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Master of Business Administration

Semister-1MB0039 Business Communication 4 credits

(Book ID: B1128)

ASSIGNMENT

Set-1

Q1. Describe any situation that you experienced where the communication went

wrong because the listening was faulty. Analyze the situation by explaining the type

of listening barrier. How could this barrier be overcome?

The following example illustrates an organizational barrier to communication. Bythe time the message is passed down from the Chief to the lower level Executives, it is

distorted completely, so much so that the original message is interpreted differently by

each level in the organization.

Memo from CEO to Manager: Today at 11 oclock there will be a total eclipse of the

sun. This is when the sun disappears behind the moon for 2 minutes. As this is somethingthat cannot be seen every day, time will be allowed for employees to view the eclipse in

the parking lot. Staff should meet in the lot at ten to eleven, when I will deliver a shortspeech introducing the eclipse, and giving some background information. Safety goggles

will be made available at a small cost.

Memo from Manager to Department Head: Today at ten to eleven, all staff shouldmeet in the car park. This will be followed by a total eclipse of the sun, which will appear

for 2 minutes. For a moderate cost, they will be made safe with goggles. The CEO will

deliver a short speech beforehand to give us all some information. This is not somethingthat can be seen every day.

Memo from the Department Head to Floor Manager: The CEO will today deliver a

speech to make the sun disappear for 2 minutes in the form of an eclipse. This issomething that cannot be seen every day so staff will meet in the car park at ten oreleven. This will be safe, if you pay a moderate cost.

Memo from Floor Manager to Supervisor: Ten or eleven staff are to go to the car

park, where the CEO will eclipse the sun for 2 minutes. This does not happen everyday.It will be safe, and as usual it will cost you.

Memo from Supervisor to Staff: Some staff will go to the car park today to see the

CEO disappear. It is a pity this doesnt happen everyday.Communication was filtered or misinterpreted because of the following barriers:

Organizational Barriers In organizations that are too hierarchical, that is, where there

are multiple layers, messages may have to pass through many levels before they finally

reach the receiver. Each level may add to, modify or completely change the message, somuch so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver. In other

words, there is likely to be loss of meaning and the message may not reach the receiver in

the same way as it was intended by the sender.Another type of organizational barrier is a departmental barrier. This means that each

department in an organization functions in isolation and there is no co-ordination or

communication between them.

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This barrier could be overcome by the following methods:

1. Encourage Feedback Organizations should try to improve the communication

system by getting feedback from the messages already sent. Feedback can tell the

managers whether the message has reached the receiver in the intended way or not.2. Create a Climate of Openness A climate of trust and openness can go a long way in

removing organizational barriers to communication. All subordinates or junior employees

should be allowed to air their opinions and differences without fear of being penalized.

3. Use Multiple Channels of Communication Organizations should encourage the use

of multiple channels of communication, in order to make sure that messages reach the

intended receivers without fail. This means using a combination of both oral and written

channels, as well as formal (official) and informal (unofficial) channels ofcommunication.

Q.2 Explain why Public Relations is an important part of external businesscommunication?

Although many of us have witnessed the public relations campaigns launched bydifferent companies, but are we all aware of the importance that it has for the companies.

If not, let's take a glimpse of how public relations become so important for your business.

It is a known fact that any business requires repeated as well as new customers for itsgrowth. To meet this end businesses require having good relations as well as favorable

image among its clients and public relations do exactly that. The public relation

campaigns help you to disseminate exact picture of your company as well as your product

and services and not to create hype around it. The hype created by the advertisement maymake people not believe you and this will jeopardize your relation with your clients.

They may not come to you knowing that you are one of the company that just make tall

promises so using PR becomes very important for your company.

There are many factors like reputation of your company in the market, your relationship

with customers and the quality of your products and services that determines your salevolume. If any of these factors turn negative you would witness sharp decline in your

sales volume. Although you can manage the quality of the products by implying better

techniques and methodologies the remaining two could not be achieved without a good

public relations campaign. For example, if you deal in beauty products you have to usebeauty PR to enhance your image among your clients. The reviews published about your

product in a leading beauty magazine will not only make your regular customers to

believe more on your product but also the potential one who would admire your productand would turn into your regular customers. This will increase your sales volume, which

is so important for the positive growth of a business.

Public relations can help you to have good reputation with not only your clients, but also

with the stakeholders. This will help you to get more investment from them, as they

would be under the magical spell of your good market reputation. This will even help you

in expanding your business or opening new ventures. Remember one fact that the

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business world is a social community and everything in it is completely depended on

your market reputation- the good reputation could make you the market leader while a

bad reputation can cast a doom on your business fate. So, using public relations is a mustfor the companies and they can easily do it, as it is one of the least expensive modes of

promoting your business.

Q3. Select a company of your choice in a sector that you would like to work in.

