Business Communication – Version 1.0 - UPES

DOCUMENT CREATION DATE 14-12-2017 – Business Communication – Version 1.0

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Course Objectives

1. To enable students to understand the basic principle of communication including the flow of communication, verbal as well as non- verbal in context of the organization.

2. To enable describe the various ways of employment communication as well as develop the understanding and skill of presentation

3. To provide to the students the basic understanding of the verbal and non - verbal communication so that they understand the different aspects of spoken and written business communication.

4. To understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving, and technical proficiency in the development of exposition and argument

Course Outcomes On completion of this course, the students will be able to CO1: Demonstrate the applicability of the concept of business communication in the organization.

CO2: Demonstrate the applicability of analyzing the complexities associated with organizational communication written as well as verbal.

CO3: Demonstrate the use of basic and advanced proper writing techniques that today's technology demands, including anticipating audience reaction. Write effective and concise letters and memos.

CO4: Demonstrate skills to solve work place conflict and analyze different situations for use of most appropriate conflict management technique.

Catalog Description

HRES7004 Business Communication L T P C Version 1.0 3 0 0 3 Pre-requisites/Exposure Basic knowledge of English Co-requisites

Students should have studies basics of management


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Communication skill in a manager is one of the important skills, which a manager must possess to perform his/her role(s) effectively in an organization. Since he/she deals with employees, and with customers outside the organization, it is important that in an organization he should be well equipped in terms of different aspects of business communication. The course therefore covers all constituents, which will make a manager’s job easy to handle. Classroom activities involving lectures, discussions and case studies analysis (topped up with role-play) will be designed to encourage students to actually get involved, absorb and assimilate inputs. These activities will also be supplemented by group discussions, group presentations, cooperative group solving problems, analysis of video cases and debates. Class participation is a fundamental aspect of this course. Students will be encouraged to actively take part in all group activities and to give an oral group presentation. Students will be expected to interact with media resources, such as, web sites, videos, DVDs, and newspapers etc.

Course Content Unit I: 6 lecture hours Communication Basics: Communication Process Models, seven Cs of effective communication, Barriers to communication, Adoption and selection of words. Organizational Communication: Skills of effective organizational communication, Understanding organizational communication- flow, channels, pattern of communication, interoffice communication, Agenda, Minutes Unit II: 6 lecture hours Essential Characteristics of Presentation, Preparing a presentation, identifying the purpose. Guidelines for effective presentation. Group Discussion: GD Types and Dos and don’ts. Types of interviews. CV/Resume/Bio-data. Conduct of interview. Practice, Group GD for Problem solving – Simulation exercise, Analysis of GD by faculty, Mock Interview

Unit III: 6 lecture hours Verbal Communication:, Importance of verbalization, Empathy in communication, Guidelines for speaking skills, Communication through electronic media. Non Verbal Communication: Non- verbal communication, Meta communication, Guidelines for developing positive non- verbal communication


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Unit IV:

6 lecture hours Effective writing. Appearance and design of a business message. Writing good news and routine letters, Writing negative/ bad news letters, writing persuasive letters. Unit V:

6 lecture hours What is report, The purpose ( identifying business Problem), Anatomy of Report. Contents, Structure, Tables, appendices an annexures . Unit VI:

6 lecture hours

Conflict management: Types of conflict, Ways of managing conflict, Definition and differences between argument, discussion and negotiation. Types of negotiation. Developing- Best Alternative to a Negotiated Argument

Text Books

Text Books 1. Book on Business Communication By Lesikar, Flatley, & Rentz (11th, Eleventh

Edition) 2. Business Communication: Concepts, Cases And Applications Mukesh Chaturvedi

Pearson Education India, 2004

Reference Books

1. Book on Essentials of Business Communication Publisher: by Mary Ellen Guffey, South-Western Educational.

Modes of Evaluation: Quiz/Assignment/ presentation/ extempore/ Written Examination Examination Scheme:

Components Presentation/Assignment etc. ESE Weightage (%) 50 50

ASSESSMENT TOOLS: CO 1 CO2 CO3 CO4 Discussions Discussions Case study Analysis Case study Analysis


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Assignments Case let Analysis

Assignments Case Analysis

Video Analysis Presentations

Video Analysis Presentations

Relationship between the Course Outcomes (COs) and Program Outcomes (POs)

Course Code

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PO1 PO2 PO3 PO4 PO5 PO6 PO7

PO8

CO1 3 3 1 3 1 3 1 1

CO2 1 2 1 3 3 1 3 3

CO3 2 2 1 3 3 2 3 2

CO4 3 3 1 3 3 2 2 3


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1. .

