DRIVE- WINTER 2013

PROGRAM- BBA

SEMESTER-1

SUBJECT CODE & NAME-BBA 101 COMMUNICATION SKILLS

BK ID-B1497

CREDITS-4

MARKS-60

Note: Answer all questions. Kindly note that answers for 10 marks questions should be approximately of 400 words. Each question is followed by evaluation scheme.

Q1. Communication is the lifeblood of a business organization. Explain the process of Communication. What is the role of Communication in Business?

(Meaning of Communication, Process of Communication, Role of communication in Business) 2, 4, 4

Answer.

Meaning of Communication

The term, „Communication‟ has been derived from the Latin word, „communist’, which means „common‟ .Thus, if a person effects communication, he establishes a common ground of understanding. Literally, communication means to inform, tell, show, or spread information. It can be interpreted as an interchange of thought or information to bring about greater understanding and confidence, leading to better relations among people. It also strengthens unity of purpose, interests, and efforts of the work force, all of which are in the ultimate interests of the organization.

Process of Communication

A process, by definition is “a systematic series of action or operation of a series of changes directed to some end.” Communication is a two – way process in which there is an exchange and chain of ideas towards a mutually acceptable direction. The process of communication involves two or more persons participating through a medium that carries the information or message for a particular purpose, which is mutually understood by both the sender and the receiver. The basic model of communication is depicted in the figure below:

Fig.: Basic Communication Model

Elements of Communication Process

Sender / Encoder / SpeakerThe person who starts the communication process is normally referred to as the sender. He is the person who transmits, spreads, or communicates a message with the purpose of informing, persuading, influencing or changing the attitude, opinion, or behavior of the receiver.

Receiver/Decoder /ListenerA receiver is the targeted audience of the message who will receive the message and translate (decode) it to understand the real meaning and sends back the feedback (response) to the sender.

MessageMessage is the encoded idea transmitted by the sender making the formulation of the message extremely important, for an incorrect patterning can turn the receiver hostile, making him lose interest altogether.

Medium/ChannelAnother important element of communication is the medium or channel. A medium helps the sender to convey the message to the receiver.

FeedbackThis is the top circle that connects the receiver in the communication process with the sender, who, in turn, acts as a feedback receiver and, thus gets to know that the communication has been accomplished.

Role of communication in Business

Communication is one of the basic functions of management in any organization, and its importance can hardly be overemphasized. It is a process of transmitting information, ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization.

Communication is required at various levels and for various aspects in an organization such as – Importance of communication for manager and employee relations: Effective communication of information and decision is an essential component for management-employee relations. The manager cannot get the work done from employees unless they are communicated effectively of what he wants to be done.For motivation and employee morale: Communication is also a basic tool for motivation, which can improve the morale of the employees in an organization. Inappropriate or faulty communication among employees or between manager and his subordinates is the major cause of conflict and low morale at work.For increased productivity: With effective communication, you can maintain a good human relation in the organization and by encouraging ideas or suggestions from employees or workers and implementing them whenever possible, you can also increase production at low cost. For employees: It is through the communication that employees submit their work reports, comments, grievances and suggestions to their seniors or management. Organization should have effective and speedy communication policy and procedures to avoid delays, misunderstandings, confusion or distortions of facts and to establish harmony among all the concerned people and departments.

Q2. Why are business letters given so much importance in today’s organizations? Bring out the difference between personal letters and business letters. Discuss the different characteristics of a good business letter.

(Importance of business letter, Differences, Characteristics) 4, 3, 3

Answer.

Importance of Business Letters

Every business requires that the communication sent and received is clear, simple, concise and correct. The importance of writing a business letter is given below:

It is a formal way of communication between two individuals, between an individual and organization, or between two organizations.

It follows certain set of rules and guidelines to communicate both within the organization and outside the organization.

The best business letter should have a conversational tone, and read as if you are talking to the reader. Your reader will respond quickly and correctly only if he/she is able to understand the letter crystal clear.

It prevails within the business entity only. It serves as a document for any type of correspondence, for future course of action. The language used should be simple enough to express the main idea, without being lengthy or leave the

reader in a state of ambiguity. It should be courteous and contain all the required information the recipient would need in order to effectively

understand it. Thus to summarize, business letters should send across the information from the sender to the receiver in such a manner that the receiver understands exactly what the sender intends to convey and replies accordingly.