Imagine that you have to make a brief presentation on this company to business

school students. Develop a) A general and specific statement of purpose b) The key

idea c) Your style of delivery.

Answer:

The company I have selected is Verizon Business, and the sector is Technology Consulting.

a) A general and specific statement of purposebefore preparing for the presentation, it

is important to be clear on the goal of the presentation. A statement of purpose,

expressing what I want to achieve through the presentation should be framed, so that it

becomes easy to measure whether the goal has been accomplished or not. The purpose of thepresentation may be stated in broad or general terms, or in more specific terms. A general

statement of purpose could be expressed in terms of one of the following

To Inform orTo Persuade orTo Entertain As this is specifically for the Business School

Students

I will the first one To inform them about the benefits of joining my company.Although it is useful to define the general purpose of a presentation, it is more important to

frame a specific statement of purpose, which clearly spells out the answers to the following questions

1. Whom do I want to influence?

2. What do I want them to do at the end of the presentation?3. How do I want them to do it?

4. When?

5. Where?

Example I want 37% of my audience to be convinced enough to apply for new

openings, within the next one week.

The above statement of purpose describes the reaction that you are seeking from my audience andalso describes the goal in measurable terms. The number of applications form school during

the one week period would indicate whether the goal has been achieved or not. As far

as possible, the goal should be quantified, so that it is measurable.

B ) T h e K e y I d e a

The key idea of a presentation is a statement that expresses the main message to be conveyed to the

audience. It is different from a statement of purpose, in that the purpose is generally meant for myself as

the presenter, while the key idea is mentioned to the audience at the beginning of thepresentation .Example As purpose is to inform school students about my companys

brand of vacuum cleaner, the key idea or message may be to explain how my company is superiorto other companies, benefits, career paths etc.

Once the key idea is clearly stated, it becomes easy to develop the rest of the presentation.

c ) S t y l e o f d e l i v e r y

There are five different delivery styles available The one I will select form the below will be

Speaking from Notes as this is the most successful one.

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Speaking Impromptu

In this case, the speaker is called upon to say a few words without any warning or advance notice.

Since there is little or no time given for preparation, it is suited for only expert speakers.Impromptu speeches should be brief, simple and direct, compared to prepared speeches.

Speaking Extemporaneously This is different from speaking impromptu.

Whilei m p r o m p t u s p e e c h e s a r e d e l i v e r e d o n t h e s p o t a n d n o t r e h

e a r s e d ; a n extemporaneous speech is prepared and rehearsed in advance, butdelivered naturally, without the support of notes or other aids. This is the delivery style

used by experienced professionals, who have sufficient knowledge of the subject to be able to speak

without relying on notes.

Memorizing the Presentation

This is the least appealing style of delivery; since it comes across as unnatural and monotonous to

the audience. A speaker

whom e m o r i z e s a n d d e l i v e r s a p r e s e n t a t i o n w o r d f o r w o r d w i l la l s o b e a t a disadvantage if he forgets a part of the speech, since he or she will be unable to speak

naturally.

Reading from Written Notes

This consists in reading the entire presentation from notes. It is a method used bygovernment or business officials and may be appropriate when the material to be

presented is highly technical or complex. However, it has some limitations. First, it gives the

impression that the speech

isve r y l ong and heavy . Second l y , i t p r even t s t he p r es en t e r f r om mak in g e ye contact with the audience.

Speaking from Notes

This is generally the most effective style of delivery. It consists in jotting down the main

ideas in point form on index cards and then referring to these cards merely as a trigger while

speaking. If the main ideas are put down briefly on the cards, the speaker can elaborate onthese ideas in his own words and speak for any l ength of time. The presenta tion

is likely to be more effective, since it comes across as natural and permits eye contact with the

audience.

Q4. Discuss the principles of business writing:

Principles of Business Writing :

1. Stay FocusedFirst off, you need to adjust the scope and scale of your writing to influence the

behavior of your readers. This is the first step towards sharpening the focus of your

writing.

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Scope - adjust the breadth (restricting yourself to the subject matter) and depth (level of

detail included) of your material.

Scale - length of your writing. The larger your scale, the higher the need to plan yourwriting.

Behavior - action or inaction of your reader after reading your material.

2. Identify your Purpose

Next is to identify the purpose of your writing and connect it to your readers

expectations. Avoid buzzwords and simply use a purpose analysis model (usuallysieved from questions asked when taking your initial brief) to gather your thoughts in 3

simple ways:

* Identify your personal values and ambitions

* Identify your readers' expectations* Find areas of overlap emphasize recurring commonalities and address all

discrepancies.

3. Explain your MeaningAlways explain the meaning of whatever you write, whilst making sure readers

can also relate.For example, answering the question what does A mean to B in a business stakeholders'

communication is a simple, yet effective way of connecting with your readers. If you are

looking for a simple way to put this into writing, use the [Statement], meaning[consequence] format.

