smart phones. When direct connection is established, a microcomputer is said to be off line. Tweets are sent through facebook. Walls and timelines are offered by facebook. Twitter can be used on smartphones. Whatsapp server keeps the message for 30 days in its database if iti not delivered. Ans. True: 2, 4, 5, 8, 9,10; False :1, 3, 6,7 > = B - DAPWON Be PN ~43 3 COMMUNICATION AT WORKPLACE A. e e e e eooe Channels of Communication Introduction Types Of Channels: Formal& Informal Formal Communication: Vertical, Horizontal & Diagonal Informal Communication : Grapevine Methods of Communication Introduction Verbal Communication : Oral & Written Nonverbal Communication: Body Language, Postures, Gestures, Expressions, Dress& Grooming, Space& Proximics, Silence, Visual Communication, Tactile Signals and Haptics Business Etiquettes i izati -up. It has an organizational Every firm or organization has a formal set-up. ; pattem To cacy its activities, it employs people who work at ee levels with certain duties, authorities and power assigned to ee Ss Per the needs of the organization and as per the ability and qualifications of46 Business Communication ~ I (F.-Y. B.Com SEM }) Formal communication may move either vertically or horizontally, Vertica] communication can flow ‘downward’ (from superiors to subordinates) of ors). Horizontal communication ‘upward’ (from subordinates to superi flows among employees of equal or com parable status Whena number of people, irrespective of their status st down and confer withone another to ‘rive at a decision acceptable to all, itis called ‘consensus > P of communication, there exists an ‘This informal communication is an stem and operates in every In addition to these formal channels informal channel of communication. integral part of the communication system ¢ lled ‘grapevine’ communication. organization. It is cal ERTICAL COMMUNICATION Bihar ace akes place among people working on different ‘The line of authority becomes the line of rntial in every organization, Vertical communication t levels on the line of authority communication. Vertical communication i It flows up-and-down the ladder of organization. ownward and it was the only line In the past, communication was wholly d managements. The decisions of communication consciously recognised by of board of directors were passed down through various strata of employees. It was a traditional authoritarian approach to communication within an organization. It was believed in those days that those who were managed had no right of questioning the authority; orders were to be carried out. However, the modern concept of two-way vertical communication has developed and made formal provision for a flow of ‘upward’ communication, from the lowest strata to the higher levels of management. This upward flow of communication is a must; otherwise managements may take decisions in a vacuum. _ This two-way flow of communication runs not only through the organization as a whole, but also within each individual department. Asa result there is the main vertical channel and also a secondary channel of vertical flow, which carry communication among different levels within departments. As a result of this change in the concept of vertical communication, an increased burden has fallen on the middle management. These employees have to receive, interpret and pass on instructions in an understandable fashion to their subordinates down the line, but they are also required to do the same thing with the communication coming from the lower levels. Thus, Vertical communication consists of communication up and dow? the organization’s chain of command or hierarchy. It is the communicatio" owCommunication at Workplace 5 here inf i organizational ator or, Me9S28e5 flows within the top level of the According to 'e and bottom level of the organizational structure. Ricky W. Griffi i ication i communication hat ewe bors in, Vertical communication is the reporting lines.” up and down the organization, along formal CASE STUDY 1 : Rajiv Rege was repeatedh work on Projects while his colleagues were Initially, Rajiv took it as a challen; ly made to sit up late and allowed to leave on time. problems. He also began to fear that due to set his seniors and this will block his chances he future. As a result, he felt demotivated. He rage to approach his supervisors and started rested way. One day, the manager called him t while his name had been picked up in the early ting abroad, presently his work did not seem to was invested in him. Rajiv was quick to realize ized and began working with renewed vigour. his efforts were rewarded and he was givena plum posting some reason he has up: of promotion even in t did not have the cout working in a disinte and let him know that stages itself for a pos justify the faith that his folly. He apologi Very soon, abroad. In this instance, Vertical communication between Rajiv and his senior was the key to the problem. While initially, lack of vertical communication brought in inertia due to apprehension of a non-ewarding system, later the vertical communication resulted in inculcating in Rajiv the sense that he was noticed and it radically changed his outlook. Thus, vertical communication helps in building trust between the management and the employees. Further, through this communication, the management could put a premium on integrity and could successfully resume Rajiv’s faith in it. Thus, Vertical Communication is not a cost item for an organization, but aninvestment. Vertical communication is crucial to get employees involved in the organization. It not only makes them feel important that certain. information is being shared with them but also motivates them to optimise their performance. Upward communication enables the employees to share their perception about the organization and their own ideas with their superiors, All that is required of the superiors is to give a patient hearing and to respond with understanding. This type of communication involves listening. On the other hand, downward communication implies adequate amount of information passes down from the managerial levels48 Business Communication - I (F.Y.B.Com.: SEM - }) to the bottom of the organization. This would thus enable bette, understanding of the employer's perspective in the employee's mind, j would address the employees’ doubts and allow him to work in peace, Merits of Vertical Communication 1. Enables internal communication. 2. Itenables the upper level management to convey their suggestions, complains and recommendations to the subordinates. | . Ttenables superiors to collect authentic and dependable information from subordinates easily. There is systematic flow of information under this communication system, so a good relation can be developed between superior and subordinates. Dp: Since duties and responsibilities are delegated among departments thorough vertical communication, decentralization becomes possible, e a 6. _ It facilitates job assignment and job evaluation of the employees. 7. Itensures maintenance of better discipline as it involves the usage of official channels. 2 Helps generate documentary evidence as a record for use in future. 9. It enables providing proper directions to subordinates regarding official policies and procedures so that proper implementation of official functions can take place. 10. Since it ensures co-ordination among employees, it increases efficiency. Demerits of Vertical Communication Inspite of having many advantages vertical communication, there are some disadvantages which are given below: 1. _ Ast follows the official channels it is a time consuming process. 2. Asit does not permit flexibility, it, is unable to cope with the changed situation. 3. There is no scope for creativity in employees as they function in @ mechanical manner. 4. Inrepeated communication from one to the other, sometimes thereis a loss or distortion of information.