Difference between Personal and Business Letters

Thus, to differentiate between a personal letter and a business letter, one has to know the differences. From the following table below you will get to know the differences between a personal letter and a business letter:

Characteristics of a good business letter

It is very important for you to know what constitutes a good business letter. The appropriate and effective style of writing a business letter comprises the following points:

Clarity: It means that the content of the letter should be written in such a manner that it is immediately understood by the reader to respond appropriately. The words used in the business letter should be simple, specific, and clearly expressed without any ambiguity on the part of the reader.

Courteous: The foundation on which every business letter rests is courtesy. A letter always follows the basic principles of mutual understanding, consideration and respect. It forms the base for building a long term relationship with the other organization or the individual. In short, it should use positive or encouraging words to draw the reader’s attention towards the letter.

Concise: Business letters should not be a long drawn story. It should be short and to the point, so that the reader gets the exact meaning what the writer intends to say.

Correct attitude: It tells us that the sender should advocate effective positive attitude while framing the letter. This has serious implication on the reader; otherwise it may risk the positive dialogue set between both of them.

Correct tone: It refers to the mood or expression the writer uses in his letter. A sense of personal touch can be sometimes used to get the work done without any problem. A wrong or negative tone can change the whole

story of the letter. It should be tactful, positive, formal and a little bit personal because you are writing a business letter and not a friendly letter.

Q3. Writing effectively is a skill, which can be learnt and perfected. Explain the general principles of Effective writing. What are the various techniques to improve your writing skills?

(General principles of Effective writing, Techniques to improve writing skills) 5, 5

Answer.

General Principles of Writing Speech is the primary medium of communication for human beings, but writing, because of its characteristic to last, has acquired a vital place in civilized societies. Speech exists in the present. It is a dynamic and direct interaction between the speaker and the listener.

In order to acquire proficiency in this skill, you must first become familiar with the general principles of writing, which are as follows: Unity: The principle of unity dictates that each sentence should contain one unit of information or idea and each paragraph of a written work must deal with one central idea. All the other ideas must be subordinated to this central idea. Order: A written piece should be an organic unit. It should follow a clear order. There are several ways of arranging paragraphs and also the sentences in paragraphs. In a narrative passage, the ideas should be arranged chronologically; whereas in an argumentative one, the order should be logical. Coherence: The word „cohere‟ means to stick together. In any written piece, the sentences of a paragraph should be woven together in such a way that they flow into each other. Clarity: The thoughts or ideas expressed in writing must be clearly stated so that there is no ambiguity. Use of simple, familiar and precise words expressed in short sentences are more comprehensible than long sentences with difficult and uncommon words. Business communication must contain precise words, rather than general ones, so that the message is conveyed correctly. Conciseness and economy: Conciseness means using the fewest possible words to convey our thoughts. Long, complex and verbose sentences may obscure the meaning. Repetition and stretching of the subject matter also hinder understanding. Completeness: We should convey our ideas in totality. The matter should be put across in clear terms, providing all necessary information. Generalizations and sweeping statements should be avoided. Illustrations, instances and supporting details can make the message more clear and complete. Correctness: Correct use of words, grammar, spellings and format is an essential element of effective communication. The tone and tenor of the message should also be appropriate for the subject matter. The tone used for a personal message cannot be used for a business letter because it requires a more formal style. Courtesy and tactfulness: Courtesy and tact are essential in business and professional communication as much as in personal interactions. We must guard against offending the reader by what we convey. This is especially important in business communications. Variety: An important characteristic of good writing is variety. You can achieve this by varying the structure of the sentences or by varying their length.

Improving Writing Skills Writing effectively is a skill, which can be learnt and perfected. In any piece of writing, we are concerned with two things: a. What we want to convey or say

b. How best to convey it. The first raises the question of „subject matter‟ or „diction‟ and the other of the „manner or style‟ of presenting the matter. The style must suit the purpose of communication. Let us first understand what we mean by „diction and style‟. „Diction‟ may be defined as the choice and arrangement of words. The diction we employ may be of various kinds: formal, informal, learnt, scholarly, idiomatic, figurative or colloquial.