Simple illustrations include:

We are facing stiffer competition in our market, meaning we need to develop new

productsThis logistics team achieved its set targets, meaning team members have earned a bonus.

4. Substantiate, substantiate, substantiate!!!Your writing will gain credibility when it is substantiated with facts. Always

make sure to verify your factual statements before 'publishing'. ;0)

My approach will be to use focus as the lead principle. This will guide you when buildinga text from scratch. Once the main structure of the text has been prepared, your

substantiating details can then be added.

5. Always build a StructureThree useful indicators include the use of sequence, consistency and balance to

build a structure that guides the reader though your text

Sequence - order in which your writing unfolds;Consistency - using the same style and the same words when referring to the same object;

Balance - your sentence or paragraph must be long enough to maintain a readers' interest

but not too long. Consider sentences that are around 2 to 3 lines and paragraphs thathover around 6 to 10 lines.

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6. Provide enough writing Clarity

Ensuring clarity when you're writing is presenting your piece so that the readers

thinking revolves around a compelling idea.Total clarity is therefore achieved during editing, since this is where you create a distance

between yourself and the material; i.e. reviewing and re-writing it. This puts your writing

into perspective and allows proper evaluation of the pros and cons of your work, adefinite litmus test to check whether the initial five principles are self-evident.

7. Remain Humble!!!Be humble while writing and editing, and always critically judge your work first.

Though this has no effect on how good the technicality of your work is, the truth is that

most people are sick of reading anything that has an arrogant or condescending tinge to it.

A tinge you definitely want to avoid if your thoughts are to be heard via your writing.

Q5. Write a short note on the SQ3R technique of reading.

The SQ3R Reading Technique:SQ3R stands for Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review!

1. Before you read, survey the chapter/text:

title, headings, subheadings

captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps

review questions / tasks

introductory and concluding paragraphs

2. Q uestions while your are surveying:

Turn the title, headings, and or subheadings into questions ask yourself: What do I already know about this subject?

3. When you begin to read:

look for answers to your questions

reread questions / tasks

reduce your speed for difficult passages

stop and reread passages which are not clear

read only a section at a time and recite after each section

4. R ecite after youve read a section:

orally ask yourself questions about what you have just read or summarise it in

your own words

take notes from the text but write the information in your own words

underline or highlight important points youve just read

5. R eview an ongoing process:

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after youve read or recited the text, write questions in the margin for those

points you have highlighted or underlined

write questions for the notes you have taken

cover the text and orally ask yourself your questions

write the answers from memory

make flash cards for those questions which give you difficulty

Q6. (a) List the importance of effective communication in the workplace

(b) Explain the advantages of oral communication with the help of suitable

example.

(a)Importance of effective communication in the workplace:

Communication is the nerve center of business today. As you go up the corporate

ladder, you will find that communication skills are required, more than technical skills.Communication research has revealed that among the factors most important for

managerial success, communication skills rank above technical skills. Several surveysconducted among people who have been successful in their professions have indicatedthat communication skills are more vital to job success than subjects taken in college.

Communication has assumed even greater importance today, since the new model of

business is based on teamwork, rather than on individual action. Teamwork requiresgreater coordination and communication.

Communication is also required all the more in this age of information and technology.Without communication and human skills, technology will overwhelm an organization.

Communication helps to make sense of technology and to manage all this information.

For example, communication is required to explain a new computer program or software.While computers can perform routine tasks, jobs like responding to customers needs

require a high degree of communication skills.

Effective communication serves the following specific purposes in an organizationGreater Awareness of Organizational Goals and Teamwork: When there is open

communication between superiors, co-workers and subordinates, there is smooth flow of

information regarding the goals of the organization. Coordination between the differentdepartments in particular, leads to greater motivation to work together towards achieving

a common organizational goal, rather than working in isolation.

Better Employer-employee Relationships: By listening to employees, showing empathy

and giving them the freedom to express their opinions without fear of being repressed, amanager can create a climate of openness that leads to better work relationships.

Employees will then feel more comfortable in approaching their superiors and discussingany matter with them.

Problem-solving: Effective communication can help resolve conflicts between co-

workers, work related and performance related problems. Faceto-face communication is

especially suited for achieving this task, since it is one to one and highly personalized innature.

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Improved Performance: Effective communication by managers at the time of appraising

the performance of their employees can point out areas for improvement. A constructive

review of performance, through which a manager gives positive feedback and counselsthe employee, instead of criticizing him for poor performance, can motivate the employee

to perform better.

Stronger Link between Managers and the External Environment: Apart from internalcommunication within the organization, effective communication by managers with

external audiences such as customers, government, bankers, media and suppliers leads to

a better rapport with them. A manager will be able to understand the needs of hiscustomers, be aware of the presence of quality suppliers of material, of government

regulations and of the expectations of the community at large, only through proper

communication.

