IMT DISTANCE AND OPEN LEARNING INSTITUTE

GHAZIABAD

End-Term Examinations June 2007

Subject Code : IMT-10
Subject Title : Business Communication

Time allowed : 180 minutes

Maximum : 50 marks

Instructions: (a) Answer any four questions choosing from Section-A and each question carries 9 marks.
(b)

Section-B (Case Study) is compulsory and case study carries 14 marks.

No doubts/clarifications shall be entertained. In case of doubts/clarifications make reasonable assumptions and
proceed.

SECTION-A (Answer any four questions from this section)

Q.1.

Explain Communication process. How barriers to communication can be overcome?

Q.2.

Describe with examples, the points that must be kept in mind during a business presentation. What is the role of
humour in it?

Q.3.

a) What is Grapevine? Write two merits of it.

b) Enumerate golden principles of good listening.

Q.4.

a) What is negotiation?
b) Explain win-win situation in negotiation with the help of examples.

Q.5.

a) How does a letter differ from memo?

b) Is it necessary to have a covering letter with a CV?

Q.6.

a) Explain the use of internet in Business Communication.

b) What factor must be kept in mind which arranging / conducting meetings.

Q.7.

Write short notes on:a) 7 Cs of Communication

b) Analytical report
c) Function of Communication

SECTION-B (Case Study is compulsory)

BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY: COMMUNICATION FAILURES
On December 3, 1984, a runaway reaction had occurred in a storage tank of methylisocyanate (MIC), which was used to
manufacture a pesticide. The valves of the tank had burst, and a cloud of poisonous gas had escaped. The winds carried it
to nearby shanty towns and the populous city of Bhopal, where thousands of people either died in their sleep or woke and
died while fleeing. Those who survived suffered from burning eyes and lungs. Local medical facilities were not equipped for
the disaster, and over the next few weeks thousands more died.
Due to production problems, the plant was under a great deal of pressure to cut costs. A number of shortcuts had thus been
taken with such items as crew training, staffing patterns and maintenance schedules. The original procedure called for upto
two years of training for employees in critical superintendent capacities, but the plant operators had received about a month
long training, using classroom materials developed in the U.S. and printed in English.
Perhaps most importantly at the time of the tragedy, the staff did not realise the gravity of situation and even took a break for
tea after the leak had been noticed, thinking they would have plenty of time to fix it. The operator in the control room did not
notify his supervisor when the temperature began to ruse inside the tank and the entire situation remained unattended for at
least an hour.
Mr. Warren Anderson sitting in U.S., as CEO of Union Carbide, needed to know exactly what had happened in Bhopal. He
knew that he would have to explain tragic accident to the employees, to the government officials in both the United States
and India, to the courts, and to the people. Yet he could not get answers to his own preliminary and personal questions.
When telephone contact failed to yield answers, he got on a plane and flew for India, where he was immediately placed
under house arrest unable to attend to the very business that had brought him there. His plant managers had also been
arrested and were not allowed to talk to anyone.
Questions:1)
2)
3)

Discuss the levels where the communication systems failed resulting in the tragedy.
Prepare a bullet presentation of the incident.
Prepare a strategy for Mr. Warren to avoid such incident in future

ETEJune 2007

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IMT-10