„Style‟ can be defined as a characteristic and deliberate mode of expression and construction of sentences. Every master of prose has his own peculiar way of expressing his ideas, thoughts and concepts. 1. Essentials of good style A good style is characterized by readability and elegance of writing. It communicates information effectively and moves the reader along easily from word to word, sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, and one section of the written message to the next. Bad style is boring and often confusing. Simplicity: Simplicity of diction generally leads to clarity. Complex words or ornate style does not necessarily make writing effective. Clarity: Your writing should reflect the clarity of your thought process. Your message should be clearly stated without any vagueness, confusion or ambiguity. Unity: Use short sentences that contain a single unit of information. Unnecessary use of compound and complex sentences can rob writing of its natural flow. Coherence: Your writing should reflect the easy flow of your thinking. This can be achieved by organizing your ideas into clearly constructed paragraphs. Each paragraph should deal with one dominant idea. Economy: Cut down all unnecessary and superfluous words. Use of one word substitution, condensation and restructuring of sentences, wherever possible, leads to economy of words and makes your sentences well knit. Euphony: Euphony means a harmonious combination of sounds. A good style of writing is not only simple, clear and concise but is also pleasing to the ear. Good prose flows smoothly and easily. Variety of style: Style has been variously classified as plain, direct, poetic, grand or sublime, oratorical or professional, conversational or philosophical etc. Correct usage: Use words correctly and ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct. All other factors become useless if this rule is not followed. Proper punctuation is also essential for good writing. Tact and courtesy: We must ensure that what we write does not offend anyone. This is even more essential in business communication.Personal tone: Use the latter only when you wish to include yourself into the focus. Active voice: Use of active voice makes sentences more readable.

2. Expressions and words to be avoided Pedantic words Jargon Circumlocution Clichés or hackneyed words Foreign words and phrases Abbreviations Discriminatory words or expressions slang Vernacularism Repetition Contractions Abstract words Redundancy Modifiers SMS abbreviations

Q4. What groundwork does one needs to do to make an effective presentation? How do verbal, vocal and visual components of communication impact a presentation?

(Groundwork needed to make an effective presentation, Verbal, vocal and visual components impact on presentation) 5, 5

Answer.

Groundwork needed to make an effective presentation

A thorough research into all aspects of the matter will not only help you to make an effective presentation, but will also equip you to handle all queries and counter arguments, with confidence. Select all the material and information that you would like to include in your presentation. Ensure that everything you plan to include is relevant to the topic. Study and understand the material thoroughly. Shortlist the graphs, tables, diagrams, case studies or statistical data that you would like to include in your presentation. If you plan to include audio visual aids like power point slides, decide what you are going to display in each slide and how you are going to present it.

Groundwork:1. Research the subject thoroughly.

2. Gather ample relevant material.

3. Decide the content and style of your presentation.

4. Select audio visual aids that you plan to use.

Verbal, vocal and visual components impact on presentation

Effective communication is possible only when all three components i.e. the verbal, vocal and visual are in tandem with each other. If you wish to be an effective speaker, you just cannot ignore the visual aspect of communication. Dress according to the occasion. While making a presentation, it is always advisable to be dressed formally. If you are smartly and elegantly dressed, your confidence level automatically goes up by two notches. However, do not confuse elegance with gaudiness. Use your accessories with care. Aim at an understated elegance.

The verbal component is the delivery of the presentation in speech. Your voice will be the vehicle for conveying your message to your audience, so pay special attention to how you deliver your presentation. Speak to them with conviction. Do not try to impress them with a dramatized accent or delivery. Be natural, be yourself. Speak slowly and clearly so that every word is clear to the audience. Do not rush through your speech. Your ideas will sink in better if you pace your speech effectively. Pause where necessary, so that the point you are making strikes home. Speak in a way that is convincing, persuasive and interesting. You will succeed in doing so if you believe in what you are saying. A very brief silence after you have made a particularly important point, or made a forceful statement can have a remarkable impact on the audience.

The vocal component is even more important than the verbal. Even the best of contents written in the best of words can fall flat if delivered in a monotone. What you say is important but how you say it will ultimately differentiate a good presentation from a bad one. The word „presentation‟ itself implies that you are performing for the audience. You must be very careful about the way you deliver your presentation. All components of your voice like tone, intonation, volume, pitch and pauses etc., should enhance the overall impact of your presentation.

The third component of your delivery is the visual impact. The first impact you make on your audience when you face them is extremely crucial. The audience start judging and forming an impression about you even before you utter the first word. Your body language, posture, and gestures, the way you move about, your dress, the expression in your eyes, your eye contact with your audience, all are part of the visual aspect of your presentation.

Q5. Explain the contents of a good resume. Distinguish between the different types of resumes.