(b)Advantages of Oral Communication:

Oral communication may be defined as a process whereby a speaker interacts

verbally with one or more listeners, in order to influence the latters behavior in some

way or the other.

Example: In a business context, a manager is doing a performance appraisal with anemployee, or a sales manager making a sales plan presentation to his sales team. In the

first example, the manager may point out areas for improvement and in the second case,

the sales manager may be explaining how to achieve new sales targets.

Oral communication in a business context can take the form of meetings, presentations,

one-to-one meetings, performance reviews and so on.

Oral communication has some advantages compared to written communication. These

include its personal quality, high interactivity, possibility of making immediate contact,

instantaneous feedback and control over the receivers attention.

Oral communication was also classified into oral face-to-face communication (meetings

and presentations) and oral non face-to-face communication (teleconferencing, telephoneand voice mail). While face-to-face meetings are more effective than non face-to-face

communication in most ways, they are expensive and impractical sometimes, due to the

distance factor. Thanks to advances in technology, meetings today can still take place

without being face-to-face, through teleconferencing. Teleconferencing allowsparticipants at distant locations to speak and sometimes to see each other. Apart from the

high cost and the difficulty in setting it up, teleconferencing has the same advantages as

oral face-to-face communication.

Example: Several retailers like Walmart, the worlds largest retailer, make use of

teleconferencing to keep their US headquarters in touch with their store managersworldwide. Some headhunters also make use of the facility to conduct preliminary

interviews and shortlist candidates based in other countries, before inviting them for a

face-to-face interview.

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In spite of its advantages, teleconferencing will not replace face-to-face meetings

completely, since it is unsuitable for certain types of communication that involve

brainstorming, negotiations, persuasion and problem solving.

Telephone communication, another form of non face-to-face communication, has the

biggest advantage of being able to contact a receiver who would be impossible to reach inperson. Today, mobile phones have made it even easier to contact people who are on the

move. Telephone communication also has a personal quality and permits the use of some

non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, to enhance the communication.

Voice mail is a type of telephone communication and is similar to an answering machine.

Although it is generally inferior to speaking in person to the other party, it has some

advantages. When you leave a recorded message, you can make your point felt and savetime that might be wasted in exchanging pleasantries. Invitations can also be declined

without having to give an explanation or reason, or having the other person talk back.

Thus, there is greater control over how the message is composed and delivered. Besides,

voice mail also makes it possible to keep a permanent record of the communication,unlike other types of oral communication. In spite of these advantages however, voice

mail has not caught on in India.

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Master of Business Administration

Semister-1MB0039 Business Communication 4 credits

(Book ID: B1128)

ASSIGNMENT

Set-2

Q1. Explain the purpose of keeping minutes of a meeting. What goes into the

contents of minutes of a meeting?

Taking Minutes forms an essential part of most meetings.

Their purpose is firstly to record Action Points, i.e., what actions have been decided

upon, who is responsible and what the milestones and deadlines are. Secondly they

record summaries of the discussions held at the meeting.

Taking minutes is a skilled job because the minute taker has to follow what can be

confusing and inarticulate debates and summarize accurately what was said.

After the meeting the minutes should be checked with the chairperson to confirm

accuracy and then circulated to all attendees and anyone else affected by any decisionstaken at the meeting.

Use agree date to send a copy of the minutes to all attendees after your meeting throughyour saved event file. One single email can be sent to everyone present at the meeting,

plus anyone else who needs to be informed.

Minutes are required in order to:* confirm any decisions made* record any agreed actions to be taken

* record who has been allocated any tasks or responsibilities

* prompt action from any relevant attendees* provide details of the meeting to anyone unable to attend

* serve as a record of the meeting's procedure and outcome

Content of Minutes:

Minutes record the decisions of the policy groups meeting and the actions

agreed. This resource can be used by members of policy groups to further theirunderstanding of the contents for preparing minutes of their meetings. This resource

provides an outline of what should be included in the minutes and the process for

approving them.

The first paragraph contains:

*The kind of meeting (regular, special, adjourned).*The name of the society.

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*The date, time and place of the meeting.

*The fact that the regular chairman and secretary were present, or else the names of the

pro-tem officers.*A record of any approval of minutes of prior meeting(s), noting that there were

corrections if any (the corrections themselves are made to the text of the original

minutes), and noting the date of the minute's meeting when not the immediatelypreceding regular meeting.

The body contains a separate paragraph for each subject matter. For eachimportant motion, the minutes should show the name of the mover. The body should

show:

* All main motions or restorative motions. (Withdrawn motions are generally not shown.)

Shown for each such motion:

The wording in which each motion was adopted or otherwise disposed of,

noting only parenthetically if it was debated or amended.