2. .

Model Question Paper

Name:

Enrolment No:

Course: HRES 7004 – Business Communication Programme: MBA-- Power, Urban Infrastructure Semester: EVEN 2017-18 Time: 03 hrs. Max. Marks:100 Instructions: Attempt all questions from from Section A (each question marks is marked against it); any four Questions from Section B (each carrying 5 marks). All questions from Section C is Compulsory (each carrying 15 marks). All questions in Section D is compulsory and marks are mentioned against each question.

Section A ( attempt any two)

1. Which of the following is NOT an external business written communication? (1 mark)

a) Complaint letter b) Curriculum Vitae c) Memo d) Enquiries letter

1 CO1

2. An informal communication network or grapevine tends to be most active when employees believe the formal communication network is not providing the information they need (1 mark)

a) True b) False

1 CO1

3. E-mail, intranets, newsletters, announcements, meetings, reports, suggestion systems and telephone messages are all examples of ________ communication channels. (1 mark)

a) Upward b) Formal c) Informal d) Diagonal

1 CO3

4. When developing application letters: (1 mark) 1 CO3


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a). You can reuse one standard letter for different employers without spending effort customizing it for each position. b). Use active voice and action verbs. c). Avoid flattery. d). A and B. e). B and C.

5 The memorandum begins directly – with the objective. The necessary

information follows: (1 mark) a) True b). False

1 CO2

6. An effective close for a speech contains (1 mark)

a) a restatement of the subject b) a Summary of key points c) a conclusion d) all of the above

1 CO2

7. The direct style of writing bad news is when you write the ___________ first followed by ________.(1 mark)

1 CO3

8. A manager wants greater acceptance of managerial decisions made, what communication network you would recommend her: Give reason for your answer. (1 mark)

a) Downward b) Upwards c) Horizontal d) None

1 CO1

9. Which style of conflict management should you use (1 mark) when the issue is much more important to the other person

than to yourself

as a goodwill gesture to help maintain a cooperative relationship.

1 CO4

10. Which of the following information should be included in minutes? (1 mark)

(1) Date and venue of the meeting (2) Decisions made at the meeting (3) Comments from the members (4) Action to be taken by the members A All of the above B All, except (2) C All, except (3) D All, except (4)

1 CO2


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11. When is direct order appropriate in inquiries? When would you use indirect order? (2 marks)

2 CO3

12. What is Conflict? Name the different ways of handling the conflict? (2 marks) 2 CO4

13. What are the elements of planning a presentation? ( 2 marks) 2 CO2

14. Use gender neutral expression- ( 2 marks) a) Best man for the job b) House wife c) Executives and their wives d) Manmade

2 CO1

15. What is communication network? How is grapevine affect communication ( 2 marks)

2 CO1

.

SECTION B

1. Analyze the following information on the parameters of 7 c’s of communication

Hi Rekha:

I want to discuss with you a very exciting project in data Analytics for our client. Lets meet sometime. Let me know the review of your new software.

Best,

Teena

5 CO1

2. Identify the type, direction of communication and channels used

Aircraft manufacturer McDonald Douglas has started a new dissemination program where staff writes as per the instruction of the president of the company prepare daily monthly and quarterly newsletter. These include a wide range of operating topics like cost, scrap numbers, project reports, stock prices and the problem encountered in the current project. This is then disseminated to everyone associated with the program like employees suppliers and middle level managers so that everybody is kept informed promptly

5 CO1


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3 Identify one common barrier from each of the following three barrier zones.

Also give an example and provide the solution for each of the common barriers.

Barriers by surrounding environment Barriers between people

5 CO1

4 Write a letter of thanks to thank your summer inter mentor for guiding you during your summer intern project execution. Assume the additional information ( name of the mentor, company, project title and dates)

5 CO3

The director of Department of Group Marketing and Communication are responsible to develop an annual promotional pack on mobile app. In order to proceed, the Director must get an approval from the Regional Office Board to secure their permission on the respective area considering the matters of promotion and legal procedures. Since the hierarchical procedural may take times and the time frames provided for the promotional launching are coming soon, the directors personally contact each Support Directors and conducting a consecutive number of informal meeting to discuss the matter.

a. What is the flow of communication from Director to support director?

b. What are the benefits and issues of this kind of communication?

5 CO2

SECTION C

Write a routine request (an inquiry) for the following situation.