(Contents of good resume, Types of Resumes, Differences) 4, 3, 3

Answer.

Contents of Good ResumeThe standard contents of a resume includes heading, position sought, career objective, education, work experience, specific skill, achievement, activities, interests and reference. Each of these is explained briefly as under:

Heading: It generally contains the name of the candidate, the contact information, email address and full contact address. Incase if the candidate is residing at his temporary residence, it is always advisable to give his permanent address.

Position sought: This is normally found that “position sought” is not included in the resume even though the employer has given the said position in the advertisement. It is generally given in the cover letter in the subject line, which is another form of business letter as discussed previously.

Career objective: This part is generally included before the work experience and the academic part. The career objective or goal is directly related to the job for which the candidate has applied. In other words, it should be highly focused, one sentence statement and should be related to the organization goal and objective.Example 1: To work as a system manager in a leading IT company where I will have opportunities to harness my skill, knowledge and experience with VB, Java, C++, .NET, SQL and Cobol.Example 2: A summer job as a research associate with an academic institute, which requires skill in conducting field study, research and preparing project reports

Professional summary: It is sometimes found that when a candidate is highly experienced, career objective becomes redundant and professional summary takes its place. It is because the candidate has to prove as per the experience he has gathered in the number of years on the job he has applied rather than his career objective, because he is aware of his career goal and to what extent he can reach.

Education: This part of the resume deals with the academic qualification of the candidate. It includes the name of the school/ college/ university you attended, board you passed from, the dates you passed, the degree you achieved, subject you studied (major ones only), marks you obtained and the division acquired.

Work experience: This is the most important part of the resume where the candidate should detail down his experience and an overview about his work. Prior work profile is a vital part of hiring the applicant. This part should be carefully drafted in the resume highlighting the areas of competencies the candidate has acquired during his tenure of service with the organization.

Special skills: It includes any specific skills the applicant has achieved during his course of employment, and its relevance to the job he has applied for. Examples such as computer programming, computer processing, hardware maintenance, learning skills, specific machine handling, safety regulations and latest operational techniques.

Extra Curricular Activities: It is included to show that the applicant is fast, has a friendly attitude, dynamic, participative and has the capability to lead from the front.

Achievements: Here, the applicant registers his achievements and accomplishments from his school/ college days and workplace trying to distinguish him from the rest of the group. It actually talks about his awards, special certificates, distinctions or any recognition he has received till date.

References: This is not a mandatory disclosure for the applicant. It is on the request of the employer that applicant is required to give the name of the referees who should not be a relative at all. It is to be noted that the names, occupation, designation, contact number of the referees are clearly mentioned in the resume.

Types of Resumes

The three acceptable resume types are: Chronological Resume Functional Resume Combination Resume

Differences

Explanation of each one of them in brief to have an idea about how it looks like:

Chronological Resume: Generally, this is the most common style adopted by applicants where the focus is on education and work experience. It tries to define clearly the past employment records, the job profile and education in the chronological order, starting with the latest work experience or the highest qualification the applicant has last attended.

Functional Resume: From the previous resume, we see that it is more concerned with educational and work experience, whereas a functional resume highlights the applicant’s achievement, accomplishments and the skill he has acquired during the course of his employment. This resume is best suited for an employer who wants to know what the applicant has done during his course of employment, experience and would he be able to work under pressure.

Combination Resume: As the name suggests, it is a combination of both the functional and the chronological resume. This type contains both the detailed study of the applicant’s work experience and the educational qualification as well as the skills or training he has achieved.

Q6. With growing competition and volatile market conditions, jobs are not secured as they ought to be previously. What are the factors looked into by the prospective employers? Identify the techniques, which should be used by an interviewee to get a good job.

(Factors, Job interview techniques) 4, 6

Answer.

Factors looked into by the prospective employers Here list out some important traits that the employers look for in a candidate:

Focused Ambitious Analytical Common sense Enthusiasm / Jovial

Other than the above mentioned traits, the employer tests the candidate on his alertness, interpersonal skill, verbal communication, self confidence any special interest and perseverance. In fact there are certain factors responsible for making the job interview more challenging today. They include:

Growing competition in the job market: As described above that with the competitive job market there is an abundance of qualified human resources for any single job advertised. The increase in population with specialized education and training, as well as globalization of the world economy, has given more opportunity for the job seekers to look out for a suitable job. The employer also has the option to choose the best among the applicants who have applied for a single post.