The disposition of the motion, e.g., it was adopted, failed adoption, was

temporarily disposed of (e.g., laid on the table, referred to a committee). Iftemporarily disposed, the minutes also show any adhering motions (e.g.,

pending amendments, motion to refer or limit debate or divide thequestion).

* Secondary motions that were not lost or withdrawn, when needed for completeness or

clarity.*All notices of motions

*All points of order and appeals, how resolved, and the chair's reasoning.

The last paragraph shows the time of adjournment.

Minutes should be signed by the secretary; some societies also require the president tosign. It is no longer necessary or customary to close with "Respectfully submitted."

Note:

* The name of the seconder is not recorded.* Counts are recorded for counted votes. Names are recorded for each side for a

roll call vote, and enough abstainers' names under a heading of "present" to

demonstrate the presence of a quorum. No special note is made of whether thechair voted or not.

Committee reports given are noted, but entered in full only by order of the

assembly.

* The name and subject of a guest speaker can be given, but not a summary ortext of his speech.

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Q2. Prepare a brief notice to be put up on official notice boards, informing

employees of your organization about a newly introduced, official bus service.

Verizon Business July 11th, 2012

VZB Towers, Bangalore REF: ADM/N/2299

NOTICESub: Official Bus Service

We are extremely happy to inform all employees of Verizon Business that a new official bus service is

now available from Monday August 20th 2012, which is mainly intended to pickup and drop the

employees residing in and around Bangalore. Details of the route and timings are already available inthe home page of our intranet. Employees wishing to know more or use the bus service may contact

the Facilities desk to procure tickets and season passes in advance.

FACILITIES DEPARTMENT

Q.3 Write short notes on (a) Upward communication (b) Downward communication

(c) Horizontal communication.

A formal communication network is one which is created by management anddescribed with the help of an organizational chart. An organizational chart specifies the

hierarchy and the reporting system in the organization. Therefore, in a formal network,information is passed on only through official channels such as memos, bulletins andintranet (email within the organization).

The organizational chart implies that information can flow in any of three directions

vertically, i.e., upward or downward, and horizontally.

1. Upward Communication:This may be defined as information that flows from

subordinates to superiors. Some of the reasons for upward communication includediscussing work related problems, giving suggestions for improvement and sharing

feelings about the job and co-workers.

This type of communication has both benefits and disadvantages. One of the biggest

benefits is problem-solving. Once a subordinate has brought a problem to his superiors

notice, chances are that the problem will not recur, since the subordinate learns from his

superior how to tackle it the next time. Thus, his ability to solve new problems andtherefore his managerial ability, improves. Another benefit that could arise from upward

communication is that valuable ideas and suggestions may sometimes come from lower

level employees. Therefore organizations should encourage this kind of communication.

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A third benefit is that employees learn to accept the decisions of management and thereby

work as a team.The biggest problem associated with this type of communication is that itmay lead to handing down of decisions by superiors. When subordinates frequently

seek the superiors guidance, the latter may adopt an authoritarian approach and merely

give instructions, disregarding the subordinates opinion completely.

2. Downward Communication:This may be defined as information that flows from

superiors to subordinates. The most common reasons for downward communication arefor giving job instructions, explaining company rules, policies and procedures and giving

feedback regarding job performance. A number of studies have indicated that regular

downward communication in the form of feedback given to employees is the most

important factor affecting job satisfaction. Therefore organizations today are trying toencourage more of this type of communication.

There are both benefits and disadvantages associated with this type of communication.

Downward communication that provides regular feedback will be beneficial if thefeedback or review of performance is constructive. A constructive review is one where a

manager counsels an employee, or advises him on how to improve his performance. Onthe other hand, a destructive review can destroy employee morale and confidence.

Regular downward communication also creates a climate of transparency or openness,

where information is passed on through official channels, rather than through rumors.Thirdly, downward communication boosts employee morale, since it indicates that

management is involved in their progress.

The problems with this type of communication are the danger of doing destructivereviews, as mentioned, and that of message overload. This means that superiors many

sometimes burden their subordinates with too many instructions, leading to confusion.

3. Horizontal Communication: This type of communication is also known as lateral

communication. It may be defined as communication that takes place between co-

workers in the same department, or in different departments, with different areas ofresponsibility. For example, Sales Managers and Advertising Managers in the Marketing

department, or Marketing Managers and Finance Managers.

The reasons for this type of communication are for coordination of tasks, sharing ofinformation regarding goals of the organization, resolving interpersonal or work related

problems and building rapport.

The biggest potential benefit of horizontal communication is the sense of teamwork that

is created. Regular communication of this type ensures that all co-workers work together

towards achieving a common goal in the overall interest of the organization. The biggestpotential problem is that conflicts such as ego clashes are bound to arise, when co-

workers at the same level communicate on a regular basis.

