BITM Business Communication

What is the scope of business communication?

Mention any two components of business communication.

Explain internal organizational communication in short.

How is credibility gained in business?

What are the process involved in effective business communication?

Mention a few barriers of communication? How can you avoid such barriers? Discuss.

What are the key changes occurring in today's business world?

Why are business communication skills important? What factors have contributed to the increased importance of communication skills?

List some of the challenges of business communication? How can we overcome such challenges? Suggest some creative remedies.

Read the following case carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Surendra Limbu supervised 42 professionals in 8 city libraries. To cut the costs of unnecessary overtime, he issued this one-sentence memo to his staff:

When workloads increase to a level requiring hours in excess of an employee's regular duty assignment, and when such work is estimated to require a full shift of eight (8) hours or more on two (2) or more consecutive days, even though unscheduled days intervene, an employee's tour of duty shall be altered so as to include the hours when such work must be done, unless an adverse impact would result from such employee's absence from his previously scheduled assignment.

After 26 copies were sent out, Limbu's office received 21 phone calls asking what the memo meant. It is uncertain that the 5 people who did not call to inquire about the memo understood it or not. It took a week to clarify the new policy.

Questions:

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

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

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

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

Give an example of grapevine communication.

What are the traits of a good communicator? What are the benefits of having such traits?

Explain the nature of business communication.

Briefly summarize the encoding and decoding processes of communication.

Read the following case carefully and answer the questions that follow:

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

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

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

Infotech eventually put out a new, clearly written training guide that led new users step by step through introductory exercises and told them how to find commands quickly. But the rewrite cost Infotech $445,000/-, a year’s lead in the market, and its reputation for producing easy-to-use business software.

Questions:

a. What was the goal of the communication in this case? Why do you think the communicator could not clearly communicate its goal?

b. What common communication errors can take place while communicating professionally such as in this case?

c. In the light of this case, what costs/losses do you think a company / an organization has to incur due to the ineffective communication?

d. If you were the communicator writing this manual, what cautions would you take to avoid the situation Infotech Software faced?

Improve the fragmented expression in, "He being very rich".

What is a buffer? Give an example.

There is a problem in your office because of lack of duty schedule. As a manager, write a memo to all the staff in your office to encourage them in following their duty schedule strictly. Write in a friendly and conversational style with positive tone.

Compose an e-mail to your immediate boss about the arrangements you have made for the upcoming seminar of your company.

Design a small line ad about a software product you have recently developed that is very effective for taking online classes and conducting online meetings and even conferences.

What is a weblog? Write the guidelines for writing effective blogs.

You have recently bought a new oven from the CG Company, showroom at Baneshwor. You have paid Rs 37,500/- for it. After fifteen days, you find out that the automatic system doesn't work. Also, the noise of the machine is quite loud during operation. Write a letter of complaint to Mr. Krishna Rai, in-charge of the showroom regarding the issue. Also mention other defects or problems and remind them of the five-year warranty given for the machine. Give details of the machine, such as, watt, bill, date, amount, etc. Write in the conversational style using the you-viewpoint and avoiding the old language of business.

What do you mean by unity and coherence in effective writing?

Edit the sentence:

I Work for a multinational company it produces and supplies computer parts in Europe Australia and many countries.

Why should we be careful while expressing even a positive message to the recipients?

The Student Club in your college is celebrating the World Environment Day by cleaning the college promises. Write a notice requesting the active participation of students, staff and teachers.

You are organizing an intra-college cricket competition in your college. Write a memo to the college administration regarding the schedule, venue and amenities for the players in the competition.

You have just manufactured a new electronic product in collaboration with a Japanese company. Write a sales letter to the general manager of an imaginary firm telling him/her about the advantages of your product, design, price, credit facilities and mode of payment. Maintain a professional tone in the letter.

What is a solicited proposal?

Write one importance of visual communication.

What is info-graphics?

What is a business plan? Briefly explain the core components of business plan.

What is a business proposal? Briefly elaborate the formal elements of business proposal.

Imagine that you have just received a call for interview for the post of an IT Officer in a Super market in Kathmandu. Prepare a list of 10 possible questions that the interviewers might ask you. Also write answers to each question.

How can a speaker establish credibility in his/her presentation?

Imagine that one of your friends has recently been selected in the written test of staff selection by a reputed company in Butwal for the post of an Account Officer. Next week, she is facing her interview. Write a letter to her offering some constructive suggestions to improve her communication skills during the interview.

Describe intercultural communication in brief with example.

What ways does ethnocentrism shape communication across different cultures?

Avoid sexiest tone from the following sentence:

A good secretary screens all telephone calls for her boss and arranges his schedule.

Write one difference between high-context culture and low-context culture.

Change the following sentence into non-sexist language: “I will have my girl handle the business.”

What is stereotyping? Give an example.

What effects has globalization and diversity presented to the business communication in modern world? Briefly explain.

Write a job application followed by a short Resume for the post of a Sales Manager in a reputed textile company in Biratnagar.