Change in the demand with respect to job market: If you analyse from the past decade, you can see that with the expansion of job market, the quality of candidates with high benchmark have also increased. The organizations seek to get candidates who are experienced, challenging and meet their expectations. Moreover, the positions have become demanding, and responsibilities required for a particular job position has gone broader than the past.

Professionalism in business: With the business growing globally, companies are competing with themselves to keep their share of market. They perceive that if they have to survive this competition they have to acquire the most efficient, dynamic and competent individuals who can run their show and achieve their desired success.

Focus on candidate’s personal qualities: Due to the abundance of human resource and competent individuals, the job market has become very stringent and narrow. Every individual has acquired the requisite skill, experience and knowledge, but very few have got certain personal qualities like self-motivation, delegation of authority and responsibility, integrity, focus, trust and commitment, which help the organization to grow and achieve its desired targets.

Changes in the interviewing technique: As seen from the past, interviewing a candidate and getting the right one has improved in leaps and bounds. Most organizations have competent people in their recruitment departments who are

always in the look out for the best candidate from the market. They employ certain specialized techniques like psychometric test, aptitude test, logical test and decision making test to find the right person for the right job.

Job Interview Techniques Before you appear alone in front of the big round table, with five people bombarding you with different questions from different angles, you need to have a through preparation and know how to defend them. You need to follow certain rules in order that you can face the interview right the very first time. The rules are as follows:

o Systematic

o Impressive

o Analytical thoughts

o Job analysis

o Organization information

o Planned preparation.

A job interview needs a planned and systematic preparation for the candidate. It will help him in a number of ways, such as:

o develop confidence level

o deal with interview anxiety effectively

o sensitive to the needs and expectations of the interviewers

o know about his strengths and weakness

o know about the organization and the job

o adapt himself to the working culture and environment

o know about his skills and how he can effectively use them in times of crisis

Self-analysis: Sometimes it is seen that simple questions like “Tell me something about you” unnerves many candidates during job interviews. But if proper self-analysis is done, we may not be lost or unnerved in front of the interviewer. Self analysis involves identifying your background, career goals, accomplishments, achievements, special interests and hobbies. It should not be a repetition of what you have already written in your resume because the interviewer wants to hear something new from your side. There are certain factors to do a self analysis, which is enumerated below:

a) Analyze your background: A candidate should do a critical examination about his professional background and educational qualification. It has been seen that a candidate is very good in his educational qualification, but he may not have the right background to do the job. b) Identify your accomplishments: An accomplishment should be expressed articulately in order to let the employer know how important was the role you had played during your stay in school / college/ university or the last organization. It generally reflects your personality and your capability to identify the problem and take effective steps to solve it.

c) Identify your achievements: It is not very different from the above paragraph but it involves more of academic and professional success. It may be like winning a scholarship, best employee award or any prize for a debate or sports you have represented your school / college or organization in the past.

d) Identify your special interest or hobbies: In this section, the candidate should list all the activities and justify them, which he has done previously. This is seen in order to find out whether the candidate was dynamic, an active participant and energetic in his interest. It is also seen if he had the passion in taking up his hobbies or take part in the extra-curricular activities to accept the challenges in his job, in future.

e) Analyze your career goal: The career objectives, goals and his foresightedness ten years hence are actually analyzed. It is to be seen that the objective should commensurate with the candidate’s job profile, otherwise the candidature would be cancelled.

Analyze your skills: Every job requires certain skills to perform it. A candidate should assess his skills and match the skills required for the job. It is a process of analyzing your skills according to the requirements.

Research the organization: A candidate should do a thorough research of the organization where he is going to be interviewed. This is because he should be aware about what business it is into, recent expansion to be taken, new projects to be ventured, company rating in national or global level, work culture, financial turnover, and introduction of new products, organization structure and his interest in the company.

Job analysis: It is to provide the total information about the job. The applicant should have a clear idea about the job of what it is, what responsibilities to be handled, whom to report, challenges to be faced, professional knowledge required, areas of expertise and career prospective in future. Revise your subject knowledge: It is always suggested that an applicant should always have a good knowledge, confidence and clarity about his own subject. A candidate should do a preparation of the subject he has studied, look into the latest developments, and get an idea of the general knowledge regarding political, social, economic or an environmental issues. Develop the interview file: A proper interview demands a professional approach. A proper interview file should contain reference papers, merit certificates, covering letter, educational credentials, experience certificates and resume.