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In spite of these problems, horizontal or lateral communication has become more

important in todays business scenario than upward or downward communication. This is

because the organizational pyramid indicating the different hierarchies or levels in anorganization has flattened.

Q4. Go through business magazines and daily newspapers and select a situationwhen a company was facing a crisis (e.g., Coke and Pepsi pesticide controversy).

How did the company communicate with its shareholders and other stakeholders to

overcome the crisis? Was the communication effective?

Ans: - Shareholders are important internal stakeholders of an organization, since they are

the owners of the company. Since the capital required is huge, there are no proprietors

and partners any more. As organization grows, shareholding is widely scattered.Therefore, it is essentials to retain the shareholders, confidence in thecompanys

management, through effective communication with them on a regular basis.

There are two situations when shareholder communication is extremely vital

1. If a company is doing well and wants to expand its scope of operations, or

diversify into unrelated areas. In this case, good shareholder relations can help toraise the required capital and minimize borrowing from banks and financial

institutions.

2. If a company is going through a crisis or difficult times, more communicationwith shareholders is needed. Take the example of coke and Pepsi during the

pesticide controversy. In such a situation, the company should beopen with its

shareholders and explains the problem clearly; including the steps being taken to

overcome the crisis. Crisis communication is am important, but often overlookedarea of shareholder communication. Lack of communication during a crisis

encourages the grapevine among shareholders and leads to false rumors.

For example. Rumors may spread that the company is going to close down. Onthe other hand, if you tell the truth, changes are that yourshareholders will stand

by you. The appropriate media for communication with shareholder include both

oral and written periodic mailers should be sent to all shareholders, giving a fairand truthful Representation of the companys results and progress on various

fronts. In areas where there is an aggregation or concentration of

shareholders, shareholder meeting and conferences should be held, making

presentations on the companys progress. When the company is going through acrisis, shareholders should be taken on project site and factory visits, to show

them the measures that are being taken to solve the problem. The overall guiding

factor in communicating with shareholders should be that they are the owners ofthe company. Two examples are giving below of two companies, cognizant and

reliance that are well known for effective shareholders communication.

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Q5. Discuss the different types of business reports

The following are the two bases of classifying the reports -* According to function, and

* According to formality.

According to functions the reports may be divided into three parts:

* Informational reports.

* Analytical reports* Research reports.

Informational reports: These reports present facts about certain given activity in detailwithout any note or suggestions. Whatever is gathered is reported without giving any

thing by way of either explanation or any suggestion. A vice-chancellor asking about the

number of candidates appearing at a particular examination naturally seeks only

information of the fact (candidates taking up the examination) of course without anycomment. Generally such reports are of routine nature. Sometimes they may fall under

statutory routine category. A company registrar asking for allotment return within thestipulate period is nothing but informational routine, falling under statutory but routine

report.

Analytical reports: These reports contain facts along with analytical explanations

offered by the reporter himself or may be asked for by the one who is seeking the report.

Such reports contain the narration of facts, collected data and information, classified and

tabulated data and also explanatory note followed by the conclusions arrived at orinterpretations. A company chairman may ask for a report on falling trends in sale in a

particular area. He will in this case be naturally interested in knowing all the details

including that of opinion of any of the investigator.

Research reports: These reports are based on some research work conducted by either

an individual or a group of individuals on a given problem. Indian oil company mighthave asked its research division to find some substitute for petrol, and if such a study is

conducted then a report shall be submitted by the research division detailing its findings

and then offering their own suggestions, including the conclusions at which the division

has arrived at as to whether such a substitute is these and if it is there can the same be putto use with advantage and effectively. All details shall naturally be asked and has to be

given. In fact such a report is the result of a research.

According to formality the reports may be divided into two parts:

* Statutory reports* Non statutory or voluntary reports.

Statutory reports: These reports are to be presented according to the requirements of a

particular law or a rule or a custom now has become a rule. The auditor reports to

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company registrar has to be submitted as per the requirements of country legal

requirement. A return on compensation paid to factory workers during a period by a

factory has to be submitted to competent authorities periodically. These reports aregenerally prepared in the prescribed form as the rules have prescribed.

Non statutory reports: These reports are not in the nature of legal requirements or ruleswants, therefore, the reports are to be prepared and submitted. These reports are required

to be prepared and submitted: (i) for the administrative and other conveniences,(ii) for

taking decision in a matter (iii) for policy formulations, (iv) for projecting the future or(v) any thing alike so that efficient and smooth functioning maybe assured and proper and

necessary decision may be taken with a view to see that every thing goes well and the

objectives of the organization are achieved with assured success.

The above two may further be divided into two parts again, i.e. (i) routine reports

and (ii) special reports.