Q1.( This question has choice)

A) Land’s End, Inc. sells casual clothing by mail. You want to be on their mailing list so that you receive all their catalogues.

OR

B) You always wanted to do summer internship with XYZ (best company in your Domain ). Write the cover letter for the summer internship.

CO3 15

Q2. How can Johari window help her improve the communication? Rita is a manager, she shows following style of communication

CO1 15


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Little feedback No communication to subordinate or superior Withdraws from decision making Not willing to take risks by making decisions concerned with self protection than function effectively

According to Johari window what advise will you give her to improve the communication

Section – D (30 marks ) Leigh Randell is a supervisor of in-flight services at the Atlanta base of

Omega Airlines, a successful regional air carrier with routes throughout

the South and Southwest. In addition to Atlanta, it has bases in six major

cities.

Randell’s job involves supervision of all in-flight services and personnel

at the Atlanta base. She has been with the airline for seven years and in

her present job for two years. While preferring flying to a permanent

ground position, she decided to try the management position. In her job,

she reports directly to Kent Davis, vice president of in-flight services.

During the past year, Randell has observed what she believes is a great

deal of duplication of effort between flight attendants and passenger

service personnel in the terminal with respect to paperwork procedures

for boarding passengers. This, she believes, has resulted in unnecessary

delays in departures of many flights-especially through flights (those

that don’t originate or terminate in Atlanta). Since most Omega through

flights stop in Atlanta, Randell believes that such delayed departures are

probably not a major problem at Omega’s other bases or at smaller

airports. Thus, she has decided to try to coordinate the efforts of flight

attendances and passenger service personnel with a simpler, more

efficient boarding procedure, thereby reducing ground time and

increasing passenger satisfaction through closer adherence to departure

times.

In this respect, she has, on three occasions during the past two months,

written memo to Tom Ballard, Omega’s passenger services representative

at the Atlanta base. Each time, Randell has requested information


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regarding specific procedures, time, and costs for boarding passengers on

through flights. She has received no reply from Tom Ballard. His job

involves supervision of all passenger service personnel. He has been with

Omega for five years, having joined its management training program

immediately after graduating from college. He reports directly to Alan

Brock, vice president of passenger services at the Atlanta base. Exhibit 1

presents the organization structure for the Atlanta base.

Exhibit 1. Omega, Atlanta: Organization Chart

Last week, Leigh wrote a memo to Kent Davis:

For several months, I have been trying to develop a new method for

facilitating the boarding of passengers on through flights by more closely

coordinating efforts of In-Flight Services and Passenger Services. The

results would be a reduction in clerical work, cost and ground time and

closer adherence to departure times for through flights: “Unfortunately,

I have received no cooperation at all in my efforts from the passenger

service representative. I have made three written requests for

information, each of which has been ignored. Needless to say, this has

been frustrating to me. While I realize that my beliefs may not always be

correct, in this instance I am only trying to initiate something that will be


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beneficial for everyone involved: Passenger Services, In-Flight Services,

and, most important, Omega Airlines. I would like to meet with you to

discuss this matter and the possibility of my transferring back to flight

duty.

Kent Davis summoned Alan Brock and Tom Ballard to a hastily called

conference. Tom Ballard was mildly asked why he had not furnished the

information that Randell has requested.

“Too busy”, he said. “Her questions were out of sight. There was no time

for me to answer this sort of request. I’ve got a job to do. Besides, I don’t

report to her”.

“But Tom, you don’t understand,” Kent Davis said. “All Leigh Randell is

trying to do is improve the president system of boarding passengers on

through flights. she has taken the initiatives to work on something that

might benefit everyone”.

Tom Ballard thought for a moment. “No, ” he replied, “it didn’t look like

that to me. You know I’ve also had ideas on how to improve the system

for quite sometime. Anyway, she’s going about it all wrong.”

1. What barriers to effective communication do you detect in this case?

( 5 marks)

CO1 5

2. Is anyone “wrong” in this situation? By what other means could

Randell have requested the information from Tom Ballard? What do you think of Tom Ballard’s reaction? Why?

( 5marks)

C02 5

3. While communicating information vertically up or down the organization does not present a major problem, why is horizontal and diagonal communication are more difficult to attain? ( 5 marks)

CO3 5

4. What would you recommend that the management of Omega Airlines do to remedy this situation? (5 marks)

CO4 5


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5. How would your recommendation improve communication in the organization? (10 marks)

CO2 10

*****

Business Communication – Version 1.0 - UPES

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