Routine reports : These reports are required to be prepared and submitted periodicallyon matters required by the organization so as to help the management of the organization

to take decisions in the matters relating to day to day affairs. The main objectives ofroutine reports are to let the management know as to what is happening in the

organization, what is its progress where the deviation is, what measures have been taken

in solving the problems and what to do so that the organization may run smoothly andefficiently. Routine reports are generally brief. They only give the facts. No comments or

explanations are usually offered in such reports. Generally forms are prescribed for

preparation and submission of such reports.

Special reports: Such a type of report is specially required to be prepared and submitted

on matters of special nature. Due to an accident a death of the foreman has occurred in a

factory. The factory manager may ask for a detail report from the head foreman. Such areport is classified as special reports. These reports contain not only facts and details but

they may contain suggestion, comments and explanations as well.

Q6. List the different steps involved in report preparation

Writing reports:A report is a statement of the results of an investigation or of any matter on which

definite information is required. The following stages are involved in writing a report:

clarifying your terms of reference planning your work

collecting your information

organising and structuring your information writing the first draft

checking and re-drafting.

Different types of reports Stages in report writing:

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Step 1:

The terms of reference of a report are a guiding statement used to define the scopeof your investigation. You must be clear from the start what you are being asked to do.

You will probably have been given an assignment from your tutor but you may need to

discuss this further to find out the precise subject and purpose of the report. Why haveyou been asked to write it ?

Knowing your purpose will help you to communicate your information more clearly andwill help you to be more selective when collecting your information.

Step 2

Planning:Careful planning will help you to write a clear, concise and effective report,

giving adequate time to each of the developmental stages prior to submission.

Consider the report as a whole Break down the task of writing the report into various parts.

How much time do you have to write the report? How can this be divided up into the various planning stages?

Set yourself deadlines for the various stages.

Draw up an outline structure for your report and set the work within a sensible time scalefor completion by the given deadline. Some of the most time-consuming parts of the

process are collecting and selecting your information, and checking and revising your

report.

Step 3

Collecting Information:

There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself at this stage:-

What is the information you need?

Where do you find it? How much do you need?

How shall you collect it?

In what order will you arrange it?

You may have much of the information you need already such as results from a

laboratory experiment or descriptions of your methods of data collection. However, there

may be other material which is needed such as background information on other researchstudies, or literature surveys. You may need to carry out some interviews or make a visit

to the university library to collect all the information you need.

Make a list of what information you need. Make an action plan stating how you are going to gather this.

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The Information Technology Skills Guidecontains much useful advice on the use of

electronic information sources. This guide is available from the University's Flexible

Learning Initiative.

Step 4

Organising Information:One helpful way of organising your information into topics is to brainstorm your ideas

into a spider diagram.

Write the main theme in the centre of a piece of paper.

Write down all the ideas and keywords related to your topic starting from the centre and

branching out along lines of connecting ideas.

Step 5

Each idea can be circled or linked by lines as appropriate.

When you have finished, highlight any related ideas and then sort topics.

Some ideas will form main headings, and others will be sub-sections under theseheadings.

You should then be able to see a pattern emerging and be able to arrange your mainheadings in a logical order.

Further advice concerning the organising of material can be found in another section of

this Study Guide, Taking notes.

Step 6

Structuring your report:

There are different types of report such as laboratory reports or reports on an industrialplacement. Always check with the person commissioning the report (your tutor,

your placement supervisor) to find out precisely what your report should include and how

it should be presented. The following common elements can be found in many differentreports:

Title page

Acknowledgements Contents

Abstract or summary

Introduction

Methodology Results or findings

Discussion

Conclusion and recommendations References

Appendices

We shall now look at each of these in turn.

Title page: This should include the title of the report (which should give a preciseindication of the subject matter), the authors name, module, course and the date.

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Acknowledgements: You should acknowledge any help you have received in collectingthe information for the report. This may be from librarians, technicians or computer

centre staff, for example.

Contents: You should list all the main sections of the report in sequence with the pagenumbers they begin on. If there are charts, diagrams or tables included in your report,

these should be listed separately under a title such as List of Illustrations together withthe page numbers on which they appear.

Abstract or summary: This should be a short paragraph summarizing the main contentsof the report. It should include a short statement of the main task, the methods used,conclusions reached and any recommendations to be made. The abstract or summary

should be concise, informative and independent of the report.

Step 7Introduction: This should give the context and scope of the report and should include

your terms of reference. State your objectives clearly, define the limits of the report,outline the method of enquiry, give a brief general background to the subject of the report

and indicate the proposed development.

Methodology: In this section you should state how you carried out your enquiry. What

form did your enquiry take? Did you carry out interviews or questionnaires, how did

you collect your data? What measurements did you make? How did you choose the

subjects for your interviews? Present this information logically and concisely.

Results or findings:

Present your findings in as simple a way as possible. The more complicated theinformation looks, the more difficult it will be to interpret. There are a number of ways in

which results can be presented.

Here are a few:

Tables

Graphs

Pie charts Bar charts

Diagrams

Step 8

Discussion:

This is the section where you can analyze and interpret your results drawing fromthe information which you have collected, explaining its significance. Identify important

issues and suggest explanations for your findings. Outline any problems encountered and

try and present a balanced view.

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Conclusions and recommendations:

This is the section of the report which draws together the main issues. It should be

expressed clearly and should not present any new information. You may wish to list yourrecommendations in separate section or include them with the conclusions.

References:It is important that you give precise details of all the work by other authors which

has been referred to within the report. Details should include:

Authors name and initials

Date of publication

Title of the book, paper or journal

PublisherPlace of publication

Page numbers

Details of the journal volume in which the article has appeared.

References should be listed in alphabetical order of the authors' names. Make sure that

your references are accurate and comprehensive.

Appendices:

An appendix contains additional information related to the report but which is notessential to the main findings. This can be consulted if the reader wishes but the report

should not depend on this. You could include details of interview questions, statistical

data, a glossary of terms, or other information which may be useful for the reader.

Step 9

Style of writing:

There are several points that you will need to consider when you are writing your report:

Active or passive?

Your tutor will be able to advise whether the report should be written in the active orpassive voice. The active voice reads as follows:

I recommend ...

The passive voice reads: It is recommended that ...

The active voice allows you to write short, punchy sentences. The passive appears moreformal and considered. Be aware of these differences and avoid mixing the two voices.

Simplicity:

Most written reports should avoid using overly complicated language. If a report isto persuade, brief or justify, it's message must be clear. Furthermore, the factual

presentation of data should not be swamped with sophisticated, lengthy sentences. Avoid

using unnecessary jargon. This confuses even the most informed reader. Ensure that your

abbreviations are standardized. All too often authors invent their own jargon to

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Ease the pressure on writing things in full. Be cautious of confusing your reader.

Use of language:Most reports should avoid the use of subjective language. For example, to report on a

change in coloration from a "stunning green to a beautiful blue" is to project your own

values onto a measurable outcome. What does the term "beautiful" mean to you? Whatwill it mean to your reader? Such subjective, or personal language commonly has no

place in the more objective field of report writing.

Step 10

Layout: Most reports have a progressive numbering system. The most common system is

the decimal notation system. The main sections are given single Arabic numbers -1, 2, 3

and so on.Sub-sections are given a decimal number - 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and so on. Sub-sections can be

further divided into - 1.11, 1.12, 1.13 and so on.

An example structure would look as follows:

1. Introduction

1.1

-

1.11

-

1.2

-

1.21

-

2. Methodology

2.1

-

2.11

-

2.12

Step 11

Presentation:

The following suggestions will help you to produce an easily read report:

Leave wide margins for binding and feedback comments from your tutor.

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Paragraphs should be short and concise.

Headings should be clear - highlighted in bold or underlined.

All diagrams and illustrations should be labeled and numbered. All standard units, measurements and technical terminology should be listed in a

glossary of terms at the back of your report.

Step 12

Redrafting and Checking:

Once you have written the first draft of your report you will need to check it through. It isprobably sensible to leave it on your desk for a day or so if you have the time. This will

make a clear break from the intensive writing period, allowing you to view your work

more objectively. Assess your work in the following areas:

Structure Content

Style

Look at the clarity and precision of your work. Use the report writing checklist at the end

of this section to check your report.

Step 13Checklist:

Title page:

Does this include the:Title?

Authors name?

Module/course details?

Acknowledgements:

Have you acknowledged all sources of help?

Contents:

Have you listed all the main sections in sequence?

Have you included a list of illustrations?

Abstract or summary:

Does this state:

The main task?The methods used?

The conclusions reached?

The recommendations made?

Introduction:

Does this include:Your terms of reference?

The limits of the report?

An outline of the method?

A brief background to the subject matter?

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Methodology:

Does this include:The form your enquiry took?

The way you collected your data?

Reports and findings:

Are your diagrams clear and simple?

Are they clearly labeled?Do they relate closely to the text?

Discussion:

Have you identified key issues?Have you suggested explanations for your findings?

Have you outlined any problems encountered?

Have you presented a balanced view?

Conclusions and recommendations:

Have you drawn together all of your main ideas?Have you avoided any new information?

Are any recommendations clear and concise?

References:

Have you listed all references alphabetically?

Have you included all the necessary information?

Are your references accurate?

Appendices:

Have you only included supporting information?Does the reader need to read these sections?

Writing style:Have you used clear and concise language?

Are your sentences short and jargon free?

Are your paragraphs tightly focused?

Have you used the active or the passive voice?

Layout:

Have you clearly labeled each section?Is your labeling consistent throughout the report?

Presentation: Have you left sufficient margin space for binding/feedback?Are your headings clear?

Have you checked your spelling?

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